Does the thought of snails disgust you? How about slathering their secretion on your face like your nightly face cream? Think again. Snails can often be the answer to your skin problems.

In Korea and France, there has been a recent boom of snail-based products in the market. Some snail-based products available in the market are geared towards acne medication, anti-aging and some are even for stretch-mark removal. Various brands have their own versions, and the skincare conscious market is not complaining.

The common misconception about snail-based products is that it is slimy and smells like molluscs. Snail slime is taken from cultured snails; it’s their excretion that helps them cling to a wall or to move on any surface. The excretion is treated and purified before being added to creams, facial washes and serums. There is no cause for sanitation fears. Here are some of impressive snail slime abilities taken from recent studies and customer feedback:

It speeds up cell regeneration

Cell reproduction is proportionate to your age when you reach our 30’s. For example, a younger person would take 28 days for the outer skin to resurface; on the other hand, a 33-year old would need to wait for 33 days for new skin. Imagine the timeframe of skin cell renewal when you reach mid-40. The use of snail-based products would restore your skin’s natural skin renewal ability just like when you were in your 20’s, the peak of a woman’s blossoming and youthful beauty.

It aids in acne and wound healing

Snail slime extract accelerates skin repair therefore when you’ve got undesirables on your skin, it would help boost the healing process. Its healing properties are due to its enzymes that rearrange acne tissue. Its use for healing dates back from Hippocrates time. There were reports that he would advise his patients to crush snails and apply them to the wound. Unlike salicylic acid, a usual acne medication component that tends to dry the skin, snail slime extract hydrates while healing the skin. It also helps remove the redness of blemishes thus preventing unattractive pigmentation on dried up pimples.

It has great anti-aging properties

Snail secretion has great moisturizing abilities. It hydrates the inner and outer layers of skin. Its skin hydration power is comparable to a camel’s capability of holding up water in its body. Always remember that skin hydration equates to wrinkle-free skin. Snail extract also helps activate collagen and elastin production that prevents sagging skin. Thorough use of snail based products results to supple, baby-like skin.

After learning its benefits, it now seems like a cure-all skincare ingredient rather than gross gunk you slather on skin. Most bold skincare aficionados swear by using serums with high snail slime content. If you’re still hesitant, you may try snail creams or facial foams for starters. There are respectable numbers of satisfied customers out there, and maybe, you could be a snail slime convert too.