You will probably never see a trail of glistening Snail Extracts on a sidewalk and feel the urge to rub it against your skin. However, that could change soon once you learn a little more about this fascinating substance.
Snail oil or snail slime, or better known as snail mucin, snail serum or snail filtrate, is one of my favourite ingredients in skincare products. It may sound disgusting, but keep that thought until you find more.
I was excited after a trip to Seoul, South Korea, where I got to taste tons of snail filter extracts. When I returned to the United States, I received strange looks from friends and colleagues when I asked them to try “snail drool” on their face, although the trend continues in the United States. United for several years.
Snail discharge has been marketing around the world as the anti-ageing holy grail that supports everything from younger, firmer skin to acne. So, I delved into the literature to see exactly where the science is going on snail drool and facials.
What is the science of snail slime?
What exactly is the function of snail extracts? Technically, this slime is the slime that is produced by the snail as it crawls to coat its body and prevent the tissues from drying out. Snail slime is sticky so it can stick to surfaces and lubricants, and help protect young children from abrasion, bacteria, and other infections as they move through different environments.
Snails generally have two main types of slime: one that covers the surface they move on (leaving the shiny silver stripe on concrete and sidewalks) and another that covers their body for protection.
Sticky, gel-like slime is incredibly multifunctional, and it will help a snail move smoothly on a rough surface, distract predators, spot other snails to breed and find their way home. A thicker and more resilient version of this slime will help them stick to surfaces. Such as climbing walls or your favourite potted plant. Finally, another version of snail slime comes out of the snail’s body as a kind of protection and increases when the snail is in danger. This latest version is most commonly advising in cosmetics.
Cosmetic benefits of snail extracts:
The claimed profits of snail extract range from repairing sunspots to smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles to stopping acne, supposedly due to the ability of mucus to stimulate elastin production and collagen in users’ skin. And some people spend hundreds of dollars on new snail cosmetics.
Cosmetic interests, its secretion is made up of a conglomerate of ingredients. Many of which suggested to support skin health, including:
Antimicrobial
Antioxidants
Protein
Peptides
Glycolic acid
Many claims that snail secretions on the skin stimulate the skin to produce collagen. Elastin and other ingredients believed to give clearer skin while fighting the signs of ageing and damage. By the sun. A peer-reviewed study from a dermatology lab in San Diego showed that snail mucin counteracted the minor effects of sun damage after 12 weeks, mainly by reducing fine lines from the injury. By UV (reference), although he did not research which of the ingredients made up the snail slime at this result.
Snail filtrate also comprises of a chemical called allantoin, which some peer-reviewed studies have shown to promote the healing process of wounds and stimulate cell growth. Both are useful in combating skin damage. (Allantoin is looking as if in many cosmetics, including acne medications.)
A cosmetologist suggests that the trick of snail slime is the high concentration of protein and other water-soluble polymers. Which are molecules that shrink and retract the skin when dry. Aside from snail whites, egg whites also have this effect, which is one of the reasons they have been advising as an anti-wrinkle cream since Roman times.
These proteins believe in improving the smoothness and health of the skin. However, it is essential to note that the active components may vary depending on the source. Eventually, no one knows which of the active ingredients in snail slime contributes to the positive effect on human skin. That could be an effect of “the total value is greater than the sum of its parts”, where, like a cold soup, the mixture of beneficial ingredients in snail slime has a calming effect.
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Snail lotions, masks, serums, creams, and scrubs are really moral for your skin?
As with many other things in the cosmetic world. There are not a large number of objective, comprehensive, or rigorous scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals that can prove that a product or ingredient works. Conclusive. When it arises to snail extract. There is no definitive study showing positive effects, although the studies mentioned above are promising.
Still, snail extract is very popular, and we can take inspiration from our skin-obsessed neighbours in South Korea. Where snail slime has been all the rage for years. I found anecdotally that products with a high ratio of snail filtering made my skin feel nice and noticeably smoother the next day.