Snail Mucin Has Surged in Popularity. But Does It Work?
You can now add snail mucin to the long list of products that have gone viral on TikTok.
Snail mucin — a.k.a. the slimy stuff produced by snails — isn't anything new in the world of skincare. But thanks to a surge of videos hailing the clear, sticky goodness as a wonder ingredient, the product has been flying off the shelves like never before.
The most popular snail mucin product is COSRX's Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which is currently retailing on Amazon for $21.99. In fact, sales have been so impressive that COSRX even put out a press release announcing an astonishing year-to-date growth of nearly 300%.
The brand claims that their snail mucin essence has the "exceptional ability to cater to everyone's skincare expectations." Even safe for acne-prone skin, snail mucin is said to help support the skin barrier, even out skin tone, fade the appearance of dark spots, hydrate, and provide general anti-aging benefits.
Best of all, COSRX obtains their snail mucin in a safe, environmentally friendly, and non-harmful way and doesn't test on animals. To reap the benefits, two to three pumps can be applied to clean skin day and/or night and patted into the skin until fully absorbed. Once your skin soaks in the mucin, you can continue with your full skincare routine.
Korean beauty is usually a slam dunk, but what do experts say? Experts talked to TheHealthy.com to share their thoughts on this sticky, buzzy skin care ingredient.
"Snail mucin comes from the brown garden snail and has been used since ancient times for skin-healing benefits," added Peterson Pierre, MD, a dermatologist.
"It really works," says Dr. Pierre. "Because it contains allantoin, hyaluronic acid, and glycolic acid —which all have beneficial effects on aging skin — it is a very exciting new addition to the cosmetic space. Its moisturizing ingredients help to repair the barrier function of the skin while sealing in moisture, great for healing and regeneration."
Snail Mucin also contains growth factors, which have been proven to stimulate collagen production. It can also calm and soothe irritated skin because of the allantoin.
While more robust research is needed, Dr. Pierre cites one small study with incredibly promising results: Researchers looked at 15 women who applied an 8% snail mucin formulation every morning and a 40% snail mucin formulation every night for three months. "The results showed a 40% reduction in pigmentation, and depth of wrinkles was reduced by up to 30%," Dr. Pierre explained.
If the sticky essence isn't for you, there are plenty of products on the market that use the powerhouse ingredient, including creams, serums, masks, and eye patches (I'm especially fond of the latter).
Will you be jumping on the snail mucin bandwagon?