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Atlanta dermatologist speaks on TikTok’s slimiest skincare trend
It’s been used for centuries, but is snail mucin actually good for your skin?
Snails are at the center of this viral skincare trend. (Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images)
It’s slimy and smelly. But on TikTok, it’s so much more.
Spend enough time scrolling through skincare content on social media and you’ll likely find your way to snail mucin. The ingredient, a glycoprotein found in these mollusks’ sticky mucus, has become a popular addition to skincare products over the years. Antiaging, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial — preclinical and small studies have shown this goopy ingredient could come with some major benefits for your skin.
dnert ot siht eht taht ’stneitap noitpo no ton ylirassecen .tsom .sdnim thgim s’ti si ,revewoh reh rof ,tsigolotamred yltnetsisnoc tseb ytuaeb eb na a tuB atnaltA gnidroccA
llA“ nehw dlot ”,emit eht lians s’ehs denoitseuq netfo .nicum woh deksa tuoba ehT miL noitutitsnoC-lanruoJ nadroJ .rD atnaltA
uoY“ ew ,sdnert ”.emit eseht eht eht taht laicos snoitseuq ,stneitap .seitrap ,seitrap seno no eman ,aidem ekil :ti yadiloh teg gnitaolf leef yllaicepse dnuora era lla tuoba I samtsirhC
— — sdnert .ksat noegrus lians eracniks snoitseuq rosseforp rehto fo ylraen nicum cihpargorcim si si ,reh .ygolotamred ,tsigolotamred yliad tnatsissa gnirewsna dna dna na na tuoba a shoM miL roF yromE
d’eW“ tuB“ ew yllausu pu eht s’taht s’taht taht deklat laicos eracniks elgnis ehs .derahs noitseuq stcudorp eno no fo deen ”.tsom ”,aidem fi lluf dewollof yreve semoc tnemtrapa na lla tuoba
Is it safe?
.sdnuow desu dnatsrednu tnemtaert ot llits lians lians .niks ecnis ecneics yldetroper desoporp ylesicerp rehto sucum nicum nredom enicidem ni namuh ,revewoh woh evah ylluf rof neve t’nseod snrub neeb sa .ytiuqitna dna ,oga stceffa a slianS ainelliM ,miL setarcoppiH gnidroccA
nI“ dluow ”,esu oot ot gnorts ehs yas .dias ylbaborp s’ti sti evig ,lareneg ecnedive ylrae dniheb enoyna yllautca I
esuaceB“ ,dlrow tahw ew ew su ot ot ot eseht eht taht ,seiduts seiduts lians ”.niks .niks emas laer rekciuq tcetorp stcudorp tuo ruo rehto ro no fo nicum dnik ti ni snamuh pleh pleh laeh evah evah evah gnirugif t’nod seod od gnirapmoc smialc gib gib roN
pu ot ot eht taht taht noitulos ymils eracniks yas slanoisseforp fo lacidem sekam kcal s’ti ti si noitamrofni rof tluciffid dekcarc yltnedifnoc .eb lla s’tI
sI“ tuB“ tahw esu su ot ot ot eseht eht ”.taht llet ehs ?syas .dias efas ?stcudorp ”,ylbaborp ton lebal ti ti si doog gniog ecnedive evitceffe eb sa sa ,haeY s’erehT
Is it worth trying?
yaw sresu ?yrt ot meht eht eht llits llits os lians eracniks eracniks dluohs .sevlehs stcudorp ,ralupop gnikcap nicum yam gnol otni evah ,og evig suoiruc tub era ydaerla a a hcraeseR gnieB
ruoY“ I“ — — er’uoy ruoy uoy htrow nehw ”,dnert ot ot ot kniht eseht ereht naht eracniks eracniks elgnis sevlehs .dias enituor tsubor ”.stluser nemiger yllaer tuo fo ton deen erom erom yenom gnikool dnik si eguh eguh lufpleh gnivah doog gniog teg gniwollof yreve seod eb eb cisab ta dna syawla yllautca a miL
,hsaw ot eht neercsnus eracniks eracniks desab-dioniter tnemiger .tcudorp ylbissop doog eltneg serutaef ecaf ,tsigolotamred enilesab dna a a a gnidroccA
esohT“ uoy uoy ew ”,tnaw ot esoht sgniht eht eht taht taht ehs .dias stluser ylbaborp tsom evah teg ecnedive era
Start with a small test spot
ev’uoy er’uoy ruoy nehw ot ot ot gnikniht sgniht ekat dilos lians .wols eracniks ehs syas ,enituor ,enituor sdnemmocer tcudorp wen nicum s’ti .noitatirri gnicudortni suoituac tliub tseb gnieb enilesab diova yna retfa gnidda tuoba a miL fI nevE
ot eht taht lians .llems ehs ,nosaer stcudorp netfo larutan nicum ksam si s’tneidergni secnargarf ,denialpxe niatnoc dedda enO
ehT“ ruoy ot esoht s’ereht eht eht eht taht taht semitemos os lians lians llems ”.niks .stcudorp tcudorp elpoep ,elbatalap fo fo fo ton nicum nicum dexim thgim ebyam tol tol ,flesti ti t’nsi si gnitatirri ni ni niag secnargarf secnargarf ecnargarf neve tub eb seigrella .yllautca a oS A )ni(
”larutan“ hcihw yllacipyt taht lareves stcudorp rehto fo nicum naem .noitatirri ,stneidergni edulcni .eltneg dezisahpme t’nseod dluoc esuac yna syawla osla lianS miL
ebyaM“ ekiL“ fI‘ er’uoy ruoy uoy htiw keew owt yrt ot eht tset llet erus .detseggus trats trats ”’,tops ,gnihtemos edis ehs ”.noitcaer ,tcudorp ,elpoep ro no fo ,kcen ekam elttil ti annog teg rof t’nod yna dna syawla a a a I
Hunter Boyce is a writer, digital producer and journalist home grown from a Burke County farm. Throughout his career, Hunter has gone on to write sports, entertainment, political and local breaking news for a variety of outlets.
