What Does Snail Slime Skin Cream Do For Skin?

One of the latest fads in face creams to hit the global cosmetic industry is a whole range of products made from snail slime. Yes, you guessed it correct – snail slime is the gooey residue that snails leave behind. As exotic and disgusting as snail mucus may sound, the fact is that for years now the cosmetic industry has been routinely using animal, vegetable, and mineral matter to make various concoctions for applying on our faces, hair, and bodies. For example, bird droppings are believed to now refresh and soothe the skin, while caffeine is known to decrease the puffiness of your eyes. Similarly, fish scales are known to lighten the skin. Let’s take a look at this new growing popularity of snail slime skin creams.

Snail slime has been used throughout history, right from the time when Hippocrates actually advocated and prescribed the use of crushed snail along with sour milk for clearing up inflammation of the skin.

Following that, for many centuries, villages and communities in the rural areas of southern Italy have been using snail mucus to get relief from calluses, warts, and even acne.

Snail slime finally hit the main markets starting in the 1980s. One can typically credit the South Korean skincare industry with launching snail slime into mainstream cosmetic products. It was South Korean scientists who did some serious research on snail slime and their studies proved that snail secretion filtrate was effective in hydrating the skin, improving hyperpigmentation, increasing suppleness, and at the same time also contained antimicrobial properties that help prevent acne and also certain types of rosacea.
Their studies also showed that snail slime helped boost the formation of elastin and collagen in the body and also restored hydration.

Once the first concoctions became available in the Asian markets, the trend of snail slime quickly became a rage and developed an almost cult-like following. International exports rose like never before and trade pathways ensured that snail slime became the next big thing in the global cosmetic industry.

Today, you can find face and eye creams in places such as Ulta Beauty, Target, Amazon, and CVS Pharmacy, that all contain snail slime.

Most of the snail slime that is used in skin creams involves the use of the Cryptomphalus aspersa species of snail, also referred to as the common garden snail. The mucin of these snails in known to contain high levels of ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycoproteins, and glycolic acid. All these ingredients have a long-document history of providing many types of skin benefits.

What’s more, if you are concerned about the safety of the snails being used for these cosmetic purposes, then there is nothing to worry about as most of the cosmetic companies use nocturnal snails that are allowed to crawl around on a mesh net for 30 minutes at a given point of time. They are then transferred back to their natural habitat. None of the snails are harmed in the process.

On a general basis, many governments around the world have no regulation governing cosmetics, but many dermatologists, however, have carried about studies of their own to determine the effectiveness of snail slime.

While some dermatologists are of the opinion that snail slime remains untested and consumers should show constraint in using these products, others actively promote products with snail slime.

According to the Division of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in Dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, snail slime has been around for decades and people have been using it to effectively treat many skin conditions, from wounds to acne.

While it is only recently that snail slime has been incorporated into skin care creams as well, the fact remains that snail slime is a powerhouse of the humectant hyaluronic acid, which is one of the key ingredients in many dermal fillers. Snail slime is also proven to have hydrating properties and also contains very high levels of antioxidants, which prevents inflammation in the skin and also boosts the production of collagen.

If you want to try out a product that is made from snail slime, then you should begin by using just a tiny amount on a certain area of your skin to first check for any allergic reactions or skin breakouts.

It is possible to have an adverse reaction to snail slime as most out bodies have never before been associated with using snail slime. If you have sensitive skin, then you need to watch out before using snail slime.

According to most manufacturers, the results start becoming apparent within two to four weeks of using snail slime.

If you want to give snail slime beauty products a try, then here are some of the best skin care products that include snail slime:

Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream. This includes 92 percent of snail slime filtrate and the product has a creamy texture, making it beneficial for use as a final moisturizer for both combination skin types and normal skin types. If you have dry skin, you will need to use something more on top of this product. The repair cream helps plump and brighten your skin, and also heals any breakout easily and rapidly.

CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. The number 96 in the name of this product is an indication that 96 percent of snail secretion formula has been used in this product. The other ingredients in this beauty product include hyaluronic acid and betaine. This product is ideal for those who have severely dry to oily skin. The product is known to successfully reduce redness from acne.

Volition Helix AM/PM Eye Gel. This product is known to be one of the more occlusive skin care products using snail slime. As compared to the other products on this list, this product also makes use of a smaller quantity of snail secretion filtrate. However, in spite of the low quantity of snail slime, the cream is said to provide fantastic results as an eye cream. It also helps get rid of wrinkles around your eyes and can either be worn as an eye gel or along as well. In order to increase its efficiency, you can also layer on this cream over another high-percentage snail slime serum.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask. This is a well-acclaimed snail slime filtrate product and it is a beauty mask that seems to have got all the right reviews. The formula not only uses a lot of snail slime but at the same time also includes willow bark extract and niacinamide. This is suited to any skin type and helps relieve irritation and redness. It also hydrates the skin, preventing premature aging.

There are many more products out there that use snail slime in some quantity or the other. If you are comfortable with the idea of putting snail slime on your face then you should do some research to find out which product is the best suited for your skin type and what you want to achieve by using products that have snail slime filtrate in them. If you are in doubt, then discussing with your dermatologist will also be a good idea.