An ingredient discovered by chance, when snail farmers in Chile noticed how soft their hands were.

What is snail secretion?

Snail secretion (Snail Secretion Filtrate) is the mucus the common garden snail (Helix aspersa, now Cornu aspersum) produces to move, protect its body and repair its shell. It is collected from live snails using gentle methods that do not harm them, then filtered and purified. It is rich in glycosaminoglycans, allantoin, glycolic acid, collagen, elastin, peptides and minerals such as zinc and copper.

What are the benefits of snail secretion?

Snail secretion is one of the most popular ingredients of Korean skin care. Applied topically it:

• Holds moisture on the surface of the skin
• Its allantoin soothes and softens
• Glycolic acid helps the skin look smoother and brighter
• Suits dry, dehydrated and mature skin
• Leaves the skin soft and supple

From Hippocrates to Seoul

Hippocrates already recommended crushed snails with milk for the skin. The modern story began in the 1980s in Chile, where workers on snail farms supplying the French market noticed that their hands stayed unusually soft. From there the ingredient passed to Spain and, in the 2010s, became a symbol of Korean beauty.

Where does it come from?

Helix aspersa lives throughout the Mediterranean and western Europe. Snail farms for cosmetics exist today in Chile, Italy, Spain, Korea — and Greece, one of the largest snail producers in Europe.