I put Snail SECRETION on my face….

No, your eyesight is not playing up nor have you forgotten to put your contact lenses in today… I actually did put SNAIL SECRETION on my face! *shivers*

That trail of slime that you see at the front of your house is now one of the most sought after ingredients for skincare.

Yup, SNAILS.

Before you go rushing into your front garden to stick snails all over your face, please note that it’s not actually the creatures themselves – it’s the slime they secrete that matters most. And before you turn away in disgust – it’s important that you read on to see what I honestly thought…

When I was asked to try out the Optima Snail Gel, I’m sure you can imagine what my initial reaction was… “You want me to try WHAT!? Snail WHAT!? On my FACE!? Is it actually snail SECRETION!? Not a chance!!” Along with a few other choice words…

Although I was initially downright grossed out at the thought of putting this gooey substance on my face, after some research on the product I came around to the idea of trying it out.

All in the name of investigative journalism. FOR THE PEOPLE.

As it turns out, you’ve probably put grosser products on your skin than snail slime. Your everyday skincare probably carries one of these questionable ingredients – lanolin (sheep wool oil), ambergris (whale vomit), carmine (insect scales), and guanine (fish scales). EEEEEWWWWWWW! *frantically reads list of ingredients on moisturiser*

I’m sure you have as many questions as I did when I was asked to try out the Optima Snail Gel. So I’m here to answer yours!

Snail WHAT?!

Secretion.

The slime excreted by snails is a kind of mucus, an external bodily secretion (known as snail mucin) that helps them to heal cuts and protect against bacteria and UV rays. It’s rich in proteins, hyaluronic acid, anti-microbials, and copper peptides – all known beauty enhancers.

On my FACE?!

Yup.

All of the ingredients that snails hold in that slimey little body of theirs help to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, protect from free radicals, soothe inflammation, repair damaged tissues, and improve hydration – leading to clearer, brighter, smoother skin.

It’s appropriate for pretty much every skin type; it’s as beneficial for fading acne scars and dark spots as it is smoothing wrinkles.

Who would’ve thought the secret to great skin lay in the genital pore of a snail? Yuck.

Is it actually snail SECRETION?!

You betcha.

The snail slime is extracted in a non-harming way, from ‘free range snails’ if you like. When the snails are ready for ‘mating’, they are separated over glass sheets, and the trail of slime that they leave behind when they’re seeking for their ‘partner’ is collected and essentially what you put on your face.

When trying this myself, my skin was feeling a little sluggish… So I was eager to see if these properties would enhance my skin at all.

The product itself isn’t what I imagined – it had a thick consistency, a fresh lemon scent and looked like it would leave my skin looking sticky. But it didn’t, it left my skin looking and feeling hydrated, almost like splashing water over my face.

For someone that suffered from acne for most of my life, my search for an effective product for improving the texture of my skin has been moving at a snail’s pace.

3 weeks in and I’ve definitely noticed a difference in the appearance of my skin, the texture has improved and my skin definitely feels more hydrated.

It’s probably a little too early to tell if it has any long lasting effects – but it’s impressed me enough that I’ll definitely continue to use it!

I had the slime of my life trying this out.