We uncovered the pros and cons of this new viral ingredient so you dont have to.

But this isn’t your average skin care ingredientit comes from a shelled gastropod.

Enter: snail mucin.

snail on purple background

Photo:fotoArion/Getty Images

So, what is snail mucin?

Snail mucin comes from the slimy substance that snails release to protect themselves when they are under stress.

These secretions contain a mix of growth factors, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants, saysDr.

Nazanin Saedi, MD FAAD.

Its not new, eithersnail mucin has been around for a long time, believe it or not.

The interest in#SnailMucinquickly took off from there, generating over 101.3 billion views on TikTok and counting.

A loyal #SkinTok follower, I was eager to put this latest craze to the test.

Heres how it went.

Snail Mucin Benefits

Hydration, hydration, hydration!

If your skin is a little thirsty, snail mucin can be a godsend.

It acts as a humectant moisturizer, attracting water from the air or from deeper in the skins surface.

A secondary benefit is stimulating collagen production.

So, whats it like?

I was expecting the products to be slimy, and boy did they live up to that expectation.

Now before you get grossed out, it really wasntthatbad.

After a few days of wear each morning and night, I noticed my skin was dewy and smooth.

This product also felt a lot less sticky.

I particularly loved using this product in the morning to set my skin for the rest of my day.

Is it worth it?

So, will I be keeping snail mucin in my beauty cabinet?

I can honestly say I will.