Is It Slime For Your Face? Benefits Of Snail Mucin And Why You Need It

December 20, 2022

Snail mucin is a huge trend on TikTok. What makes it popular, you say? The texture, of course! It’s goopy and slimy, something that you do not expect to enjoy on your face. For example, one of the most popular snail products is the COSRX Snail Mucin Essence, a holy grail of mine. However, with the rise in popularity, many people misunderstand that snail mucin is an ingredient to fight acne. Some users misinform the audience by generalizing the benefits of this ingredient as an acne-minimizing and scar-reducing miracle formula. Unfortunately, that is not the actual purpose of snail mucin. The benefits of snail mucin include hydration, slow-aging benefits, and a faster cell-regenerating cycle! All of these help the skin to improve its overall texture and look.

What Is Snail Mucin?

Snail mucin is the excretion of snails which has been a popular ingredient since the early 2000s when Korean beauty brands started to formulate skincare goods with it. Although the ingredient rose in popularity in the 2000s, its first known modern use was from a Chilean skincare brand Elicina in 1995! There were claims by snail farmers in the country that scratches on their hands healed faster when they had to handle garden snails.

Collecting and creating products with snail mucin has been known to be a cruelty-free method. For example, the Korean skincare brand COSRX places snails over a mesh net in a dark and quiet room where the snails are left to roam the net freely, leaving their mucin behind in their trails. Since no external stress is applied to the snails to force mucin production, this collection method is cruelty-free!

Benefits Of Snail Mucin

Even though it may sound gross to some, snail mucin has amazing benefits for the skin:

Deeply Hydrates The Skin

The natural hyaluronic acid in snail mucin is very hydrating for the skin, and it has moisturizing properties that help lock in the moisture of our skin barrier. Also, snail mucin has low molecular hyaluronic acid, which helps penetrate deeper into the skin to plump the skin and retain moisture for extended periods. Because the snail creates the mucin to protect itself from wounds, the excretion is also effective in helping with the slow-aging process of our skin. Especially for anyone struggling with fine lines and wrinkles, snail mucin can help bind moisture and keep our faces looking plump. Another hydrating ingredient in snail mucin is glycosaminoglycans, a hyaluronic acid-like humectant that can help increase hydration in the skin.

Increases Collagen Production

Snail mucin helps gently exfoliate the skin and promote collagen production. The increase in collagen production helps the skin to rejuvenate and increases cell turnover. This allows the skin to heal faster, minimizing the appearance of acne over time and keeps the skin looking youthful overall. Snail mucin contains copper peptides and glycosaminoglycans, which work together to promote collagen production in the skin further. The increase in cell turnover also means that it can gradually smooth fine lines and wrinkles, the added benefit of using snail mucin for slow aging! What makes snail mucin even more unique is that it contains a natural form of glycolic acid. We can easily overdo these acids, so you can consider this a safe option for even the most sensitive skin types. On top of that, since snail mucin helps to increase collagen production, it will assist with signs of fine lines and wrinkles.

Anti-inflammatory benefits

The benefits of snail mucin don’t stop there because it’s a great ingredient to add to your routine, especially if you struggle with redness. Snail mucin contains all the healing properties of allantoin and zinc, which are known to have anti-inflammatory benefits and soothe irritation. Using snail mucin long-term will help to minimize skin irritation and heal your skin barrier!

Addressing The Misconception

Many people in the skincare TikTok community swear by snail mucin as the miracle ingredient for acne. It isn’t, though! Snail mucin does not directly combat acne like our potent ingredients, such as retinol, benzoyl peroxide, or salicylic acid! Instead, this powerful ingredient’s healing and hydrating benefits will help your skin look more rejuvenated and clear. The healing properties of snail mucin make people mistake the ingredient for being great for acne skin. So instead of thinking snail mucin is an acne treatment, think of it as a treatment for your skin to heal faster by hydrating from deep within. Keeping your skin healthy with snail mucin helps to promote a faster cell turnover cycle. This then helps to minimize the appearance of acne and acne scars.

My Favorite Way To Use Snail Mucin

There are many skin care products containing snail mucin, but the most popular product in TikTok is the COSRX Snail Mucin Essence because it offers a high percentage of snail mucin (96.3%). In addition, it also contains other hydrating and soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, allantoin, and panthenol. I can also vouch for the COSRX essence, but I use it differently! Instead of pumping the product on the hands and applying it to the face, I like to pump about ten to twelve pumps on a cotton pad. Then, I swipe the cotton pad all over my face. This method helps my skin soak up the essence like a sponge, and anything I put after absorbs better into the skin. Since using this method, I’ve noticed my skin experiencing less hyperpigmentation and minimized wrinkles. Overall, my skin looks very plump and glowing from the inside out!