Relaxed Vs. stressful state of snails
Mucin is a gooey substance that snails secrete as they move.
The mucin snails secrete protects and heals them from scratches, bumps, and injuries as they move on rough and hard surfaces.
Because it works so effectively on snails, humans have started extracting it for use on human skin.
Skincare products should use only the mucin released by snails when they are in a relaxed state. The relaxed state is critical.
If the snails are uncomfortable, they release harmful substances in the mucin.
Incorrect method of harvesting the mucin
The incorrect method involves killing or almost killing the snail to extract the mucin.
Some of these incorrect methods include poking the snail or feeding it salt water, forcing it to release mucin.
When snails are distressed, they release harmful chemicals in the mucin. They do this to protect themselves and cause harm to the ones that are causing that stress.
Using this mucin, the mucin that snails release when they are under stress, on our skin will cause more damage to our skin than good.
And also, it is WRONG and CRUEL !!!!
The method that does not harm snails
Snails that are used for skin care are kept on farms. This reduces the contamination of the mucin.
Ethical manufacturers use one of the following two methods:
And what happens after mucin is collected?
The slime collected undergoes various filtration processes. The filtered snail mucin/slime is used in skincare products.
Are all snail mucin skincare products the same?
No.
It depends on:
Most good manufacturers will mention their extraction methods on their websites. If they don’t, you can email them about this.