Snail mucin is the mucus secreted by a snail or slug when it crawls. Its scientific name is mucopolysaccharide, which typically is the name for ingredients that have a long chain of sugar molecules that are found throughout the body, often in mucus and in fluid around the joints.1
When it comes to skin care, snail mucin has become an increasingly buzzy term, specifically on TikTok where it has over 968.2 million views, as of November 29, 2023. This ingredient originated from K-Beauty products that swore by its benefits.
It’s safe to say that this ingredient has some noteworthy popularity surrounding it, but is it as good as everyone on social media claims it to be?
“Snail mucin contains various compounds like glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, and enzymes that can offer multiple benefits to the skin.” – Dr. Tina Alster, co-founder and formulator for The A Method
Skin Care Benefits
Snail mucin claims to help aid dull or lackluster skin. More specifically, the high concentration of hyaluronic acid found in this ingredient helps to deeply nourish and moisturize the skin.2
This unconventional ingredient has also been shown to help with anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and wound healing in the skin.3 Not to mention, it is a great ingredient for all skin types, making it very versatile in the wonderful world of skin care. Snail mucin can be found in a myriad of products including serums, moisturizers, masks and eye creams.
"There’s just something kind of magical about the way snail mucin plumps the skin and smooths out texture. When layered with other hydrating serums and moisturizer, it creates a really lovely silk-like finish. It also provides a great boost of antioxidants and barrier support.” – Jenny Ragolia, XYZ XYZ
Related: Breaking Down the Benefits of the Viral Snail Facial Trend
In the Spa
Apart from the snail facial, where live snails are placed on the skin to crawl around, there are several ways to incorporate snail mucin into your spa treatments, mainly through the host of skin care products that use the ingredient.
The A Method utilizes snail secretion filtrate in their 24K Gold + Snail Growth Factor Serum to provide hydrating benefits to the skin. Combining 24K gold flakes with the snail secretion filtrate helps give the skin a natural glow while also providing barrier-strengthening benefits.
In Esthemax’s Firming Cure Serum 937, snail secretion filtrate is also used to help aid with dry, irritated, aging, acne-prone and oily skin. The small molecules used in this product penetrate deeply into the skin to provide healing benefits from the inside out, while helping to moisturize and restore elasticity and glow.
When it comes to pairing snail mucin with other powerhouse ingredients, XO8 Cosmeceuticals does this in their Vital Restore Elixir, which is formulated with peptides and probiotics to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier. The active botanicals used in this product help to simultaneously nourish and protect the skin as well.
A Trend Worth Checking
While you don’t need to go out and buy live snails, and have them crawl across your clients faces, you can absolutely still showcase snail mucin in your spa. Incorporate some skin care products in your retail or backbar that use this ingredient and give it a shout out in your spa to gain a little extra traction. This is an ingredient that is sure to catch your client’s eye.
References:
1. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002263.htm
3. https://www.health.com/snail-mucin-benefits-uses-and-risks-7644018
