Hello, my dear readers and blog guests! Finally, I got to what I promised earlier... Write a post about Korean cream with snail extract.
It's been exactly a month since I've been using it, and I really like the result!!!
I can say for sure that this is one of those few “non-homemade” cosmetic products that I will definitely use again.
So, what is “snail cream” and why is it so beneficial for our skin, read on...
What is snail mucin?
Snail mucin (aka snail secretion filtrate) has become a popular ingredient in Korean skin care due to its versatility in treating many skin concerns and its suitability for all skin types.
But what exactly is snail mucin?
Snail mucin is not made from the snail itself—it's mucus that the snail produces (think of the sparkling trails snails leave on the ground). Figuring this out made me a little less squeamish. I was glad to know that no innocent snails were killed for these popular skin care products.
Mysterious mucin
Lately, more and more often on store shelves you can see beautiful jars of anti-aging creams based on a mysterious mucin.
What kind of miracle component is this? Mucin is snail mucus in the usual sense. This ingredient was discovered in South America in the 20s. One of the farmers in Chile by the name of Bascunyan, observing his employees who raised snails on organic farms for French restaurants, noticed that the skin of the employees’ hands, even in adulthood, looked young and smooth. In addition, minor scratches and skin damage healed many times faster than in other people.
Of course, this observation could not help but interest scientists from all over the world, who consequently began an active study of mucin, which lasted 15 years, and discovered all its wonderful properties; the first publications about them appeared in the press.
But you shouldn’t rush to buy Achatina and let them travel through your skin, as they do in some exotic beauty salons. Firstly, filtered snail mucus extract is used to produce cosmetic creams. Secondly, the snail secretes two types of mucus: it needs one to facilitate movement and gliding; it does not contain useful elements in the required concentration. But the second type of mucus, which the snail secretes in moments of danger (stress) or for healing wounds, is exactly the one that modern cosmetologists use; in particular, mucin is widely used in the production of skincare cosmetics by South Korean specialists.
The quality of the extracted mucin depends on many factors: temperature, season and diet of the snail. Therefore, you should not be surprised why two mucin-based creams can have completely different effects. The basis of the effectiveness of the cream is in the raw materials. But it will be almost impossible to find out detailed information about this; in this case, it is worth finding out where the snails are grown, the mucin of which is used to produce a particular cream. The most valuable mucin is considered to be the secretion of a snail from Chile and Colombia from edible garden snails of the Helix Aspera Müller species.
The method of producing mucus and synthesizing miraculous mucin from it, used in cosmetics, is a very expensive and costly business. Therefore, products based on it cannot be classified in the economy or budget price category.
It is important to note that the snails used to produce mucin for cosmetics are not harmed or killed during the extraction process. Helix Aspera Müller is kept on special farms and given special care. To obtain the required type of mucin, several snails are placed in a special box and subjected to slight shaking to temporarily put them in a stressful state. Then they are moved back to the farm, and the accumulated mucus on the walls is collected and filtered with special devices.
Features of Korean creams with snail mucin
Snail mucin is definitely one of the most popular ingredients in the Korean skincare world. You will find that most people will include at least one snail mucin product in their diet!
This is due to the huge range of benefits that snail mucin has for your skin, including: treating acne, fading hyperpigmentation, and smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.
Snail mucus is full of a variety of skin care ingredients including elastin, hyaluronic acid, proteins, glycolic acid, antioxidants and more! And the best part is that all these ingredients that can work wonders on your skin are packed into one ingredient.
Korean snail mucin creams can reduce dark spots, brighten skin tone, make skin firmer and plumper, and also moisturize the skin. Thanks to its multi-tasking properties, snail mucin has become a favorite K-beauty ingredient in recent years. For many K-beauty products focused on anti-aging benefits, snail mucin is the star ingredient!
Recommendations for use
Domestic snail creams from China and Korea have received the best reviews today. But in order for them to bring maximum benefit, you need to smear it in accordance with the instructions:
- Before applying, cleanse the skin with tonic, lotion or other product to remove dirt, grease and cosmetics;
- the cream is not rubbed in, but applied with gentle patting movements, evenly distributed along massage lines from the center to the periphery;
- Usually the structure of such products is viscous, slightly sticky, so after application you need to wait at least 10–15 minutes until completely absorbed;
- if the cream contains more than 90% mucin, it is inconvenient to apply it under makeup, since the foundation will roll off the skin;
- It is optimal to use it as a night remedy.
The minimum course of using cream with mucin is 2 weeks. Only after this period will the result be noticeable. It is not recommended to use it constantly; the skin must be given rest.
Benefits of Korean creams with snail mucin
It is unknown who exactly thought of this - or if it even came about this way - but it is known that snails were used as a topical treatment in Ancient Greece for their healing properties. Snails have also been used in French skin care since the 18th century. There are also claims that the benefits of snail mucus were discovered in Chile, as workers on a mountain farm noticed that the snail secretion filtrate healed cuts and scrapes on their hands.
Ancient Greek women raved about how healthy their skin looked after incorporating snail into their skin care routines.
Regardless of who has thought about using snail secretion filtrate as a first skin care routine, the next question is what benefits does snail mucin actually have for your skin?
It turns out there are many benefits that snail mucin has for your skin. This is because snail mucin contains many beneficial ingredients (such as glycolic acid, glycoprotein enzymes, and copper peptides).
These ingredients make snail mucin excellent for damaged skin, skin tone, hyperpigmented skin (including acne scars). Korean creams with snail mucin tighten the skin and boost the production of collagen and elastin. Snail mucin is also great for hydrating the skin because it contains hyaluronic acid (a hydrating ingredient that draws water into the outer layers of the skin).
Snail mucin also has antimicrobial properties, making it great for fighting acne-causing bacteria.
Recommendations for use
Domestic snail creams from China and Korea have received the best reviews today. But in order for them to bring maximum benefit, you need to smear it in accordance with the instructions:
- Before applying, cleanse the skin with tonic, lotion or other product to remove dirt, grease and cosmetics;
- the cream is not rubbed in, but applied with gentle patting movements, evenly distributed along massage lines from the center to the periphery;
- Usually the structure of such products is viscous, slightly sticky, so after application you need to wait at least 10–15 minutes until completely absorbed;
- if the cream contains more than 90% mucin, it is inconvenient to apply it under makeup, since the foundation will roll off the skin;
- It is optimal to use it as a night remedy.
Benefits of snail mucin against wrinkles
Since I started using snail mucin in my very simple skin care routine, I have noticed that the fine lines near my eyes and on my forehead are not as noticeable.
And it's true, clinical studies have shown that snail mucin actually has anti-aging properties!
This happens because the hyaluronic acid present in snail mucin works to keep your skin super hydrated and plump, which in turn reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The hyaluronic acid in snail mucin also increases the production of collagen and elastin in the outer layers of your skin, resulting in firmer, younger-looking skin.
Because the moisturizing effects of hyaluronic acid are short-lived, the anti-aging and skin-moisturizing benefits of snail mucin seem to be short-lived. People who regularly use snail mucin notice that their skin doesn't feel hydrated and firm until a few days after they don't include it in their routine.
Is Korean cream with snail mucin suitable for treating acne?
Yes snail mucin is a great ingredient to include in your regimen if you suffer from acne. Snail mucin naturally has antimicrobial properties that help kill bacteria. However, the glycolic acid in snail mucin also helps prevent acne by exfoliating the skin (thus removing dead skin cells and unclogging pores).
Snail mucin may also help restore the skin's moisture barrier. This is due to the ingredient hyaluronic acid which is a humectant which means it attracts water molecules to your outer layer of skin keeping your skin hydrated.
Is Korean cream with snail mucin suitable for hyperpigmented skin?
Snail mucin has another wonderful property - it is great for fading hyperpigmentation. However, from all the research I did for this article, snail mucin is great for healing acne scars (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), reducing redness, and evening out your overall skin tone.
If you want sun spots and/or melasma to disappear then you may need to look at incorporating some other foods into your regimen.
The reason is that snail secretion filtrate contains many ingredients (including proteins, peptides and elastin) that help heal acne scars. This again makes sense when we think about snails in nature - they have very soft bodies that should be able to heal quickly since they often travel over rough surfaces and their mucus helps them do this.
Of course, the glycolic acid in snail mucin also helps to gently exfoliate the skin, which removes dead skin cells and reveals new and unpigmented cells.
Top 10 Korean face creams with snail mucin
Anti-aging Korean cream with snail mucin for wrinkles Mizon
Description
Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream stays true to its name and works to completely restore your skin. It contains 92% powerful snail extract. It also contains glycolic acid and elastin, which work on wrinkles. Additionally, the copper peptides in it reduce the size of your pores and reduce acne scars as it has healing and antimicrobial properties.
pros
- Light texture
- Easily absorbed
- Smooth skin
Korean cream with snail mucin Missha Super Aqua Cell Renewal Sleeping Mask
Description
Skin experts advise you to always use a night cream because your skin repairs itself at night. What better way to do this than with a snail sleep mask? This moisturizing gel is infused with moisture-rich ingredients and snail extract that support new cell generation, work to tighten skin, even out skin tone and smooth your skin.
pros
- Makes your skin firmer
- Evens out your skin tone
- Suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin
- Inexpensive
Anti-aging Korean cream with snail mucin and anti-wrinkle collagen TonyMoly
This timeless enzyme snail cream is enriched with 70% golden fermented snail mucus and is best known for its restorative, nourishing and anti-aging properties. It intensely moisturizes the skin. It is formulated as a gel and contains lecithin, which improves the texture, firmness, and tone of your skin. Its other ingredients like allantoin, glycolic acid, collagen and elastin work to leave you with flawless skin.
pros
- Improves the elasticity of your skin
- Evens out your skin tone
Minuses
Expensive
Intensive Korean cream in an ampoule with snail mucin Mizon
Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule is a lightweight and watery serum that easily penetrates your skin and treats problems in every layer. With 80% snail filtrate, this ampoule nourishes your skin, repairs damaged skin, increases its firmness, and tightens it. Read the review of the best Korean foundation creams with collagen.
pros
- Restores damaged and aged skin
- Highly moisturizing
Secret Key Black Snail Original Cream (Korea)
Cream with filtrate of African black snail mucus. It has a powerful wound-healing effect and is intended for any skin type. Easily absorbed thanks to its pleasant gel texture without a greasy or sticky feeling, ideal for use twice a day. After absorbing the cream, the skin becomes smooth and velvety, ready to apply makeup.
Maintaining hydration and getting rid of flaking and tightness of the skin is the result of the work of active ingredients (in addition to mucin, it contains niacinamide and oils). The snail mucus filtrate saturates the epidermis, providing a cumulative effect. “Secret Key Black Snail Original” is available in a dark glass jar equipped with a protective membrane.
Price - about 1000 rub.
