Warning: Very Long Post! I got carried away.

So I was having a discussion, in the comments of a post about snail product recommendations, about the ethics of using snail mucin in skincare. Obviously it’s a really popular ingredient and a lot of people have a lot of good things to say about it. I myself recently bought the CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence and have really enjoyed it so far.

In the discussion I was having, some people were saying that the mucin that is used in skincare can only be extracted if the snails are not under stress, and that if it is extracted in stressful conditions it becomes unusable.

But in the recent past, snail slime for skincare has absolutely been extracted using harmful and stressful procedures, so stress can’t make it unusable. In fact, I’ve read the exact opposite. I’ve read that the slime in skincare can *only* be extracted under stress.

It’s hard to tell how exactly the slime is extracted, because the companies that carry out the extraction process can be secretive about exactly what happens. One user referenced a video on YouTube showing a snail farm in Italy that washes the snails and then uses steam baths, described as a “spa for snails” to extract the slime. There is a small collection of other videos showing other extraction methods that all appear to be humane.

It strikes me that if a farm or laboratory is allowing a film crew to record the extraction process to post online, it would be in their best interests to make it appear as cruelty-free as possible. How well do these videos accurately represent the reality of these farms?

Moreover, these are just a handful of videos, compared to a huge industry. What about all of the other farms, that use different, more harmful techniques? Of course we don’t see videos of those.

Another user referenced a quote from a CosRX spokesperson that claims their snails are left in a dark, quiet room for 30 mins to go around a mesh. I have some thoughts about that.

Firstly, CosRX could be lying. Even companies that we consider to be respectable are ultimately out to make a profit. Secondly, they might genuinely believe that to be the case, but their suppliers could be lying.

Thirdly, even if it is true, do we really know the snails are happy? The mesh might be painful. The washing process might be uncomfortable or frightening. And sure, a steam bath or a dark, quiet room sounds nice to us humans, and we might imagine that it would be pleasant for a snail. But do any of us actually know what it’s like to be a snail?

Fourthly, even if the extraction is not stressful or painful, and the snails are happy, how many snails get accidentally crushed in the process? Snails are delicate! How many are diseased from being in close contact with thousands of other snails? How many are stressed or killed in transportation? Do the suppliers disclose any of this?

And finally, even if every single snail is happy and totally unharmed, is it ethical to keep them in captivity in an environment totally removed from what their natural life would be? I don’t know.

I’m not a vegan or vegetarian (yet!) but thinking about these questions has really made me consider the products I will choose to buy moving forward, in all aspects of my life. I’m not telling everyone to stop buying snail mucin, but I think it’s worth asking ourselves these questions, digging a bit deeper, and not blindly believing what companies tell us.

Thoughts on Snails

Hi everyone!

So I bought the CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Powe Essence and really enjoyed it! But then I realised it wasn’t vegan. I don’t know how but it didn’t occur to me until after I purchased and used it, I think I was just being dumb. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

I was wondering if anyone has a good vegan alternative? I really want something to replace it that also has a thicker texture than the usual serum/toner. Unfortunately I suffer from fungal acne so it absolutely has to be fungal acne safe (otherwise I would have tried the galactomyces essence).

Thanks!

Recommendations for alternative to CosRX Snail 96 Mucin Essence

I’m currently using the Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel and so far it’s a bit meh. I’ll leave a review on it once I’ve been using it for a little longer, but I don’t see myself repurchasing it, which makes me look ahead to which moisturiser I’m going to use next.

Unopened in my drawer I have The Inkey List Snow Mushroom and also Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel.

Please help me choose out of those two!

Which moisturiser should I use next?

Hi guys!

I was wondering if anyone has purchased the Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum, and if so would you mind commenting with a photo of the ingredients list on the bottle/box?

The list here on the Picky App is different to the list on the Good Molecules website. I’ve looked at it on various other websites and some show the Picky version and some show the Good Molecules version. I dmed Good Molecules but unfortunately they did not reply.

I’m sensitive to some of the ingredients on the Picky list, so if that’s the real one then I can’t use it, but if it’s the one without those ingredients then I really want to give it a try!

Thanks guys!

Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum

I guess it would be nice if it had SPF? That’s the only thing I can think of though.

I have super dry, cracked lips at the moment thanks to accutane and I’ve got tins of vaseline scattered around my house so it’s on hand whenever I need it! Its reasonably priced and doesn’t make me break out like some other lip balms do.

This product made my skin very flakey after a couple of weeks of consistent use but I stuck with it and it stopped after a few days. Also it’s very difficult to see how much product is left in the bottle.

This is the only topical treatment that improved my acne. It significantly reduced my breakouts and improved my skin texture. The texture is lightweight and the pump makes it easy to dispense the correct amount.

I think that for some people the mixing process might become boring and annoying very quickly. The scoop they give you is also about 4x the recommended amount so you have to sort of guess how much a quarter of a scoop is. I put too much the first few times I used it which resulted in a grainy texture to my moisturiser. I dont know why they dont just include a smaller scoop, it’s such an easy fix.

I’m not sure if this product made any significant change to my skin. I would buy it again though to continue testing.

I mixed this with The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. Mixing it together was fun! If you use the correct amount it lasts a really long time and I’m not so worried about it goinf bad since it’s a powder.

I found this MUCH less irritating than The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% serum.

I like that this product gives me the option to add niacinamide to my existing routine, without also adding any other ingredients that might be lurking in a serum. 

And it’s cheap!

Whilst it wasn’t usually too stripping on my skin occasionally if I was also using other harsh products it could be really drying. If you plan on using lots of harsh products I think a more gentle cleanser would be better.

Also the bottle means you can’t see how much you have left without unscrewing the pump and even then its hard to tell from looking in the hole.

I really enjoyed this cleanser! I used it as a second cleanse. It left my face feeling fresh and clean without being overly stripping, and removed any traces left from my first cleanser.

The bottle has lasted a really long time even though occasionally I accidentally used it as hand soap when I wasn’t paying attention!  You get a lot of product!

The watery consistency felt great on my face but made it slightly difficult to apply. Sometimes it seemed like more ended up on my hands than my face. Also, unfortunately not fungal acne safe which is a real shame.

I loved how this product felt on the skin. Sank right in everytime and didnt leave any stickiness or anything like that for me. It sat really nicely under other products.

alibaby