Ah, the lengths we will go to keep ourselves looking shiny, happy, and unnaturally wrinkle-free! As a fashion and beauty writer, I'm constantly hearing about the next "big" thing or latest "secret" ingredient and, generally, I tend to think it's all kind of BS. Do I buy those same products when I'm browsing an aisle and suddenly realize that, "oh my gosh, yes, I totally do get forehead wrinkles from raising my eyebrows too much"? Of course. We all do it! But every so often there's a new beauty fad that makes us all do a double-take because, "how, how could that be good for your skin?" This week's shocking beauty ingredient? Snail mucus. Yes, the snail mucus facial is actually a thing. Horrified yet? Me too.
According to snail mucus beauty fans, the secretions (ew) from the snails act as antioxidants for your skin and help repair things like wrinkles and stretch marks. Yes, because of all the sources of antioxidants out there, snail mucus somehow seemed like the best option. One person, as quoted by the Guardian, said that the snails helped clear her acne. In any case, like a good reality TV program, I was both disgusted and fascinated by the idea of allowing snails to crawl around on my face in the name of anti-aging.
But snail mucus as a beauty product? Oh, it's been around. And in case you're curious as to where you can buy products containing the beneficial ingredient without the whole "snails on your face" part, I have some options for you. Think of me as your snail mucus fairy godmother.
1. Snail Essence
Ah, the essence of a snail — what better way to stop wrinkles?
Ciracle Repairing Snail Essence, $38.90, ebay.com
2. Snail Toner
And for the price of only $19.80, you too can apply snail excretions to your face. How wonderful.
Scinic Matrix Snail Toner, $19.80, ebay.com
3. Snail Mucus Control Massage Moisturizing Cream Hydration
I felt like I should include the whole name because clearly there's a lot going on here. My favorite part is the photos that just have snails hanging out on the products themselves. Do the snails come with purchase? As a sort of refill? I also like that the background of the image is simply a giant snail. Classy.
Neox Snail Mucus, $10.98, ebay.com
