One of the most unique and trendy ingredients within the skincare realm, snail mucin has been riding a wave at the peak of the skin care industry as the answer to all problems for quite a while. Snail mucin is a secretion of snails with the primary components of Polyphenols, Polysaccharides, Glycolic Acid, Allantoin and Glycosaminoglycans. Glycosaminoglycans, in particular, are credited as the star contributors promoting softness and pore blurring, which can calm irritated skin. They have recently gained popularity through Korean skincare.

These substances are produced when snails lubricate themselves to cross along surfaces. As demand for snail mucin continues to grow, so do questions about the ethics behind its extraction. Many are left wondering: is snail mucin extraction cruel? And how many snails are involved in this process? In this article, we explore the history of snail beauty, the number of snails involved, and whether the beauty industry’s growing reliance on this ingredient raises ethical concerns.

History of Snail Mucin

The extraction of snail mucin is an old process. Hippocrates, the father of all medicine, documented that snail mucin is used for its benefits, which we’re using for now. In the older ages, they would use some form of stressor that would, in a sense, torture the snails to get the mucin out of them. Historically, snail mucin was obtained by killing them.

The story goes that the Greek physician Hippocrates applied crushed snails to treat skin inflammation. Later, snails were dunked in pots of salt water and vinegar, which forced them to release the slime. It was then only discovered that snails also produce mucin when stimulated.

Extraction of Snail Mucin

Snail mucin is obtained in a very snail-friendly way. Optimal mucin production occurs when the snail is well-rested and content, so no snails are hurt in the production process. On average, it is estimated that it takes between 100 to 200 snails to produce about 80-100 grams of snail mucin, which is often used in skincare products. However, this figure can differ based on the extraction techniques.

Manufacturers are prohibited from selling and distributing products that have undergone animal testing in Korea; modern factories usually use machines that stimulate them and sterilize them with water and humidity, and then they are sprayed with an acidic solution that makes them secrete the slime as a defence mechanism. The machine extracts 118 ounces of slime during the one-hour process. The snails undergo this process 3 or 4 times before they are euthanized with a highly concentrated ozonated water solution.

Snails can receive stimulation via vibration or slight temperature change or by gently handling them to promote secretion. To meet the demands of the global skincare industry, it’s estimated that hundreds of thousands to millions of snails may be used on larger farms, especially in countries like South Korea, which is a significant producer of snail mucin for beauty products.

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Uses of Snail Mucin

Snail mucin’s main ingredients are many kinds, depending on the snail. Some standard components are polyphenols, polysaccharides, glycolic acid, allantoin, and glycosaminoglycans. One particularly influential component is glycosaminoglycan.

When you look at the dermis layer of the skin between collagen bundles, you will see glycosaminoglycans that make up the ground substance of the skin. One of these is called hyaluronic acid, another heparin-sulfate.

Snail mucin is very similar to Heparin sulfate, but it’s slightly different. Because of this, it has a high hydrogen binding capacity, allowing it to hydrate the skin and improve the efficacy of snail mucin properties. This quality of hyaluronic acid allows for skin barrier repair, helping brighten skin tone and even out hyperpigmentation. It provides a smoother base for makeup application. Its regeneration properties increase skin cell turnover, promoting a more youthful appearance.

Apart from its usual skincare benefits, snail mucin was also found to have wound-healing properties in a 2021 study. The study discussed common garden snail mucin helping with small kitchen burns, and another study found its efficacy as an anti-ageing component.

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Is It Cruelty-Free?

The ethical implications of snail mucin production are hard to answer. While modern methods are significantly safer and less cruel, some methods described as ‘cruelty-free’ may still stress these snails. Mucin produced by stressed nails is known to irritate the skin and often causes acne and blemishes. A truly humane and cruelty-free method would allow a snail to live out its’ average life span.

In summary, while snails in the wild can live up to 8 years or more, those in non-ethical mucin production environments might only live for six months to 2 years. Snails in cruelty-free factories have a better chance of living longer, around 3 to 5 years, due to reduced stress and better care.

In Conclusion

Nothing from the snail is put to waste. Its intestines are shipped off to make gourmet dishes for restaurants, the shells for cosmetic products, and the eggs to make snail caviar. Part of the rise of snail excretion also has to do with K-beauty. South Korea is one of the top 10 beauty markets in the world, already classifying itself as one of the superpowers in the snail beauty industry.

America is set to be, and North America is projected to be, some of the fastest-growing regions for snail beauty products, combined with the increasing demand for products that diminish the effects of ageing and pollution with the modern skincare enthusiast gravitating towards natural skincare ingredients. Still, the clinical research is limited, and the mucin’s long-term effectiveness is yet to be seen.

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