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Forgive our pun, but we might have been a little slow to bring up snail cream. This is a skin product made from the mucin of actual snails, the little creatures moving at a glacial pace in your garden. The secretions these shelled gastropods leave behind has skulked its way into many of our skin regimes. It may sound a little icky, and you might also have concerns over whether or not it is safe to use.
As Byrdie states, snail cream can be used as a moisturizer and/or a collagen stimulator, and it promotes skin healing and regeneration. It is well-tolerated by most and can be normally used on many types of skin. However, it's worth noting that it works especially well on dry skin. "It's a trusted ingredient in the K-beauty world and has become a popular one because it can offer noticeable results,"Sheel Desai-Solomon, a board-certified dermatologist, told Byrdie.
There isn't a wide range of research on snail cream
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If you're looking for a skincare product with snail cream, know that it may be labeled as snail slime or snail mucin in the list of ingredients, according toWomen's Health. But how did it become a well-known skincare ingredient? Some may have become aware of it through its popularity in Korean beauty regimens, but its origins are actually rooted in Chile. "In the 1980's Chileans snailbreeders [sic] found their hands to be very soft after handling the snails, leading to the Chilean snail cream, Elicina," said board-certified dermatologist Hadley King.
Now that we know the origin of snail cream and what it is used for, it's time for the most important question: Is using snail slime on your skin safe? For now, yes, but there is an admitted lack of research. "There aren't any well-documented side effects of snail mucin," Desai-Solomon toldByrdie. She goes on to recommend using only a small amount on your skin first to make sure you are not allergic. Furthermore, it's always best to inform your dermatologist when you add a new skincare product to your routine. While the slime appears to be safe to use on your skin, you can always keep your snails in the garden.
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