The beauty community is constantly looking for new and innovative methods to battle aging and skin texture problems. One of the latest emerging trends on the beauty market is the snail extract mucin, used in creams, lotions, serums, claiming to improve skin texture and alleviate signs of aging. Let’s see if this is the case.
Credits: everydayhealth.com
A short history
The modern cosmetic world is not the one that first used this product. Many writings describe that Ancient Greeks also used snail extract to treat skin inflammation, irritation, and even burns. This practice continued over the centuries and now it managed to conquer the world of beauty and cosmetics.
What is so special about this snail product?
Firstly, let’s analyze what this snail mucus contains that makes it vital for our discussion:
-proteins
-elastin
-antimicrobial enzymes
-peptides
-hyaluronic acid
-glycolic acid
-allantoin
All these ingredients are very important for the snail because they form a sticky but yet very lubricating protective barrier that helps the snail stay moist but also have the mobility it needs. Additionally, mucin also restores a snail’s fragile skin after sun damage, scratches, and other environmental hazards.
Is it also beneficial for us?
Well, yes. Even though we do not need snail mucin to slide, it can help improve the texture of our skin. In multiple independent clinical studies, it was found that snail mucin triggers and improves the action of fibroblasts.
These cells are the main repairers of our skin that are vital for reducing inflammation and scarring in certain affections like acne. In Roman times, but also in modern medicine snail extract is recommended as an adjuvant treatment for acne. Long story short, mucin triggers the action and distribution of repairing cells in the skin and improves its look and texture by having this “signal” role.
Another important factor about snail mucin is the protein concentration. The proteins found in this product are small polymers that improve the skin texture by stretching out and increasing the overall quality of the skin cytoskeleton (the matrix of the skin).
In another study, it was found that snail extract is very useful to reduce acute or chronic sun damage. It was found that the macro and micro-texture of the skin was greatly improved and the patients involved in the study stated that their skin felt and looked better after using a product containing snail mucin for 12 weeks.
Credits: calyxta.com
Conclusions
From the latest studies, we can see that mucin is promising. All the studies utilized only the filtrated mucin but didn’t particularity analyze its compounds. Of course, we already know that hyaluronic acid has important benefits for our skin and all the other components of mucin have proven benefits.
The key to any healthy beauty routine is to be constant. The products containing snail mucin are suitable for all skin types and have no allergy cautions, being ideal for usage in many beauty routines. Whether you want to turn back time or to improve your overall skin texture, snail mucin is definitely an interesting and versatile choice that has many studies to back it up.
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