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What would you do in the name of beauty? Believe it or not, young glowing skin may involve a common garden visitor - the snail!
This slithering beauty secret has some science behind it - something about snail slime is good for your skin.
Snail slime (or its cosmetic name, snail filtrate) is packed with nutrients such as hyaluronic acid, glycoprotein, proteoglycans, and antimicrobial and copper peptides, all of which are commonly used in beauty products and proven to be beneficial for the skin. These elements help to protect the snail’s skin from damage, infection, dryness and UV rays.
Snail slime contains 91-98% water. The slime is filtered multiple times to increase its concentration and ensure its purity. Some snail slime products claim to contain as much as 97% snail secretion filtrate. However, the consistency and quality of the snail mucus should also be taken into account when looking for a good product.
Snail slime (or its cosmetic name, snail filtrate) is packed with nutrients such as hyaluronic acid, glycoprotein, proteoglycans, and antimicrobial and copper peptides, all of which are commonly used in beauty products and proven to be beneficial for the skin. These elements help to protect the snail’s skin from damage, infection, dryness and UV rays.
Snail slime contains 91-98% water. The slime is filtered multiple times to increase its concentration and ensure its purity. Some snail slime products claim to contain as much as 97% snail secretion filtrate. However, the consistency and quality of the snail mucus should also be taken into account when looking for a good product.
Snail mucin is best known for its anti-aging properties. It helps to stimulate the formation of collagen and elastin, protect skin from free radicals, soothe skin, repair damaged tissues and restore hydration. It can be used to treat dry skin, wrinkles and stretch marks, acne and rosacea, age spots, burns, scars, razor bumps and even flat warts.
Snail secretion filtrate is widely used in
Korean beauty products such as serums, facial masks, moisturizers and fading creams. Most products are actually not as oozy and gooey as you may think. Most of them have a neutral look, smell and texture.
But who'd let one slither around their face? For a youthful complexion, skin care enthusiast Maggie Zamora is game.
Snail secretion filtrate is widely used in
Korean beauty products such as serums, facial masks, moisturizers and fading creams. Most products are actually not as oozy and gooey as you may think. Most of them have a neutral look, smell and texture.
DIY snail spas or snail slime products are not encouraged. Remember, snails used at a responsible spa center or in beauty products are professionally grown and the snail slime is professionally purified, while
But who'd let one slither around their face? For a youthful complexion, skin care enthusiast Maggie Zamora is game.
"That sounds kind of fun!" Zamora said.
If you break down what's in snail excretion, it contains multiple anti-aging properties.
"They excrete things like copper peptides, hyaluronic acid - which is a great moisturizer - anti-microbial peptides and molecules," said Dr. Shirley Chi, dermatologist with Center for Advanced Dermatology.
These are all properties that promote anti-aging and rejuvenation.
"I feel like my skin is sagging a little bit and I have sun spots,"
Zamora said.
But Chi said the studies have been done in the lab and not on the skin. Therefore, the medical jury is still out.
In the meantime, snail slime has spawned a craze in beauty products. You can find snail trails in masks, eye creams and serums ranging in price from $6 to $600.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate these products so Chi said it's hard to know if you're getting what you paid for. And some people may find snail mucin irritating.
"We don't really know what concentration is in each product,"
Chi said.
"We don't know what percentage of snail mucin versus just regular moisturizer is in any product, and also it could be allergenic to some people."
So tread lightly when it comes to shelling out big bucks. Chi recommends using aloe gel from an actual plant or you could find a regular garden snail to place on your skin.
It's an inexpensive way to try it.
"If you got something that you want to treat with snail slime, if you got a snail, put it on your face. I dare you!"
she said with a laugh.
The use of snail slime for beauty dates back to ancient Greece, where famous physician Hippocrates reportedly prescribed crushed snails and sour milk to cure inflammation.
The use of snail creams started recently when Chilean farmers who handled snails for the French market noticed their skin was visibly smoother.
Snail spas are quite popular in Thailand, and have reached major beauty-conscious Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. During the spa session, living snails are put on the client’s face and left to slither around.
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