Over the years, the Korean beauty industry has raised the clean skin or glass skin standards of beauty for women across the globe. Everyone wants to have healthy, clean, and flowing skin even if that means slathering themselves with natural snail slime as well. Applying snail mucin all over your face has garnered tons of traction in recent years. The mucus left behind when these slow little creatures crawl by is filled with natural ingredients that can glow up our skin.

Let’s know some basic facts and benefits of this snail mucin, and whether it should be a must in your skincare regime.


Why do they produce this mucus?

This natural mucus comes from the snail’s foot and helps it to glide along the path. It acts like glue and helps the snails to hang upside down most of the time. They use the slime trails and leave them behind to find each other and also at times to catch prey. Rich in bacteria-fighting properties, it also helps the snails to fend off any infection and is therefore used on our skin.

Benefits of snail mucin on skin

Snail mucin-induced products are a great option for people struggling with dry skin. It has strong hydrating and moisturising properties which strengthen the skin barrier and keeps your skin pores moisturised. It is rich in hyaluronic acid which immediately hydrates the skin and improves the plumpness, fine lines, smoothness, and wrinkles of the skin.

It also promotes collagen, helps to set off the signs of skin ageing and helps in a more youthful look. Rich in glycolic acid, it stimulates collagen formation and reduces fine lines and wrinkles as well.


Potential Side Effects

Not everyone but a few people might be allergic to snails and mollusks and can have an allergic reaction which can result in redness, congestion after applying, hives all over the body, irritation in the eyes, sneezing, itchiness, raised bumps, swelling, scaling or flaking, and even cracked skin after application. Therefore, you can always apply the product to a small patch of skin, wait for a reaction, and then move forward.


Bottom line

Snail mucin is mainly a skincare ingredient that is known for reducing signs of ageing, blemishes, and inflammation. It is mostly sticky water which contains large molecules and binds moisture including elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid making it great for our facial pores. Because of the texture, it gets easily absorbed and gradually seeps into the skin.