Are you thinking the same thing as me? That the cosmetics industry will go crazy? Although sometimes it seems that it really works. Snail slime is one of the best things you can put on your face, and Korean face masks do just that. But control your gag reflex. Snail creams contain only the essence of snail mucus, so there is nothing remotely snail-like in them. Thank you to K-beauty brands for coming out with these products that we couldn't even imagine! We've rounded up the best snail creams available on the market right now. Check them out below!
What is snail mucin?
Snail mucin (aka snail secretion filtrate) has become a popular ingredient in Korean skin care due to its versatility in treating many skin concerns and its suitability for all skin types.
But what exactly is snail mucin?
Snail mucin is not made from the snail itself—it's mucus that the snail produces (think of the sparkling trails snails leave on the ground). Figuring this out made me a little less squeamish. I was glad to know that no innocent snails were killed for these popular skin care products.
Korean cosmetics based on snail mucus.
Now almost all leading Korean brands offer from one to several lines starring this component. There are two main areas in which “snail” products are most widely represented:
- Anti-aging cosmetics;
- Regenerating cosmetics.
However, the declared functionality of one product does not exclude the properties of another, because the snail component itself has both effects. Due to the fact that snail secretion (mucin) is highly compatible with many known substances and components, manufacturers have the opportunity to create a variety of combinations of active substances, vary concentrations and obtain products with different functionality.
You can choose either a complete skin care complex based on snail mucus or individual products such as face cream, eye cream, restoring gel or BB cream. Products “with snail” are unique in that each of the products works perfectly both in combination and independently. Try it! The result will not take long to arrive.
Features of Korean creams with snail mucin
Snail mucin is definitely one of the most popular ingredients in the Korean skincare world. You will find that most people will include at least one snail mucin product in their diet!
This is due to the huge range of benefits that snail mucin has for your skin, including: treating acne, fading hyperpigmentation, and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.
Snail mucus is full of a variety of skin care ingredients including elastin, hyaluronic acid, proteins, glycolic acid, antioxidants and more! And the best part is that all these ingredients that can work wonders on your skin are packed into one ingredient.
Korean snail mucin creams can reduce dark spots, brighten skin tone, make skin firmer and plumper, and also moisturize the skin. Thanks to its multi-tasking properties, snail mucin has become a favorite K-beauty ingredient in recent years. For many K-beauty products focused on anti-aging benefits, snail mucin is the star ingredient!
Benefits of Korean creams with snail mucin
It is unknown who exactly thought of this - or if it even came about this way - but it is known that snails were used as a topical treatment in Ancient Greece for their healing properties. Snails have also been used in French skin care since the 18th century. There are also claims that the benefits of snail mucus were discovered in Chile, as workers on a mountain farm noticed that the snail secretion filtrate healed cuts and scrapes on their hands.
Ancient Greek women raved about how healthy their skin looked after incorporating snail into their skin care routines.
Regardless of who has thought about using snail secretion filtrate as a first skin care routine, the next question is what benefits does snail mucin actually have for your skin?
It turns out there are many benefits that snail mucin has for your skin. This is because snail mucin contains many beneficial ingredients (such as glycolic acid, glycoprotein enzymes, and copper peptides).
These ingredients make snail mucin excellent for damaged skin, skin tone, hyperpigmented skin (including acne scars). Korean creams with snail mucin tighten the skin and boost the production of collagen and elastin. Snail mucin is also great for hydrating the skin because it contains hyaluronic acid (a hydrating ingredient that draws water into the outer layers of the skin).
Snail mucin also has antimicrobial properties, making it great for fighting acne-causing bacteria.
Benefits of snail mucin against wrinkles
Since I started using snail mucin in my very simple skin care routine, I have noticed that the fine lines near my eyes and on my forehead are not as noticeable.
And it's true, clinical studies have shown that snail mucin actually has anti-aging properties!
This happens because the hyaluronic acid present in snail mucin works to keep your skin super hydrated and plump, which in turn reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The hyaluronic acid in snail mucin also increases the production of collagen and elastin in the outer layers of your skin, resulting in firmer, younger-looking skin.
Because the moisturizing effects of hyaluronic acid are short-lived, the anti-aging and skin-moisturizing benefits of snail mucin seem to be short-lived. People who regularly use snail mucin notice that their skin doesn't feel hydrated and firm until a few days after they don't include it in their routine.
What is snail mucin and its function?
Snail mucin is a special protein that the snail uses to survive. It is responsible for regulating mineralization processes and the formation of the cochlear shell.
Roughly speaking, so that the snail can repair its damaged shell on its own.
In general, the snail secretes two types of mucus:
- The first one wets the surface and helps it move.
- But the second, thicker one, is exactly the mucin that the special glands of the snail secrete in response to stress or damage. This is what is used in the manufacture of cosmetics.
How is snail mucin obtained?
Most often, snail mucus is obtained from edible garden snails of the species Helix Aspera Müller (Cryptomphalus Aspersa). It’s sad, but these are the snails that are so loved in France... Yes!!!
Yes, this very delicacy of French cuisine is also a source of mucin for cosmetics.
To obtain snail mucus, “SCARY!” This can be rotation, shaking, or creating a bathhouse effect for them, increasing the temperature in the room, which puts them under stress and causes them to secrete secretions.
YES, I agree, the method is not entirely humane... But at least the snails are not killed, they do not cause any harm, and then they are released back to the farm, where they continue to live and reproduce.
The secreted mucus is collected with a large amount of water, filtered and passed through a centrifuge to remove various contaminants.
What does snail mucin contain?
The snail mucus filtrate can have a different composition, it depends on the time of year and the nutritional diet of the snails, but the following components remain unchanged:
- allantoin,
- collagen,
- elastin,
- hyaluronic acid,
- chitosan,
- vitamins of the group vitamins A, C, E, B6 and B12,
- glycolic acid.
What are the benefits of snail mucus for the skin?
Well, now the most interesting thing is how mucin is good for the skin.
The structure and composition of snail skin is similar to that of humans, but the snail’s immune system and its immune response to various influences are different from those of humans!!! The snail's body does not respond to skin damage and microbial attacks with internal inflammation, but moisturizes the skin with mucus, which contains antimicrobial peptides, antioxidants and copper peptides, which cause orderly regeneration of skin cells.
The effect of using snail mucin on the skin:
- moisturizes and promotes moisture retention in the skin, covers it with a light invisible film that retains moisture but allows oxygen to pass through, allowing the skin to breathe;
- has keratolytic properties (exfoliates dead cells);
- normalizes the synthesis of collagen and elastin - stimulates the activity of fibroblasts (cells responsible for the formation of extracellular matrix, collagen and elastin)
- regenerates the skin, relieves inflammation, copes with irritation, redness, inflammation (blackheads and acne)
- heals scars and stretch marks, removes warts, promotes the disappearance of age spots;
- effectively removes toxins from the skin.
- At the same time, snail protein does not cause allergies, which means it is suitable for absolutely everyone, even people with sensitive skin.
How to treat with snails - interesting video
Look, it's interesting!
Who is suitable for cosmetics with snail extract?
Cosmetics with snail secretions are suitable for fading, aging skin, as an anti-aging agent, and for young, problematic skin:
- deep and expression wrinkles;
- swelling;
- photoaging and age-related changes;
- uneven skin tone;
- enlarged pores;
- dark spots;
- blackheads, acne, rosacea.
Cosmetics work both on a deep and superficial level.
Clinical trials have proven that the use of cosmetics with snail mucin significantly improves the appearance of the skin, and reduces the total number of wrinkles by 29% and the depth of wrinkles by 16%.
Is Korean cream with snail mucin suitable for treating acne?
Yes snail mucin is a great ingredient to include in your regimen if you suffer from acne. Snail mucin naturally has antimicrobial properties that help kill bacteria. However, the glycolic acid in snail mucin also helps prevent acne by exfoliating the skin (thus removing dead skin cells and unclogging pores).
Snail mucin may also help restore the skin's moisture barrier. This is due to the ingredient hyaluronic acid which is a humectant which means it attracts water molecules to your outer layer of skin keeping your skin hydrated.
Is Korean cream with snail mucin suitable for hyperpigmented skin?
Snail mucin has another wonderful property - it is great for fading hyperpigmentation. However, from all the research I did for this article, snail mucin is great for healing acne scars (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), reducing redness, and evening out your overall skin tone.
If you want sun spots and/or melasma to disappear then you may need to look at incorporating some other foods into your regimen.
The reason is that snail secretion filtrate contains many ingredients (including proteins, peptides and elastin) that help heal acne scars. This again makes sense when we think about snails in nature - they have very soft bodies that should be able to heal quickly since they often travel over rough surfaces and their mucus helps them do this.
Of course, the glycolic acid in snail mucin also helps to gently exfoliate the skin, which removes dead skin cells and reveals new and unpigmented cells.
Creams based on snail extract: composition, properties, effectiveness
Several years ago, the first products based on snail extract appeared in the global cosmetics industry. Manufacturers of snail cosmetics claimed that the products had a lot of miraculous properties, but critics greeted the new product with skepticism. After some time, after a series of studies, it was proven that the extract of this mollusk actually has regenerating and rejuvenating properties, so today it is often used to prepare natural cosmetics.
Top 10 Korean face creams with snail mucin
Anti-aging Korean cream with snail mucin for wrinkles Mizon
Description
Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream stays true to its name and works to completely restore your skin. It contains 92% powerful snail extract. It also contains glycolic acid and elastin, which work on wrinkles. Additionally, the copper peptides in it reduce the size of your pores and reduce acne scars as it has healing and antimicrobial properties.
pros
- Light texture
- Easily absorbed
- Smooth skin
Korean cream with snail mucin Missha Super Aqua Cell Renewal Sleeping Mask
Description
Skin experts advise you to always use a night cream because your skin repairs itself at night. What better way to do this than with a snail sleep mask? This moisturizing gel is infused with moisture-rich ingredients and snail extract that support new cell generation, work to tighten skin, even out skin tone and smooth your skin.
pros
- Makes your skin firmer
- Evens out your skin tone
- Suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin
- Inexpensive
Anti-aging Korean cream with snail mucin and anti-wrinkle collagen TonyMoly
This timeless enzyme snail cream is enriched with 70% golden fermented snail mucus and is best known for its restorative, nourishing and anti-aging properties. It intensely moisturizes the skin. It is formulated as a gel and contains lecithin, which improves the texture, firmness, and tone of your skin. Its other ingredients like allantoin, glycolic acid, collagen and elastin work to leave you with flawless skin.
pros
- Improves the elasticity of your skin
- Evens out your skin tone
Minuses
Expensive
Intensive Korean cream in an ampoule with snail mucin Mizon
Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule is a lightweight and watery serum that easily penetrates your skin and treats problems in every layer. With 80% snail filtrate, this ampoule nourishes your skin, repairs damaged skin, increases its firmness, and tightens it. Read the review of the best Korean foundation creams with collagen.
pros
- Restores damaged and aged skin
- Highly moisturizing
Ingredient: mucin or snail mucus in Korean cosmetics
Snail articles are some of the most popular on the Internet. Since products containing mucin came to Russia, controversy surrounding the functions and properties of the snail has not subsided. Some beauty salons even use “raw material” - they place very cute Achatina on the client’s face, which gently crawl along the cheeks, move their horns and smooth the skin. However, the hygiene of such a procedure was subjected to severe criticism, justified by analyzes, in the program “I’m ashamed of my body” - snails that move from one face to another leave bacteria and viruses on the skin. Therefore, if you want to try to make friends with snails and turn them into home cosmetologists, get your own, which will only walk across your face. There's nothing scary about it, it's rather cute and funny and a little ticklish.
But today we will talk about mucin that has undergone thorough purification - about mucin in cosmetic products. Korea is a pioneer of the “snail movement”. One of the most popular ingredients, more popular than aloe and hyaluronic acid combined. They were one of the first innovations among companies, and were embodied in dozens of types of products: gels, foams, serums, creams, BB creams, hand and foot creams….
Alas, despite the fact that this ingredient is very popular, in the vastness of Europe and Russia there are stories that do not correspond to the truth. For example, that snail mucin is an excellent moisturizer that should be used first if you want beautiful and glowing skin. In fact, the truth is diametrically opposite. I will tell you below about how mucin is extracted, how such cosmetics work and which copies are best to purchase.
How did this whole snail thing start? (by the way, now they use not only achitin, but also tiny Escargot grape snails, if you are familiar with them. Their effect is approximately the same, and the differences are minimal)
Legend has it: one day a Korean farmer (or farmer’s wife) noticed that his hands, darkened and roughened, became considerably lighter and more tender after he worked for a week on a plantation where there were unlimited quantities of snails. They crawled over his hands, leaving traces of mucin on them. It is not known whether this farmer got rich, but if not, then he lost big by not patenting his discovery and not being the first to start producing snail products.
The thing is that snails, when exposed to any stress or injury, very quickly and effectively recover and regenerate their damage, secreting a special type of mucin. It acts as a wound-healing, renewing, regenerating agent.
When cosmetic manufacturers got down to business, they created entire “snail farms” where they artificially irritate snails. Not with swearing or loud music, but physically - moving, touching. The snails perceive this as a threat and secrete “adrenaline mucin,” which is then collected and processed. In this case, not a single snail suffers, except perhaps morally. However, no one asks the poor creatures.
Based on the above, it becomes clear that the main effect of snails is regenerative (restorative). And this is only possible by renewing the skin layer and exfoliating. Regeneration is a general name for a whole range of problems: for example, polishing small scars, removing post-acne, narrowing enlarged pores, removing old “gray” tan. In a word - the revival of the skin and the birth of a new layer from under the old one.
It is clear that it is impossible to get a new layer of skin if you do not exfoliate the old one. For this to happen, hydration is the first thing to eliminate. The situation here is very similar with maintaining a tan. They say to keep your tan as long as possible, moisturize your face and body intensively. What is poorly moisturized peels off and dies faster.
Therefore, snail mucin itself DOES NOT moisturize in the long term. It smoothes the skin, makes it smoother, but the more it is, the worse it is for this purpose, and the better for renewing the skin.
Companies are constantly trying to balance the composition of their funds, but so far little has been achieved. The less mucin and more moisturizing ingredients, the worse it copes with its main task - renewing. That is, he will do it, but extremely slowly and not at all the tasks that you are pursuing. He will be able to even out the tone slightly, and that’s it. If we are talking about polishing scars and healing post-acne, then a “balanced” cream will not cope with them.
Only a cream or gel with at least 80% mucin can do this. You will have to come to terms with the lack of special nutrition and hydration in the long term, and drying out after some time.
The pioneer of the snail movement is the MIZON brand, after which all other brands picked up the idea and began to produce their own products. MIZON has a huge number of snail products. The pink gel in the tube Snail Recovery Gel Cream , which costs mere pennies, contains 74% mucin. A popular cream in chocolate-colored packaging is Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream 92% Snail Extract - 92% mucus extract, and black snail - Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream - 90%. These are the products that can truly renew your skin and exfoliate the old “gray” layer. In terms of their consistency, such creams are snotty taffy, but not at all uncomfortable, but very interesting. However, this is not an axiom - manufacturers have learned to create a variety of textures, from which you can hardly tell whether there is a snail there or not.
But it would be a mistake to think that the snail is famous only for creams and gels. There are cushions, hydrogel patches, masks, body products, ampoule serums, and BB creams with this ingredient.
There is plenty to choose from - so decide what task is ahead of you, and go on a snail expedition!
