Snail Slime and Mucin in Skincare Products
As a dermatologist, patients often ask me about the latest skincare trends and whether they live up to the hype. One ingredient that has become quite popular recently is snail slime serum, also known as snail mucin or snail secretion filtrate. Here’s what you need to know about this unique ingredient and if it is worth the expensive price.
Serum with Snail Mucin
Snail serum has become a popular ingredient for antiaging. But is it right for you?
Find the best products for your skin by taking the quiz I use in my medical practice to prescribe custom skin care routines for my patients. It will diagnose your Baumann Skin Type and help you build a skin care routine from over 70 medical grade skincare brands.
snail mucin products
Best Creams and Serums with Snail Mucin
Snail creams provide hydration by drawing moisture into the skin and preventing water loss. The mucus forms a protective barrier while delivering nutrients into the deeper layers. These snail mucin creams can be used as moisturizers over other antiaging serums.
Snail Serums and Gels
Lightweight gels and serums containing snail mucus can be applied to the skin to boost hydration, fade scars, and speed healing. The mucin is rapidly absorbed, making it suitable for application under creams or makeup.
Snail Mucin Eye Creams
While snail mucin has many benefits, I don’t typically recommend it for the delicate eye area unless you have dry skin around the eyes and no puffiness.
The humectant properties that help snail mucin hydrate the skin can actually cause puffiness and swelling around the eyes in those susceptible to eye bags. The mucus pulls moisture into the thin skin around the eyes, leading to fluid accumulation and swollen eyelids. People who already suffer from puffy eyes or undereye bags should avoid snail mucin eye creams. The water-binding effect can exacerbate puffiness.
However, snail mucin is helpful for addressing fine lines and dryness around the eyes. Using it in the morning routine is probably the best way to use snail mucin eye creams, because eyes get puffier at night with less effects from gravity and movement.
Snail Mucin Masks
Snail mucus masks deeply hydrate while brightening and smoothing the skin. The mucus is able to penetrate efficiently thanks to the occlusive mask format that “slugs” ingredients into your skin. These masks may contain sheet masks soaked in snail secretion filtrate or wash-off masks with concentrated mucin.
I could not find any good masks- you can use a snail mucin cream and cover it with an occlusive moisturizer to help increase penetration into the skin.
what is snail mucin?
What is Snail Slime?
Snail slime refers to the mucus that snails secrete to moisturize and protect their skin. This mucus, also called snail mucin, contains nutrients, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, and antimicrobial peptides that are beneficial for the skin when applied topically. The snail mucus is composed of components that help hydrate, heal, and protect snail skin, which also translate to benefits for human skin.
Humectant Abilities
Snail mucin acts as a humectant when applied topically to the skin. Humectants are hydrophilic substances that attract and bind moisture. The glycoproteins and hydrating components in snail slime essentially act as water magnets to pull hydration into the deeper layers of the skin. This increased moisture in the dermis then plumps up the skin, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The humectant properties of mucin allow it to provide continuous hydration that keeps skin looking smooth, supple, and radiant and jello-like.
Antioxidant Abilities
Snail mucus contains antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals on the skin. Free radicals are unstable molecules that damage collagen and accelerate aging when they accumulate. Things like UV exposure, pollution, and stress create reactive oxygen species that lead to more free radical formation. The antioxidants in snail secretion filtrate, like glutathione, can prevent and repair some of this free radical damage to slow signs of aging. By counteracting oxidative stress, the mucin preserves youthful skin.
benefits of snail mucin
Skin Benefits of Snail Mucus
Research has shown that snail mucus can provide several benefits when applied topically as a skincare ingredient:
Improves hydration and moisture retention
Promotes wound healing and skin regeneration
Reduces signs of photoaging and wrinkles
Fades hyperpigmentation and acne scars
Soothes irritated, inflamed skin
Provides antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties
Snail mucin has been found to improve hydration and moisture retention in the skin. The hydrating properties help the skin maintain suppleness and elasticity. Studies show the mucus is able to enhance the skin’s barrier function, preventing moisture loss while drawing hydration into the deeper layers.
In addition, snail mucin promotes wound healing and tissue regeneration. Components like allantoin and glycoproteins enable skin cell turnover and repair. This allows the snail mucus to help treat scars and speed healing after procedures.
Snail slime has also been shown to reduce signs of photoaging and wrinkles. Antioxidants in the mucus neutralize free radicals from UV exposure that damage skin and cause aging. This helps minimize wrinkles and skin laxity over time.
Furthermore, the mucus helps fade hyperpigmentation and acne scars by evening skin tone and inhibiting excess melanin production. The antimicrobial peptides also reduce acne-causing bacteria.
Snail mucin has demonstrated soothing effects on irritated skin by calming inflammation. The glycopeptides and elastin in the slime provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
Overall, the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of snail mucus make it helpful for various dermatologic conditions while keeping skin healthy and youthful.
mucin for specific concerns
What Skin Concerns Can Snail Slime Treat?
Acne and Pimple Scabs
Snail mucus shows promise for improving acne and helping pimples and pimple scabs heal more quickly. The antimicrobial peptides found in snail slime help fight C. acnes bacteria that contribute to acne breakouts. This helps prevent new pimples from forming. For existing breakouts, the glycolic acid in mucin acts as a chemical exfoliant to unclog pores by dissolving dead skin cell buildup. The allantoin and proteoglycans also promote skin regeneration to help acne scabs heal faster. The anti-inflammatory activity calms the redness and swelling of inflammatory acne. Overall, the components in snail secretion filtrate combat acne while facilitating rapid wound healing to clear up pimples and prevent scarring.
Stretch Marks
The glycoproteins in snail slime may minimize the appearance of stretch marks by promoting collagen production. The antimicrobial peptides in the mucus also support healing of these skin lesions. However, it is doubtful that snail slime will do much to help stretch marks so don’t waste your money on it for stretch marks. Choose a retinoid instead.
Wrinkles
Snail mucin is able to temporarily plump out fine lines and wrinkles by increasing moisture levels in the skin. This hydrating effect causes the skin to swell slightly, smoothing out wrinkles. However, this wrinkle reduction is temporary and lasts only as long as the skin remains hydrated. The antioxidants found in snail secretion also protect against UV damage from the sun that causes wrinkling over time. While the hydrating properties provide a temporary tightening effect, snail mucin does not permanently get rid of wrinkles or dramatically rebuild collagen. But the moisturizing and protective benefits may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and prevent new wrinkles from forming with consistent use.
How is Snail Mucin Extracted?
Snails are collected humanely and placed over mesh nets in a controlled environment. As the snails move around, their mucus is deposited onto the nets. This mucus is then carefully collected and processed into skincare products. The snails are unharmed in this process and can continue producing more mucin.
research on snail mucin
Research Studies on Snail Mucin
There are not a lot of evidence based studies on snail mucin, but some studies have demonstrated benefits.
In 2008, a group of researchers (3,12) found that secretions from the Cryptomphalus aspersa mollusk displayed antioxidant and skin regenerative activity in lab tests. Specifically, the snail secretion was found to contain compounds that stimulate fibroblast growth and extracellular matrix production. It also regulated enzymes involved in wound healing. Overall, the researchers concluded the snail mucus supports skin repair.
Another study in 2012 showed that Cryptomphalus aspersa secretions increased cell proliferation and migration in human skin cells in vitro. The snail mucus was found to activate pathways involved in cell survival and regeneration. This provided evidence that snail slime could help heal wounds. (3, 10,12)
A 2009 clinical trial treated 27 patients with partial-thickness facial burns using a cream containing Helix aspersa snail mucus. Researchers found the snail mucin cream was a safe, natural option that accelerated healing and epithelialization compared to standard burn treatments. (3,17)
In another study in 2009, 15 patients with photodamaged skin were treated with Cryptomphalus aspersa mucus for 3 months. Significant improvements were observed in clinical markers of photoaging like wrinkles and skin texture. (3,18)
Finally, a 12-week double-blind trial in 2013 showed that a cream with Cryptomphalus aspersa mucus visibly reduced wrinkles and improved skin texture when applied topically.(3,14)
Overall, these studies demonstrate the regenerative, antioxidant, and anti-aging effects of snail mucin observed in cells, animals, and human subjects. More research is underway on the mechanisms and applications of this secretion.
While more research is still needed, the initial studies on snail mucus are promising. Formulated properly at effective concentrations, snail slime will provide real benefits for hydrating, healing, and rejuvenating the skin. But here is the most important point- its really a humectant and there are much cheaper options like glycerin.
mucin in your routine
Where to Use Snail Mucin in your Skincare Routine
It depends on your Baumann Skin Type, but snail mucin is usually step 2 or 3 of you morning skin care routine.
Learn more about skin care routine steps here.
Let me help you build the best skincare routine for your skin type. Take the skin care quiz to see if snail mucin is right for you.
