This is according to Cindy Kim and Alicia Yoon, co-founders of peachandlily.com, which is an e-commerce site with a special interest in this area as it sells snail gel products to US consumers.
“Snail gel began with the ancient Greeks and was later rediscovered by Chilean farmers who noticed their hands were softer after touching snail secretion,” Yoon says.
“Scientists have done a great job discovering the benefits of the filtrate and it has been trending in Korea over the last five to seven years.”
Trending
So it’s not necessarily something new in the market, particularly in Asia where escargot facials are all the rage, but it is now attracting the attention of US consumers.
The ingredient is collected by scientists from what lab-bred snails leave behind in their trail, ensuring no harm to the snails; and it is then processed into a powdery substance that goes into the manufactured skin care products.
“When people hear ‘snail cream,’ they automatically become grossed out,” Kim says. “But once they open up the jar they smell it, feel it, and discover it’s lightweight and completely different than they thought.”
According to the website founder, snail secretion filtrate contains natural acids and elastin that improve appearance and protect skin from future damage.
Snail slime study
It has also been shown to have positive effects on acne scarring, acne prevention, dryness and hyperpigmentation; and daily application of topical products containing snail secretion is also shown to significantly reduce fine lines and wrinkles, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology.
In the study, researchers gathered 25 participants experiencing moderate to severe facial photo damage. One side of the subjects’ faces were treated with snail secretion, while the other side was treated with a placebo for a 12-week period; and a significant reduction was noted in fine lines, deep wrinkles, as well as elasticity.