Snail Your Way to Better Skin - Why People are Putting Snails on Their Faces

Snail slime is quickly becoming the product that all skincare aficionados are backing. A snail trail facial? Don’t be put off just yet. This mighty mollusc could have the answer to all your skincare prayers.

Snails produce slime for many reasons, including to provide a wet surface for them to move on and go about their daily lives. But that’s not why we are coating our faces in it. The slime helps the snail stay moist and protects it from bacteria, cuts and UV rays. It’s these properties that make it a skincare triumph. While promoting the regeneration of cells and locking in the skins moisture helps to anti-age and fade acne scars, the anti-bacterial qualities will fight any blemishes too. While there is yet to be any significant trials using a specific beauty product containing the slime, studies have shown the slime itself can stimulate the making of elastin and collagen, both of which are good for the skin. The original snail cream, by Dr Organic, claims that with the addition of another anti-aging ingredient (proteolea), users will look ‘six years younger in four weeks’. Suddenly smearing snail slime on your face doesn’t seem so bad, does it?

The snails used to produce slime for the cosmetic industry are given a natural plant hormone, in turn helping them to secrete hormones to mate. As they travel across glass plates to find a mate, the slime is collected and turned into a powder. This powder can then be used to create products with incredible anti-aging claims.

You can buy snail gel creams, serums and face masks that have added natural extracts, such as aloe vera and jojoba, for a more appealing way to start your journey to more beautiful skin. They even have hand and nail creams that have been blessed by the slime too. Or, you could go full steam ahead and have a snail facial. In short, three snails slithering all over your face while ‘snail facialists’ make sure they don’t venture too close to your eyes, nostrils or mouth. This treatment has recently come to the UK, so us British can get in on the action too.

But please note, this doesn’t mean you can go foraging in your garden after reading this. The snails used are farmed specially for producing the slime, so your standard garden snail might not make the cut. Who would have thought it? Snail trails could be the key to younger, fresher and healthier looking skin.