Why Snail Mucin Is Good For Skin 2023 | Benefits, Side Effects And More

Why snail mucin is good for skin! All you need to know about snail slime or snail mucin and its uses in skincare products. Learn about the benefits and side effects of snail mucin for skin.

Snail mucin is like a celebrity when it comes to trendy skincare ingredients. 

And while a lot of people’s first reaction to putting snail slime on their face is “Huh?” or “No way!”, I promise you this ingredient is super effective. Once you get past the ick factor that is!

The K-beauty industry was actually the first to use snail mucin in its skincare products, especially the ones that give anti-aging benefits.

And this is no surprise as one of the well-known benefits of snail mucin for skin is the production of collagen and replenishing moisture in skin cells. 

Snail mucin is used in a variety of ways – there’s creams, serums, ampoules, and moisturizers! 

It’s actually not a new fad as sources record the use of crushed snails in ointments as far back as the times of Hippocrates. 

But the demand for snail mucin for modern skincare has increased at least three-fold since the past decade as this one Guardian.com article suggests.

If you’re wondering snail mucin out of all ingredients, you’ll be surprised to know that it contains glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, copper peptides and a treasure trove of nutrients that help heal and protect skin.

Why Snail Mucin Is Good For Skin 2022

What Are The Benefits Of Snail Serum

Hydrates Skin and Improves Moisture Retention

The Helix Complex or snail mucin contains a host of nutrients that help in retaining moisture in the skin cells and also in hydrating dry, dehydrated skin. 

Such components include hyaluronic acid, GAGs, polyphenols and more help strengthen the moisture barrier on your skin, which shields skin from environmental aggressors that can dry or damage the cells. 

Also, the hyaluronic acid present in snail serum has a lower molecular weight than so it’s more easily absorbable by the skin cells. So you’ll find snail slime a much better moisturizer than most. 

Boosts Collagen Synthesis & Reduces Signs Of Aging

One of the biggest uses of snail mucin is in anti-aging skincare products. Now, this is mostly due to the presence of small amounts of collagen in the mucin secretions. 

The various nutrients present in snail mucin also help increase the synthesis of collagen in skin cells. This improves skin elasticity and prevents sagging and the formation of wrinkles.

Also, one of the main contributing factors to visible signs of aging is dryness of the skin. As snail mucin is so hydrating, it mitigates the effects of dehydration on skin aging.  

Calms Red, Inflamed & Irritated Skin

There are very few skincare ingredients that can hydrate the skin, prevent signs of aging, and decrease inflammation. Snail mucin is one of them!

One of the major anti-inflammatory components of snail secretions is allantoin. It helps reduce redness and irritated skin. 

It also stimulates the growth of new skin cells. So if you have acne scars, allantoin can help your skin heal. 

How To Use A Snail Mucin Serum or Cream

Snail mucin isn’t an ingredient that is available independently. You can find snail mucin as a chief ingredient in several ampoules, creams or serums. Depending on the type of product, you have to tailor the use of snail mucin in your skincare routine.

Most of these serums or creams have more than 50% of snail mucin filtrate along with ingredients like bee venom, hyaluronic acid, ginseng, etc. 

For example, if you’re using a snail mucin serum, you can apply it right after you use your toner and before you apply a moisturizer.

If it’s an essence or ampoule, they generally go on before serums. And if you’re using a nourishing moisturizer or cream with snail mucin, it needs to be applied after the serum.

If you’re confused, a good rule to follow is to layer the skincare products in a way where you use the lightest products first, followed by the more moisturizing ones. 

So you’ll be using a toner or mist first, then an essence, serum, moisturizer, and face oil. 

Snail Cream Side Effects: Avoid Snail Mucin In These Cases

As with any skincare ingredient, there are some people who might not react well to snail mucin in their creams or serums.

While there’s no research proving that snail mucin causes side effects on the skin, there might be chances that you’re allergic to it.

In that case, you should test the snail mucin on a small part of your skin and see how you react to it before using it.

Also, the snail mucin might react with the other ingredients in your skincare routine. So always check with your dermatologist before adding to your routine. 

Snail Mucin: Before And After

Here is the before and after of using the MIZON Premium Snail Repair Cream regularly for 3 months. You can see the pigmentation has reduced and the sign of ageing like crows feet around the lips have significantly improved. 

Pros and Cons of Snail Mucin

There is some debate on whether snail mucin or hyaluronic acid is better for skin. However, most experts say that both ingredients are beneficial in some way or another. Here is a summary of the pros and cons of each:

Pros of snail mucin:

1. It has anti-aging effects – According to some studies, snail mucin has anti-aging effects that help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.
2. It is moisturizing – Due to its high moisture content, snail mucin can be used as a natural skin moisturizer.
3. It is non-irritating – Unlike many commercially available skin care products, snail mucin is not likely to cause irritation or skin sensitivity.
4. It has anti-inflammatory properties – Snail mucin has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the symptoms of various skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Cons of snail mucin:

1. It can be expensive – Snail mucin can be expensive to purchase in large quantities, especially if you are looking for high-quality products.
2. It may not be effective for all skin types – While snail mucin is thought to be beneficial for a variety of skin types, it may not work as well for everyone. Make sure to test out a small amount before using it on your entire body.

Best Snail Mucin Skincare Products 

MIZON Premium Snail Repair Cream

I like this Korean moisturizer as it contains over 90% black snail mucus filtrate, which is almost like using a pure snail mucus secretion. Or it’s the closest approximation. And apart from snail mucin, it’s got 27 botanicals that help improve skin texture and pigmentation. It’s also dermatologically tested to its 100 percent safe on your skin. The synergy between the ingredients makes it one of the most effective snail mucus products out there.

BENTON Snail Bee Ultimate Serum

Most snail mucin serums contain other ingredients that help with skincare. And this BENTON serum contains another star of the Korean skincare world – bee venom! The filtrate is mixed with tea tree oil as well that clarifies the skin and prevents acne, scarring, irritation and signs of aging. 

Biopelle Tensage Intensive Anti Aging Growth Factor Serum 40

Another interesting snail mucin product I found was this “Growth factor serum”. Unlike regular serums, it doesn’t come with a dropper. You can find them in small glass containers enough for one-time use. So you can’t use too little or too much of the product. It works very well in improving skin texture on photodamaged skin. I also found it very effective in reducing wrinkles and pigmentation.

FAQs About Snail Mucin For Skincare

I hope this article helped you know more about snail mucin and its uses in skincare. To summarize, it’s a holy-grail ingredient when it comes to anti-aging and moisturizing your face.

Some of my favorite snail slime skincare include Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream, COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, and the Missa Snail Repair Cream. 

Yes, there is yet to be a lot of research on snail mucin. But the existing studies tell us that’s its completely safe for all skin types.

The only precaution you should take before using a snail mucin serum or cream is to check if you’re allergic to the substance (which I might add is also rare).

Obviously, as snail mucin is derived from an animal source, it’s not vegan-friendly. 

So keeping all this information in mind, you can make your decision to purchase the snail mucin skincare products out there.

Also Read:

Best High End Korean Skincare Brands

Best Vegan Korean Skincare Brands