From skin flooding to slugging, the internet is full of hacks for achieving hydrated, dewy skin. No ingredient is off-limits either, be it cow tallow or Vaseline … or snail mucin.
Harvested from live snails (who allegedly are not hurt in the process), snail mucin is "thought to help moisturize the skin and boost hydration," Dr. Marisa Garshick, a dermatologist practicing in NYC, told Insider.
While Garshick said more evidence is needed to support its benefits, snail mucin has been around for years, incorporated in Korean beauty products and becoming even more popular through TikTok, where #snailmucin has over 650 million views.
After hearing a friend's literally glowing review of COSRX's snail mucin eye patches and watching a few TikToks about how they de-puff your eyes, I decided to give them a try.
I ended up liking them, even though they didn't solve what I was looking for and caused a tiny breakout when I made one application mistake.
They are tricky to put on at first
The patches come with little plastic tongs to pull them out, as the snail mucin is naturally slimy. There were bigger eye patches as well as separate, smaller ones for your frown lines. I only used the bigger under-eye patches because they're slippery, and wearing more than one pair was cumbersome. The eye patches would slide down my face and push off the frown line patches.
The eye patches stayed on more firmly after a few minutes — once they had a chance to dry off a little. The mucin was refreshing and cooling and made for a nice ritual that I started to look forward to.
However, I can't say I noticed any difference in how my under-eyes looked, even if I did feel better. I even tried on particularly groggy mornings and saw no notable difference.
They immediately softened the driest part of my face
I have combination skin, where my forehead gets oily while my cheeks tend to stay on the dry side.
The snail mucin patches — which I left on for 15-20 minutes as instructed — immediately softened my skin and made it feel bouncier. I made my boyfriend touch my cheeks to ensure I wasn't imagining it.
Garshick said that these patches also contain humectants like glycerin and niacinamide, which help draw more moisture in. Plus, she said the addition of allantoin helps soothe the skin and calm inflammation.
I got a few small pimples when I combined them with other products
While Garshick said that snail mucin isn't known to clog pores, "as with any moisturizing ingredient, it is important to apply to a face that has been properly cleansed." Mixing it with other products can potentially cause breakouts.
I admittedly got lazy a few times and applied the patches after I put on sunscreen or vitamin C serum, which I think contributed to the few tiny whiteheads that formed right where the patches were. I was also using them every day, which may have been too much for my skin.
As colder weather approaches, I could see these being a game-changer if I remember to use them correctly. I might also shell out for the brand's more popular snail mucin essence spray, as more of my face tends to dry out in the winter.
