We start with a popular ingredient in Korean skin care – snail secretion, sometimes called snail filtrate or snail slime. As the name suggests, it is a secretion produced by snails to keep their skin moisturized.
Snail secretion is exciting because it contains several good substances: glycoproteins, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid and zinc. All of these contribute different benefits to the skin, and since they are naturally found in snail secretions, they work well together.
Zinc helps keep bacteria at bay, and together with antimicrobial peptides, it can reduce inflammation in the skin. Snail secretion also increases collagen production, moisturizes and repairs the skin's barrier thanks to glycolic acid and hyaluronic acid. In addition, it contains copper peptides that reduce wrinkles and vitamins that act as antioxidants.
Benefits of snail secretion in skin care in brief:
- Moisturizes
- Balances the skin's protective barrier
- Increases collagen production
- Soothes inflammation and irritation
- Anti-inflammatory
- A source of antioxidants
Who is snail secretion suitable for?
In practice, snail serum is suitable for all skin types, but skin types that are prone to dryness or suffer from acne especially benefit from it. As with all ingredients, however, you may be allergic to snail secretions, so if you are allergic to snails, we recommend avoiding snail secretions in skin care. Snail secretion also does not clog pores, and thanks to its antibacterial properties and ability to reduce scars, it is a good addition to the treatment of acne-prone skin.
When should you use snail rooms?
It depends on what you want to achieve with the ingredient. Many people use snail secretion for its moisturizing properties, so it should be included in the skin care routine, especially in the evening in the form of a night cream. During the night, the skin can best benefit from the product's moisturizing and repairing properties. Then we recommend adding a snail secretion-based cream as the last step in your skincare routine, after toner, essence, ampoule and serum. If you are looking for the snail serum's anti-aging effects, we recommend looking for the ingredient in the form of a serum, where the concentration is often higher than in creams.
Our recommendations for night cream with snail secretion:
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[Cosrx] Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream – cult product that suits most skin types!
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[Mizon] Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack – effective rehydrating night mask
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[Some By Mi] Snail TrueCICA Miracle Repair Cream – repairing moisturizer also suitable for irritated and sensitive skin
Our recommendations for anti-aging snail serum:
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[Coxir] Black Snail Collagen Serum – ideal for mature skin
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[Mizon] Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule – ampoule with a light and pleasant texture
Active ingredients along with snail secretions
So far, no active ingredients have been found in studies that cannot be combined with snail serum. It works well with retinol, vitamin C and glycolic acid, for example.
