Melia muses….There is alot of hype going on about snail creams where I live. I have friends who have used them for scar reduction/healing for acne and thought that they really did work (they got the tip from their dermatologist). I’ve just watched the millionth infomercial about one of these creams and am wondering if they really live up to the claims.
The Left Brain leaves a slimy trail:
When I initially heard about snail extract being used in cosmetics my BS detector kicked into over drive. After doing a little bit of research I’m still skeptical but at least I was able to find SOME scientific basis for using this ingredient in cosmetics.
What is snail extract?
The technical name for snail slime is “Helix Aspersa Müller Glycoconjugates.” It’s described as a thick fluid gathered by stimulating live snails. (Sounds like a job Sarah Bellum would enjoy.) Chemically speaking, snail slime is a complex mixture of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoprotein enzymes, hyaluronic acid, copper peptides, antimicrobial peptides and trace elements including copper, zinc, and iron.
The science of snail slime
There are a number of brands that claim to harness the power of snail trails. For example, there’s Bioskincare, who says their product “protects, deeply moisturizes, renews and triggers the regeneration of skin damaged by acne, injuries, overstretching, photo-aging or dermatological/medical treatments.” Is there any real science that supports the benefits of snail extract? Sort of. There are certainly plenty of references in the scientific literature. First of all, there a number of patents related to how to gather the secretion and process it for use in cosmetics. One Chilean doctor, for example, patented a procedure for gathering the secretions by agitating snails in warm water and then filtering the mucin. (I wonder how you can tell when the snails are sufficiently agitated?) Another patent, credited to a Spanish Oncologist, involves stressing the snails mechanically to induce the production of their mucin. I wish I could be sure that no snails were harmed in the production of this skin cream, but based on these patents, it doesn’t look good! But just because there are patents on snail slime, that doesn’t mean it actually DOES anything. If you’ll notice the patents are related to how to collect the slime, which has nothing to do with proving it really works on your skin.
Will snail slime make wrinkles Es-car-go-away?
So does it really work? A quick Pubmed search reveals a variety of papers describing the effect of snail slime on cell cultures. In these studies a variety of effects where seen including the proliferation of fibroblasts, stimulation of new collagen and elastin fibers, and increased production of fibronectin proteins just to name a few. But since these effects were demonstrated on cell cultures I have a hard time understanding how they relate to a topical cosmetic product. I did find a few other studies, though, that indicate snail extract improves skin condition by increasing the dermis’ natural ability to take up and hold water. And perhaps most interesting were the studies suggesting that the slime might have topical wound healing properties. There’s enough legitimate science here to make me think that snail extract may be a beneficial ingredient.
However, I didn’t see any data that indicates that any specific cosmetic snail cream has any special efficacy. Until I see some controlled studies of these products, I remain skeptical.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
As ridiculous as this sounds at first, snail slime may be a powerful bioactive material. But translating that efficacy to a cosmetic product is another story entirely. In any given product it’s impossible to predict efficacy because it depends on the quality of the snail extract that was used, the amount in the product, and how it’s formulated and processed. Until a marketer of these products can demonstrate they have data on their specific product, I would avoid spending a lot of money on snail creams.
What do YOU think? Would you use snail snot to keep your skin looking younger? Or is it just too gross? Leave a comment and share your snail-ish story with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
Loading ...
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
My personal view is
Use Veg
Go Veg …
nature has given us too many solution for any beauty treatment.
why SNAIL cream ?
First Righty teases me about hickeys and now Lefty implies that I’m a snail molester??? Ohhh, you guys are so gonna get it!
I do recall this on an episode of Penn and Teller’s “Bullshit”.. I believe they said that it was complete BS, but sometimes I wonder about how biased their show is.
Thank you so much for the answer! Here the cream that you buy from the pharmacy is around 40 euros OTC and there are a few that you can buy from TV infomercials for just a bit cheaper. I really thought it was just alot of hype, but from what is actually in the snail mucus (I really don’t like the mental picture right now), it sounds really promising.
My Chilean friend told me about this! She does have a good skin. Not sure whether it’s genetic or due to the snail cream….
I personally find it gross. Snails belong in the garden, not on the plates nor on people’s skin. Yucks.
P.S. I’m doing an article about it on my blog tomorrow.
Two years ago I caught chicken pox from an infant cousin and was left with several scars in my face (I was 28 at the time). I freaked out and ran to the dermatologist who prescribed me three things only: 1. Clean face with a “micellar” cleasing water, no soap. 2. Use a skin cream with snail secretion extract (maybe the same Melia mentions in her comment, price was the same). 3. Use SPF 50 every single day. Three months later all my scars were gone except a really big one on my neck which anyway is covered by hair.
I have a 2.5-month-old 4-inch surgical scar on the back of my neck and various other old keloid scars from athletic activities. I just bought a 2 oz jar of Baba de Caracol Snail Healing Cream from a shop in Chinatown for $19.95 + tax. I started using it as soon as I got home. I’ll keep you posted on the results.
I have eaten snails. My family had a little farm where we raised, among other things, fish. These big fat brown snails thrived on the banks of the fish pond and were delicious stewed in ginger, coconut milk, garlic and onions.
I did hesitate at the thought of helpless creatures tortured for their slime. I am going to see what I can find out about the “harvest” process.
I am tired of false ads that don’t work! Finally, after meeting dermatologist Dr. Rivers of Vancouver and trying his new line I am convinced that I will never use a retail line again!! Professional skincare all the way! http://www.riversol.com – simple effective and potent steps that WORK.
I found a bottle of snail slime in the clearance basket at my local pharmacy, original price 16 american, I paid 8. I’ve used it for 4 days now and I have to admit that I do see a differance in the feel and appearance of my skin! if this stuff works, I’ll be glad to say “I got slimed and loved it!!
Got a snail cream to help with the appearance of bad keeloid scarring. Have to admit it helped. lessened the redness of the bad scars and made a big difference with the smaller/newer scars.
brand was elicina
worked for me
My friend has been using the Cream de Caracol for a few months now and her face is beautiful and glowing. So I decided to participate. I bought myself a bottle for only 8 dollars in a ethnic shop. My skin is brighter, cleaner, and softer. Funny thing is, even my boyfriend has noticed… and is thinking of trying it.
I picked some up when we were in Mexico, as it was pretty inexpensive. I have noticed a difference in that my skin is smoother and seems more even. Not to sound like a broken record, but the best skin care advice thus far from my Dermatologist has been to stay out of the sun and use plenty of sunscreen.