Putting a snail’s secretion on my face sounds unpleasant, to say the least. However, people across the world have been using a product called snail mucin for years. One of the most popular companies, COSRX, has been in business since 2013 and has risen to become one of the most popular Korean skincare brands.
Despite this, I still was hesitant to use their “snail mucin” products. On my birthday, though, I was gifted the sample set by a friend. The packaging was aesthetic, so I decided to swallow my biases and give it a try.
Before experiencing it for myself, I’ve heard mixed reviews on snail mucin products. Some worship it as their holy grail of skincare and their secret to “glass skin” while others claim that it broke them out and was an ultimate fail for their skin type. Regardless, I went it with an open mind, hoping for the best but considering the worst.
One of the most surprising things to me was the pleasant smell of all four products: Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream, and Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream. None of these products have added fragrance, so I suspected that something made of an animal’s slime would have somewhat of an unappealing odor. However, each one smelled clean, fresh, and mild.
Part of me was concerned that the gel cleanser wouldn’t make my skin feel clean enough—although I tend to have sensitive combination skin, I have a bad habit of not feeling satisfied until I feel that every drop of oil has been scrubbed away. Thankfully, the cleanser leaves my skin feeling sufficiently clean without being overly harsh, drying, or stinging.
The essence was what intrigued me the most, though, since it tends to be the most popular snail mucin product that COSRX offers. I was concerned that it would be slippery and gross like, well, a snail, it had the texture and consistency of a slightly thicker hyaluronic acid. This was reassuring, and a little goes a long way with this product. My skin feels soft and hydrated, but the product also seems to minimize my pores. My fear of the essence was obviously unfounded.
The next step in the snail mucin kit is the eye cream. I actually hadn’t incorporated an eye cream into my routine prior to receiving this box, but it was probably about time I did. My eye bags are pretty obvious, and my skin is exceptionally dry in this area. The eye cream has been a lifesaver. A minimal amount leaves my under eyes feeling hydrated and far less irritated, and the peptides add a few hours of sleep to my complexion.
The final component of the box is the regular facial cream/moisturizer. Like all of the other products, it’s simple, effective, and refreshing. It isn’t greasy or heavy, but it definitely locks in moisture. I have a hard time finding a moisturizer that properly balances a lightweight feel with proper hydration, but this one does the job flawlessly.
Even hours into the day, my face still feels clean and soft. School air has nothing on COSRX, and this is all for a very fair price point as well. The sampler starter kit, the COSRX All About Snail Kit, is only $25 at Target and most other places. I would gladly hand over that same amount of money for this kit again even if the bottles are small since they last an unexpectedly long time.
The most important part, next to the effectiveness, of any skincare routine of mine is the ethics of the brand and product. My entire routine is cruelty-free, and I never plan on changing that. So, it may seem counterintuitive of me to purchase products that focus on an ingredient harvested from snails. Fortunately, though, COSRX is entirely cruelty-free.
Mucin, which is the mucus produced by the snails, is harvested by COSRX by placing snails on a net. While secreting this mucus is a stress response, the snails are unharmed in this process and are returned to their natural environment. This practice is the most ethical I can imagine in order to collect this product, so I am amazed that COSRX is willing to dedicate itself to protecting the creatures that it bases its products around.
So while snail mucin discourse continues online, I tend to lean towards those who swear up and down that snail mucin has transformed their skin. I didn’t expect to swap routines so quickly, but I plan on sticking with COSRX for the foreseeable future.
