The Honest Truth About Snail Mucin Beauty Products

The advent of Korean beauty brought with it a bunch of unheard-of ingredients that were, up until a few years ago…South Korea’s best-kept secret for smooth, radiant skin. While placenta-, bee venom-, and pig collagen-infused formulations didn’t gain as much popularity in the Indian subcontinent, the one ingredient that literally blew up overnight is snail mucin. And it is *still* going strong even though it has been a few years since it took social media by storm.

The reason: this ingredient truly works.

And it isn’t just a claim by beauty brands or an isolated study conducted on a few dozen people that vouch for its efficacy…we are talking about millions of people who have posted reviews on social media about how incorporating a snail mucin-infused product in their beauty regime helped their skin tremendously.

Here’s a quick lesson on its origin and why this ingredient sticks…literally.

Erm, What is Snail Mucin?
Snail mucin is the gooey stuff secreted by snails to help them glide forward. This slimy trail is used as an ingredient in beauty products because of its remarkable properties. Snail mucin is said to hydrate and brighten skin, reduce inflammation, and smoothen fine lines. According to some reviews on major beauty e-com websites, snail mucin can also heal acne scars and hyperpigmentation.

Okay, So What is Snail Slime Made Of?
Snail mucin contains a complex mix of proteins, collagen, enzymes, hyaluronic acid, elastin, peptides, iron, zinc, and antioxidants. These ingredients are already popular in the beauty industry and are used to improve skin texture and boost hydration.

Tell Us More About Its Skin Benefits
There are many, many advantages of using snail slime-laced products. It is a great moisturising agent and helps repair skin’s barrier function. When applied to damp skin, snail mucin helps lock in moisture as it contains hyaluronic acid.

It also boosts collagen production in the skin—according to experts, since this slime is a stress-induced excretion, it is rich in ingredients that protect and repair. Snail mucin plumps up the skin, thus blurring fine lines and wrinkles. Not just that, it contains another collagen-boosting ingredient, aka glycolic acid which expedites epidermal renewal.

Snail mucin also alleviates skin sensitivity as it contains allantoin, which soothes irritated skin and evens out the complexion. Apart from these, this miracle ingredient is rich in a tonne of other skin-loving nutrients with anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Is Snail Mucin Cruelty-Free?
We can’t be sure. Some bigger brands (like COSRX) claim to be ethical (they just let the snails hang out and do their secretion thing). Other brands source their snail mucin from labs and ‘snail farms’ that put snails into machines to ‘extract’ mucin. Because snails produce mucin as part of their natural defence mechanism, sometimes they are subjected to stressors or irritants so they make more slime, often without a break.

So…is Snail Mucin Vegan?
No. But there are many vegan and plant-based alternatives to snail mucin that can provide the same results.

Okay, So What’s the Final Verdict Then?
Our final thoughts on snail slime? There are some scientific studies that have proved it works to reduce wrinkles, hydrate skin, and leave it smoother. However research is limited, and we await more data before we can make a definitive claim.

Try these snail mucin-rich products to achieve the skin of your dreams.