The Guide to Snail Mucin: South Korea's Most Famous Skincare Ingredient
It has become ultimately famous in skincare, due to its titanic rise in Korean beauty. In South Korea, there is a focus on balancing the skin – creating an even skin tone, deterring acne and aiming for a healthy glow. Snail mucin is packed with a variety of all-natural enzymes, peptides and antioxidants that simply sink into skin to hydrate and balance. It acts as a serum, moisturizer and toner all in one – that makes it a must-have in any beauty line.
Cosrx, the top of K-beauty for decades, created the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream and the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence on the premise of celebrating this product. The numbers 92 and 96 indicate the % of snail mucin filtrate in each product; which forms a slightly slimy, water-based product that simply lets the snail mucin stand on its own. And both are some of the most popular beauty products in the market – for their results alone.
Different companies can be coy about how they collect snail mucin – so we cannot blanket say all brands are good to their snails. For Cosrx, they are adamant that snails are kept calm and safe during collection – as they believe it makes better mucin (they call it low-stimulation filtrate). They have a series of mesh nets that the snails are released on during the working day and then the nets are carefully collected and the mucin extracted.
Similar brands who are committed to animal safe practice and earned the ‘cruelty-free’ title include:
- Petitfee
- Some By Mi
- Benton
- Jumiso
- Beauty of Joseon
- Farm Stay
- IUNIK
There are many more, of course, but these hold our favorite snail products and thus being able to use them with consideration of their creators is important.
This works similarly on our skin, with application of good snail products being able to soothe irritation or redness from acne.
Also known in beauty as AHA, glycolic acid gently melts dead skin cells on your face and binds sebum. Gently rubbing it in low levels in your skin helps clear pores and debris on your skin. This helps skin refresh, prevents acne and also allows other ingredients to penetrate skin more deeply.
Naturally having this in a serum is amazing – as it helps soothe hyperpigmentation, clear scars and reduces redness and irritation. It has a great safety profile for skin and helps keep skin clean and clear.
Both peptides and antioxidants are part of the building blocks your skin needs to refresh and remain youthful and healthy. As your skin is exposed to pollutants and UV radiation from the sun – it builds levels of natural damage. This is what leads to aging, fine lines and discoloration over time. But replenishing your skin with antioxidants helps mop up ‘damaged particles’ and keeps it from causing harm to the cellular structures around it.
Similarly, giving your skin extra peptides (protein building-blocks) allows it to improve collagen synthesis, signal to other cells and produce important enzymes. It essentially gives your skin the best chance to replenish and repair itself – giving you extra radiance for every day.
Now that you are just as excited about snail mucin as we are – the real question is, how is the best way to use it. This varies from product to product– but snail mucin can be used morning or evening or both (depending on how you enjoy the boost). If you’ve never used snail mucin before – the best product to start with is the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence.
This is a very lightweight essence that acts as a mixture of serum and moisturizer – and creates a smooth glow under make-up. It should be used after a cleanser and toner.
The biggest complaint for newbies using snail mucin is that it does not absorb well and they feel like they are just ‘pushing’ it around their face. It’s important to note that those ingredients we went over are ‘water-based’ which does not absorb quickly into skin as our skin is made of ‘lipids’ and is designed to keep water out.
The best way to help it absorb is directly after a toner when your face is still damp or, lightly splash some water on your face, then apply the essence. Gently spread with fingertips and massage.
If you find it still not absorbing well, try switching your mucin to a night-time routine (as your skin is more absorptive at this time). And remember to be patient it may take a few minutes to absorb – but your skin will gradually draw it in.
Is it Cruelty-Free?
It depends on the product you buy, but the brands mentioned in this article and products shown have all earned the cruelty-free badge for a complete no tolerance on animal testing and taking responsibility for their snail care. Cosrx holds the most patents on snail mucin production and their stance is that low-stress snail mucin is best and they ensure snails are not stressed out in the process and kept healthy.
Will it cause breakouts?
Snail mucin has small water-based particles that do not clog pores and will not cause acne breakouts from regular use. If you cover your face in a large amount, however, there is a risk of purging as oils your skin is producing get trapped underneath and lead to whiteheads. If you ensure you use a careful amount and maintain good routine – the risk of acne is very, very low from this product.
Is it worth it?
Snail mucin is not super expensive – with the majority of products reasonably priced. If you are looking for something to help you hydrate, manage fine lines or have a high breakout risk to other moisturizers/serums - this might be the only product you buy from now on. It does a lot in one bottle, although the texture can take some time to get used to (it is slimy!).
