Snail Facials Crawl Out of Japan

What the shell!

I’ve heard about so many bizarre skincare treatments at this point in my career that it takes something quite crazy to faze me. I didn’t bat an eye when I first heard about Nightingale Feces Facial (yes, folks…it’s a thing). But a snail facial? That definitely caught me off guard…just a little bit. No, it doesn’t involve putting purified snail slime in a facial treatment—that would be boring and not shocking enough. This new treatment from Japan involves live snails crawling all over the face. Take you a moment to join me in a collective shudder.

While I’m occasionally willing to push the limits for the sake of fantastic skin, this particular facial was a little too ‘Fear Factor’ for my taste. So I decided to dig a little deeper and find out what exactly skincare professionals are hoping to gain from letting a garden mollusk crawl all over a clients face.
Snail mucus is said to have anti–aging properties and the ability to soothe inflammation and heal damaged skin due to their snail secretion containing antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. But can’t we get those same benefits from other sources?
Hyaluronic acid is a fantastic little molecule commonly found in our cells that gives tissues  hydration, flexibility, and promote healing. Here at 360 Skin we use Image’s Hyaluronic Acid as a topical filler to plump the skin and minimize the appearance of wrinkles and see great results.

Additionally, many plant–derived antioxidants have also been shown to promote cellular growth, healing, and hydration of the skin. But, researchers have said the main issue is it’s not clear how potent the snails hyaluronic molecules are, so there’s not telling if it would work at all. Many of these facials also involve additional products, LED light therapy, and other procedures so visible any benefits could be coming from a number of sources…not just our garden occupants.

So what can you do instead? The best way to get great skin without invasive procedures is to clean your skin regularly, moisturize daily with good products, and always wear a sunscreen that contains zinc and titanium.

So skip the snails and swing by 360 Skin for real skincare treatments that you know for a fact will leave you hydrated, healthy, and not covered in a slimy mucus.
From 360 Skin in San Francisco….be well!

This post was written by Brandon