How to get snail mucus
On snail farms, snails are specially grown, the mucus of which is used in cosmetic products.
It is believed that if Achatina is frightened, the amount of mucin secreted will double. So farm workers put the shellfish in a centrifuge and spin it. A barbaric method, but the most effective. To make snail creams, lotions and serums you need a lot of snail secretion. After this procedure, the snails are returned to their containers and fed well. What do you think about this method of extracting snail mucus? Write in the comments.
Chemical composition
Snail mucus contains collagen, allantoin, elastin and chitosan. These elements help keep the skin firm and elastic. They saturate the epidermal cells with nutrients, so the skin remains young and healthy for a long time. In addition, mucus contains a number of vitamins. Among them, the largest amount is represented by vitamins A, E, B12 and B6. It also contains a small amount of vitamin C. It is not for nothing that snail mucus has long been used by the world's leading cosmetic companies. For example, this substance is often present in famous Korean cosmetics.
What does it help with?
Snail therapy (the photo allows you to understand exactly what the process looks like) helps get rid of many problems:
- Regular treatment can smooth out acne scars. Mucus restores the composition of the epidermis and saturates it with collagen. Thanks to these actions, clean skin seems to be smoothed and slightly lifted.
- The therapy has shown a particular effect in the treatment of oily skin prone to the formation of pimples and blackheads. It reduces its porosity, making the skin look fresh and tidy.
- Using snails helps prevent the appearance of age spots and get rid of existing ones. Reviews and photos before and after snail therapy speak for themselves.
- Many patients have noticed how fine wrinkles are smoothed out after this procedure. This action is quite understandable. Skin that is hydrated and nourished will naturally look younger. After completing the full course of treatment, the achieved effect remains for quite a long time. Reviews and photos of snail therapy can confirm this.
Regular sessions will help relieve any inflammatory process occurring on the skin of both the face and body.
Mizon snails. Are they that good?
Good afternoon everyone! Snail remedies have long been popular, but I only now took the risk of trying them. To be honest, snail mucus as a component in cosmetics initially evoked not very good associations for me; I couldn’t imagine how it could be applied to the skin :)) Moreover, I wasn’t particularly familiar with Korean cosmetics before that. But times change, and so do our views. I recently became a mother and my skin, already problematic, just went crazy due to hormones. Some kind of inflammation constantly appears, the skin has become oilier, and the amount of post-acne has increased. And since during breastfeeding the possibilities of fighting inflammation are very limited, I decided to take the risk of trying snail remedies, which, according to many reviews, can solve skin problems. The most famous and accessible snail remedies in our country are Mizon, I met them 2 months ago.
Let me remind you a little about my skin: 29 years old, oily, problematic, currently having hormonal rashes on my face.
1. Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream - Face cream with snail mucin
I’ll start with the most sensational snail cream recently - with an extract of black African snails in a concentration of 92%. I had great hopes for this cream, as the reviews about it were simply stunning! Everyone who tried it said that it relieves the skin of all inflammation, makes the skin clean, beautiful and less oily. Isn't it a miracle? Moreover, the composition is quite interesting and safe, which is important for me. Many different benefits, in addition to the snail mucin itself - niacinamide, adenosine, matrixyl, rh-Oligopeptide-1, copper tripeptide-1, phytosterols, ceramides-3, beta-glucan, allantoin, panthenol and hyaluronic acid, and 24 more different herbal extracts.
Detailed opinion:
Packaging:
The cream is in a black frosted glass jar, pleasant to the touch. But the plastic cover is very thin and cheap. But I was more upset by the protective membrane inside the jar - the thinnest white plastic from which disposable tableware is made. Initially, the membrane was sealed with film, but even this did not save the cream and during transportation and delivery it came out a little from under this sealed membrane. It’s a sad look when you first open the can, I’ll tell you... As an active user of luxury cosmetics, I’m unaccustomed to such disgrace, frankly speaking. But don’t forget that Mizon is not a luxury product, and no one promised expensive, beautiful and high-quality packaging. And it’s not the packaging that matters, right? If the product works, then what difference does it make?
Cream: The consistency of the cream is viscous and unusual. The texture is very light. More like a cream-gel. Milky color. The smell is unobtrusive.
Feelings and effect:
When applied, it is absorbed very quickly, without leaving a sticky film, which, of course, is a significant plus for oily skin, especially in summer. There are no problems with application at all. Quite economical since you only need a little of it for the whole face. I used it morning and evening. After the first few days of using it, I was very pleased with it, as it calmed the inflammation a little, it seemed to me that it even evened out the skin tone and it became more toned. But then, after about a week, I noticed that I was terribly lacking in skin hydration. A feeling of tightness occurred a few hours after application during the day, but at the same time the skin became significantly oilier, the shine appeared much faster and more intense. I decided one day to remove this oily shine with mattifying napkins, but the shock overtook me on the 10th napkin, and the shine still did not come off. I already realized then that things were bad. But I continued to use it because I was waiting for that very healing miraculous effect of getting rid of acne. With such increased oily skin, I just wanted to wash my face 3-4 times a day, but nothing could remove this oily sheen, not napkins, not powder, not anything! Sometimes I did this, and after washing my face I applied the cream again. I endured this for 2 weeks. But during these 2 weeks, the inflammations did not decrease, they did not go away faster, in addition, there were even more of them, to be completely objective, and when carefully examining my skin in daylight, I noticed that I got a huge number of closed comedones! And it was complete horror and failure. Since such comedones can only be removed with acids, which are currently contraindicated for me. In addition, the skin looked tired and dehydrated. And of course, as the number of rashes increased, there were more acne spots, and the skin began to look terribly spotty and uneven. Of course, I canceled this cream. But after 2 weeks I decided to try to give him a chance again, I don’t even know why. Probably all because I was waiting for a miracle. After using it for a week, everything happened again, and I decided not to approach it again. I can’t abuse my skin like this anymore.
Now I have returned to my favorite La Mer cream-gel, which, although it does not treat inflammation, perfectly moisturizes the skin, nourishes, soothes it, and does not provoke oily skin, due to which it can become clogged due to its own excessive sebum. While my skin and I are recovering from our unfortunate encounter with black snails, I am already planning how I will get rid of these closed comedones when I finish breastfeeding.
I also want to say that along with this cream I ordered myself a miniature of the classic Snail All in One Mizon snail cream, and sometimes I used it too, either in the morning or at night. But it dries the skin even more than the cream with black snails; its consistency is even more gel-like and light. I didn’t like it at all right away, so I went to my sister for testing.
Perhaps someone will say that I came across this fake, but I doubt it, since I bought everything from a trusted online store. But who knows, who knows...
Price:
300 UAH
Testing period:
1.5 months with a break
Score:
2
2. Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule - ampoule facial serum with snail mucin
Expanded opinion:
I paired this serum with the cream described above to enhance the effect of snail mucin, since it is known that the serum can penetrate the skin more deeply than the cream. Serum mucin concentration
Package:
glass jar, pipette, quite convenient and good packaging.
Serum:
The consistency is transparent, thick and viscous. It has no special smell.
Feelings and effect: After application to the skin it leaves a stickiness that does not go away. I only applied the cream over the serum with Black Snail All in One Mizon, I haven’t tried anything else. But when I applied the cream, the sticky feeling still remained. As if the serum did not want to be absorbed, the sensations were not the most pleasant. Therefore, I used the serum only at night in the hope that it would enhance the effect of skin restoration and everything that the manufacturer promised. At night, as we know, the regenerative functions of the skin are more enhanced. But alas, the serum does nothing at all. With it or without it, the cream works as I already described above. And the serum only adds an unpleasant feeling of stickiness to all this. It doesn’t do anything to moisturize, soften, even out the tone, or fight inflammation. Again, many people really like it, I read a lot of positive reviews about this serum. I only used it for 2 weeks in the evening under cream. I can't say anything good about her, unfortunately.
Price:
280 UAH
Testing period:
2 weeks
Score:
2
3. Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream - Cream with snail extract and EGF for the skin around the eyes
Expanded opinion:
Packaging: Nice glass jar, there’s even a spatula for the cream (sorry, but it’s not in the photo). I was surprised by the volume of 25 g. It seems to me that this is too large a volume for eye creams, even with a shelf life of 1 year.
Cream: Very dense thick white cream without a particular smell.
Feelings and effect: You can’t just get the cream out of the jar with your finger, it slips off your finger, so a spatula is very appropriate here. You only need a little bit of it, it applies perfectly, evenly, and is absorbed very quickly. This is where the advantages end. Then the fun begins. The first few days of use nothing happens, the cream is just like a cream. But after 5 days I began to notice that I was constantly rubbing my eyelids. They seem to hurt and itch, but there is absolutely no irritation. They itch because they are dry. Within a week, the cream dried out the skin around my eyes, so that small wrinkles began to appear, which I don’t have at all at 29 years old. Wrinkles from dehydration, despite the fact that the cream should moisturize. This is a complete shock for me, since I have never experienced anything like this from any eye cream! I assume that snails are to blame for everything here, since they actually dry out the skin. I used the cream both morning and evening, and the further I went, the more I noticed that during the day I wanted to apply something to my eyelids; the moisturizing was catastrophically insufficient. Serums under the cream also did not correct the situation; the cream continued to dry out the skin. Therefore, he, just like the previous 2 heroes of the post, left my bathroom shelf forever.
Price:
200 UAH
Testing period:
10 days
Score:
2
To summarize, I would like to say that I really don’t like writing abusive posts, since it’s more pleasant, of course, to share with you positive emotions and products that I want to recommend! But with this post I would like to warn girls who are planning to buy these stellar products. Perhaps it was the mucin component that didn’t suit me, perhaps it was an individual reaction to the entire composition of the 3 products, or maybe I got a fake. I just want to warn you that even if these products have become a salvation for someone, this does not mean that they will work a miracle on your skin. Even if you really really want to believe in this miracle.
But in any case, this negative experience did not discourage me from getting acquainted with Korean cosmetics further, and I have already looked at several brands and products that I want to try - serum with Houtunya and cream with Centella from Zymogen (perhaps someone has already tried it, tell me ), C20 serum with vitamin C, COSRX cream with Centella and lotion with AHA and BHA acids, mask with Ciracle volcanic clay. I also already actively use Mizon apple rolling and rice foam. I’ll also write a post about them, although everyone already knows about them. Perhaps you can tell me what else to look for in Korean cosmetics for problem skin, I will be grateful for your advice!
Thank you for your attention!
Best regards, Anya
Increase
How it all happens
As a rule, the procedure lasts no more than thirty minutes. A woman cleans her face of makeup and lies down on the table. The cosmetologist takes out a snail and places it on her face. The snail crawls on the skin and thus massages it. If it is too close to the eyes or lips, the beautician simply moves it in the right direction. After about 15 minutes, the snails are removed back to the aquarium, and new ones are placed on the face.
You should not be afraid of this procedure. Judging by the reviews, snail therapy is an absolutely safe and even pleasant procedure. Snails have no smell at all. A feeling of moisture remains on the face, which does not leave the woman for a long time.
Body massage
It can relieve stress and also improve the condition of the epidermis. The body, like the face, needs tightening procedures in order to remain young and beautiful for as long as possible. The photos before and after snail therapy speak for themselves. As a rule, all parts of the body are massaged, from the neck to the feet. According to women who have already tried the procedure, they experience the greatest pleasure when snails crawl on their backs. Cosmetologists play special relaxing music, which will help you fully enjoy the massage. The entire session lasts approximately twenty minutes.
Achatina snails
These giant snails usually live in Africa. However, in some Asian countries, Achatina is grown on farms for food. Shellfish meat is highly nutritious and contains absolutely no cholesterol. The size of these snails is so large that in African countries they can completely destroy crops in a field and even damage the plaster of a house. Their body length reaches thirty centimeters and barely fits in the palm of a person. They have tentacles and a fairly durable shell. The color ranges from rich beige to brownish brown.
In order to breed Achatina at home, you will need a spacious aquarium with at least ten liters of volume for each mollusk. If there are several of them, then the volume of the aquarium increases accordingly for each individual. Pine needles mixed with sand are used as bedding on which the snails will be located. They feed on various fruits and plants.
How is snail mucin obtained?
Methods for obtaining snail mucus have improved over the years. The times when shellfish were subjected to extreme stress are becoming a thing of the past. The composition of mucin is unstable and depends on the conditions in which the shellfish are grown. It is now believed that the calmer a snail feels, the better quality mucus it produces.
Recently, a machine was patented in Italy that extracts mucus by immersing snails in a steam bath, it is even called a “snail spa.” The point is that the mollusks are placed under a transparent dome of a special apparatus, where they are first exposed to osmotic water mixed with ozone, and then with a special spray of natural origin. In an hour, two thousand mollusks produce about 3 liters of mucus.
Procedure at home
First of all, the face should be cleaned with cosmetic milk to remove makeup and rinsed with water. It should be remembered that any cosmetic product has a detrimental effect on snails. Therefore, the skin should be rinsed as thoroughly as possible and several times. Before placing the snail on your face or body, you should hold it in warm water and wipe the shell with a sponge. Next, the woman records the time and after twenty minutes puts the snail back into the aquarium. Mucus remaining on the skin can be washed off with plain water. However, many women prefer to leave it under evening cream. Reviews about snail therapy before and after the procedure are very good.
Eliminating skin problems
Some women mistakenly think that snail mucus can heal difficult-to-heal wounds. However, this is not quite true. In fact, despite the obvious benefits, mucus does not contain the necessary substances that help heal open wounds. In addition, such a procedure can even cause harm. You should also not use snails for healing or straightening postoperative sutures. Otherwise, the wound may become infected.
If there is a capillary network on the face, otherwise called rosacea, then the use of snails is extremely undesirable. The mucus of mollusks acts in such a way that blood circulation begins to increase, which means red spots become more noticeable.
From the history
The healing properties of shellfish have been noticed since ancient times. At least a hundred anti-inflammatory drugs are known based on various types of mollusks - in African, Chinese and even traditional European culture.
Hippocrates used a healing ointment based on snail secretions to treat burns and inflammation, and Pliny the Elder advised eating shellfish meat for stomach diseases and using them to heal wounds from arrows. The famous surgeon Ambroise Pare advised eating snails against anthrax. Deterville's New Dictionary of Natural History, published in 1817, recommended making snails into a throat broth and using them to make the skin smooth and shiny.
Despite the long history of use for medicinal purposes, snail mucin appeared in the cosmetic industry quite late - at the end of the 20th century. According to legend, Chilean farmer Fernando Bascunán discovered that the hands of workers collecting snails looked well-groomed, despite heavy physical labor. He soon realized that the reason was the mucus secreted by the mollusks. In 1995, the Chileans released the first cream with snail mucin - the manufacturer stated that the product fights wrinkles, corrects pigmentation and eliminates inflammation.
Reviews of snail therapy from doctors and cosmetologists
According to experts, this procedure is extremely beneficial for the skin of the face and body. After thirty days of regular use of snails, doctors noted noticeable improvements. An important factor is that it is almost impossible to harm snail mucus. Cosmetologists note the disappearance of fine wrinkles over time and a decrease in the visibility of deep ones.
In addition, according to them, women were able to get rid of post-acne symptoms perfectly. The skin actually smoothed out and became lighter. The bluish spots that appear in places where there used to be acne disappeared. Cosmetologists have repeatedly noticed that snail therapy brings tangible results in the fight against age spots.
Are there any contraindications for using cosmetics with snail mucin?
Choose products with snail mucin for your skin type: manufacturers make a series of cosmetics for oily and combination skin, as well as for normal and dry skin.
Before using snail mucus cream, test the product on a small patch of skin on your wrist. Apply the cream and observe the sensation for 24 hours. If no allergic reactions or discomfort occur, use the cream calmly.
Do not use such creams in large quantities in a thick layer, as this can provoke excessive secretion of fat from the sebaceous glands.
With regular use of products based on snail mucin, you will feel a positive effect and appreciate the quality of Korean cosmetics!
User reviews
In addition to reviews of snail therapy from professional cosmetologists, you can also find many statements from ordinary users on the Internet. According to them, this procedure is extremely pleasant. Snails crawl gently and unobtrusively over the skin of the face and body, leaving behind a moisturized trail. In addition, women very often use their pet snails to treat burns. For example, after sunbathing, it is very useful to moisturize the skin with snail mucus.
Five days of daily use for ten minutes is enough, and there will be no trace left of a major burn. The famous physician Hippocrates, who recommended combining this substance with sour milk, said that snail mucus can treat burns. In addition, according to ancient chronicles, aristocrats were rejuvenated by snail mucus.
Many users prefer to purchase snails rather than spend money at a beauty salon, where the procedure is quite expensive. Mucus can be used to prepare masks, which also include baked milk and wheat bran. This soft, caring mask has proven itself to be an excellent anti-aging product. Users also note a noticeable anti-cellulite effect that shellfish have. People who regularly use this method do not recommend washing off the mucus. It does not cause irritation and, in their opinion, is completely absorbed by the body.
Questionable cosmetology: what is the risk of rejuvenation with snails
Scientists spoke about the shocking effect of cosmetology with snails. The sliding and supposedly rejuvenating mollusks have a dangerous trail - irritation, allergies, even blood poisoning. However, this does not stop women in pursuit of youth and beauty. In order for the miracle masseurs to crawl over their faces for a few minutes, clients are ready to shell out fabulous sums. Vesti FM correspondent Olga Matveeva talks about an exotic method of rejuvenation.
Beauty requires not sacrifice, but courage. To maintain health and youth, beauty salons are increasingly using snail therapy. The procedure itself is extremely simple; all that is needed from the client is the absence of disgust. Several mollusks are planted on the face, previously cleaned of cosmetics and lubricated with milk. For 20-30 minutes, the snails crawl and thereby supposedly promote tissue regeneration and rejuvenation. The procedure is strange, but those who have tried it say it is effective. According to spa workers, snails secrete natural antibiotics that help fight skin infections. Collagen and elastin restore skin elasticity and remove stretch marks. They also eliminate the effects of burns and age spots. We called one of the salons and were almost hypnotized by the delights of the expected procedure.
“You feel some kind of purity, it cleanses, it’s natural, natural. Fights wrinkles, has an anti-aging effect, and in general, makes you feel young and beautiful. Snails are cold-blooded, they have such a slight chill. They are very curious, they pull out their head, pull out their horns, they look, actually there are no contraindications, it’s just big, if it pulls out its body, the platform, it will lie right on your entire cheek.”
But while some experts praise the know-how in the world of spa treatments, others are skeptical that unconventional therapy is just a bait for clients, and not a cheap one. The price of one shellfish massage in Moscow varies from one to four thousand rubles. The course consists of six to ten sessions and does not promise an immediate effect. At the same time, there are not many salons in the capital that are ready to provide an exotic procedure. Experts explain this by the fact that snails are very difficult to care for. Although in fact, such cosmetologists are silent that snail mucus is a powerful allergen for the skin and in some cases is simply deadly, says Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist Yana Yutskovskaya.
YUTSKOVSKAYA: Whether this is absorbed by our skin or not can only be said after research, but there is none. As for enzymes, which are present in any mucus, including snail mucus, these are primarily allergens. In my opinion, there are more risks than truth here. I think this is done by people who have no education at all and call themselves cosmetologists. We do not have the skills and ability to snail therapy. Therefore, we are not talking about cosmetology at all now, we are talking about some kind of bazaar station.
Experts are confident that live snails cannot be used in cosmetology, especially at home. Thus, you can introduce infection into the body, because snails are carriers of parasites and infections. For example, salmonellosis, an animal can become infected with it from eggshells, which are used as feeding. And although the effectiveness of snail cosmetics has long been proven, to achieve rejuvenation you do not need to put a mollusk on your face. It is enough to buy a cream or serum based on mucus extract at the pharmacy. This method has long been tested and is completely safe, naturally after preliminary consultation with a specialist.
