Snail Mucin Is a Dermatologist-Approved Moisturizer You Should Know About

Also known as snail slime, snail mucin is one of the buzziest new ingredients in the skincare world. Yes, snails, as in the little critters that live in your garden or show up on the menu at fancy French restaurants. There's a certain ick factor involved, to be sure, but if you can get over that, snail mucin is a surprisingly effective ingredient. Dermatologists do point out that it's not yet quite as well-studied as many of its other skincare ingredient counterparts, and, as such, that it's important to sort out the science from the hype.

Ahead, experts help you figure out whether or not it's worth making snail slime a part of your skincare routine.

What Is Snail Mucin?

Simply put, it’s the excretion from a snail, which is why it’s also known and appears on ingredient labels as snail secretion filtrate, or SSF. Snail mucin is naturally created and used by snails as a way for them to protect themselves, says Desai-Solomon. “It’s a trusted ingredient in the K-beauty world and has become a popular one because it can offer noticeable results,” she adds. Worth noting: This isn’t an excretion that comes out whenever the snail moves, but rather a substance that's excreted when the snail is under stress, points out Lain (more on the importance of that in a minute).

Benefits of Snail Mucin for Skin

Snail mucin is a mega multi-tasker, with the ability to do everything from moisturizing to boosting the production of collagen, the protein responsible for strong, youthful skin, to improving wrinkles.

• Moisturizes the skin: According to Lain, snail mucin contains moisturizing agents that work to repair the barrier function of the skin, both locking out irritants from the environment while also simultaneously locking in moisture.
• Stimulates collagen production: “Because snail mucin is a stress-induced excretion, it's comprised of ingredients meant to repair or protect from injury," Lain explains. "These include growth factors, which work by triggering the growth of new skin cells and new collagen.” And, as we know, more collagen equals fewer wrinkles and younger-looking skin. Desai-Solomon adds that it also contains glycolic acid, another known collagen-booster.
• Soothes irritation: Allantoin is another key component in secretion, an ingredient with healing properties that calms irritation, smoothes the skin, and stimulates cell regeneration.
• Delivers important vitamins and minerals:  Snail mucin is loaded with a list of good-for-your-skin nutrients, including anti-inflammatory zinc and healing manganese. It contains copper peptides, also lauded for their collagen-increasing and wrinkle-decreasing effect. It also contains vitamins A and E, both of which are great antioxidants.

Side Effects of Snail Mucin

“There aren’t any well-documented side effects of snail mucin,” says Desai-Solomon, though both dermatologists point out that, as with any ingredient, people can be allergic to it. Avoid allergic reactions by testing a small amount of any new product on the inside of your forearm before slathering it all over your face. And if you're using any type of prescription-strength treatments, Desai-Solomon recommends speaking with your derm before adding any new product into your line-up.

How to Use It

This largely depends on your particular complexion concerns and what you hope to get from the ingredient. According to Desai-Solomon, many people like using snail mucin for moisturizing purposes, in which case she suggests opting for a night cream that contains it. (Bedtime is a prime opportunity for your skin to reap not only the hydration benefits but also the other restorative and regenerative properties of the ingredient as well). Apply it every evening on clean skin, as the final step in your routine, layered over any other treatment products, such as toners or serums.

If you're looking to use snail mucin as a multi-purpose anti-ager, seek it out in a serum, as these will have a higher concentration of the ingredient. Apply it morning and night, right after cleansing, and before any other product.