It’s slimy, it’s gooey, it’s stringy — and it is excreted from snails. However, snail mucin has manufactured its way into the shelves of skincare fanatics across the world, who are, without a flinch, religiously slathering some on their encounter working day immediately after day.
If the hoopla about it is to be considered, snail secretion filtrate seems to be a promising new entry into the globe of match-transforming skincare. While the component has only lately occur into the highlight thanks to the popularity of Korean attractiveness products — of which it is a typical constituent — its use is thought to date back again to just about 2,500 a long time. “Snail mucin was greatly made use of by the Greeks for its pores and skin healing advantages. It was also utilized for minimal injuries like cuts and wounds in historic times,” suggests Dr Pooja Chopra, senior expert, dermatologist, Aakash Health care, Dwarka. In truth, the popular Greek medical doctor, Hippocrates, was said to have recommended crushed snail shells and bitter milk as a way to rid skin of swelling.
Rise ‘n’ slime
Snail mucin or snail secretion filtrate is excreted from snails and utilized in the serums, essences and moisturisers formulated by various cruelty-absolutely free brand names. Talking about its benefits, Chopra claims, “Products containing snail mucin moisturise and plump the skin. It is a handy exfoliant and has anti-inflammatory qualities. It also promotes collagen synthesis, which aids in skin healing and regeneration.”
Bhavika Lall, a natural beauty and skincare material creator from Delhi, states this is the one component she reaches out to for any skin worry, irrespective of the time of the yr. “If I have to pick out one particular skincare component for the relaxation of my lifetime, this would be it,” she shares.
Snail slime’s hydrating and healing houses come from its constituent substances, explains Dr Sakshi Srivastava, senior specialist, section of dermatology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida: “It contains hyaluronic acid, allantoin, anti-oxidants, zinc, manganese and glycosaminoglycans, which help in hydrating, plumping, calming the skin and in constructing collagen.”
Snail it with these combos
Apart from being useful as a standalone product, snail mucin also brings together effectively with other actives to maximise their influence on the skin. Dr Ramanjit Singh, going to marketing consultant, dermatology, Medanta Healthcare facility, Gurugram, tells us, “Snail mucin is promising in alone because it consists of allantoin, which aids in therapeutic, calming and smoothening the pores and skin. But it also assists other components and antioxidants, these types of as glycolic acid, vitamin A, E and C do their employment superior. When combined with retinol, it can enrich the anti-ageing impact by pretty much four-fold.”
Kajal Arora, who makes written content on elegance and skincare, speaks from her very own experience of utilizing snail essence in two approaches – by implementing it on her damp confront to recover weakened pores and skin barrier, and by using it with actives like retinol or chemical exfoliators. “It has surely created my sensitive skin healthier, plumper and soothed. It’s helped with my acne breakouts scars, way too, up to a excellent extent. But patience and consistency is the vital,” suggests Arora, 30, who has been utilizing this “multitasker” of an ingredient for two many years now.
Should-have? Possibly not
With the K-beauty stamp of acceptance and testimonies by skincare buffs, the popularity of snail mucin has only grown. Nevertheless, study all-around the component, which gurus feel is largely harmless and harmless, is fairly limited. “Scientific proof is at present missing, and transparency and guidelines on how to acquire snail mucus ought to be built obtainable,” states Chopra.
Furthermore, as Singh details out, snail mucin is not nevertheless US-Fda accepted, so if purification is not adequate, it may possibly bring about allergic reactions. A patch examination on the within of your forearm is recommended to stay clear of any these reactions, even although there are no effectively-documented side results of the product or service so much.
The takeaway, then, is that though the component could be advantageous on several amounts, it require not be an essential element of one’s skincare program — at minimum until further more scientific tests are done. “It shouldn’t necessarily be part of the basis of your skincare. But as soon as you have your cleanser, moisturiser and broad-spectrum sunscreen, followed by a lot more proof-dependent extras like a retinoid or vitamin C, you could take into consideration adding snail mucin to the routine, as well,” says Srivastava.
