Should You Use Snail Mucin Before or After Retinol?

Because snail mucin isn’t as well-known as other active ingredients, integrating it into your existing skin care routine requires a little extra knowledge and planning.

For example, does snail mucin go before or after retinol? Are there any specific requirements for using it? What exactly can it do for your skin? We have your answers — and so much more. Let’s talk snail mucin.

What is snail mucin?

While it may sound like an out-of-the-ordinary skin care ingredient, snail mucin is the “mucus” that snails secrete. Essentially, snail mucin is the trademark “trail” that snails leave behind them when they move around.

Snails don’t secrete just a single type of mucus, though, and it doesn’t all come from the underside of their bodies. Interestingly enough, there are actually multiple kinds of mucus they can secrete, depending on which area of the body produces it and why it's being produced. 

For example, snails can secrete mucus from their “feet,” their backs and other glands located all over the body. However, the majority of the snail mucin used in skin care products comes from the antimicrobial, hydrating mucus found on the snail’s back (under their shell). 

Using snail mucin for human health and aesthetics isn’t a new concept, though. 

Snail mucin has actually been used by multiple cultures all throughout history — the ancient Greeks and South American snail farmers being some of the most prevalent adapters of this resource — but the science behind why it works so well has only recently started to grow and expand. 

What does snail mucin do for your skin?

Like many of the most popular skin care advances and trends, snail mucin first took off in South Korea (home of K-beauty trends like glass skin and bee venom). However, the United States is now the fastest growing market for snail mucin products.

Just a few of the main benefits of snail mucin for your skin include:

Provides a boost in skin hydration

The boost in skin hydration that snail mucin can provide is arguably its most spoken-about benefit. 

Much of this is related to a high concentration of hyaluronic acid, which can both attract water to and hold water inside the skin. That’s why most people associate the use of snail mucin with dewy, glowing skin tone and texture. 

May promote collagen production

Snail mucin has also been noted to potentially help promote the production of additional collagen in the skin. 

Collagen performs a number of essential jobs in the body — from wound healing to keeping the skin looking youthful and firm. Anything that positively impacts collagen is considered a holy grail skin care product for many people — and with good reason!

Can help with breakouts

Snail mucin can also help not only soothe the skin, but also work to cleanse away breakout-causing bacteria. While this isn’t one of the primary reasons people turn to snail mucin, it’s definitely a positive side effect.

Are there any side effects of using snail mucin on your skin?

While there's always the potential for a reaction when introducing new products and active ingredients to your skin care routine, snail mucin is often at the bottom of the list when it comes to risk. 

Most people tolerate this ingredient extremely well, but we always recommend performing a patch test before applying it all over your face.

To do a patch test, just apply a small amount of the product (quarter-sized is good) to an area of the skin where it’s least likely to be accidentally rubbed off during the course of the day. If your skin tolerates it well, incorporate it into your morning or evening routine.

Where in your skin care routine should you include snail mucin?

Snail mucin’s properties make it most effective as a hydrating agent, similar to how you would use a moisturizing serum. Because of that, it’s best to treat this active as you would any other serum in your skin care routine — just follow the accepted rules for serum application.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to apply serums, the general rule of thumb is to use your spot treatments (like under-eye serums or those designed to help with breakouts). Once those have dried, you can start to apply your other serums in order of their consistency. 

For example, a lighter, thinner, easier-to-absorb serum should be applied before a heavier one to ensure that they each have the best chance of getting deep into the skin. Always let each serum dry before moving on to the next one.

How to use snail mucin with retinol

Although there is some wiggle room depending on the type of retinol products you use, it’s best to use snail mucin before retinol. 

Retinol is an amazing active ingredient, but it can also be hard on your skin. Retinol’s main objective is to help reduce (and prevent) the visible signs of aging by supporting the proper turnover of skin cells. Although effective, this process may also cause irritation (especially to those of us with sensitive skin). 

Snail mucin can help combat some of those uncomfortable side effects by hydrating the skin more thoroughly and strengthening the moisture barrier, keeping all of that necessary moisture inside the skin where it belongs. 

Snail mucin also helps to “prep” your skin, putting a barrier between your complexion and the retinol. This method can be especially helpful for new users of retinol, and may help reduce the time frame and intensity of the dreaded “purge.”

And, as always, remember to end your skin care routine with a proper, supportive moisturizer. While snail mucin has significant hydrating properties, it doesn’t replace a quality moisturizer. Sunscreen should also be the last part of any morning skin care routine, whether you plan to spend your day out in the sun or not. 

What are some complementary skin care treatments?

Using snail mucin is one way to improve your complexion, but it isn’t the only way.

A holistic approach to skin care is always the most effective. In addition to using the right skin care products (in the right order), skin care treatments performed by an advanced practice provider (like those at Skin Pharm) can help reveal your skin’s optimal health and beauty. 

Let's take microneedling, for example. Microneedling involves using a specific tool to make controlled, microscopic wounds to the skin. 

Because the body can’t tell the difference between a “real” injury and a controlled one, it sends additional help (in the form of collagen-producing cells) to the area so that it can heal quicker. And, as we know, more collagen is always a good thing for the skin’s appearance.

If you want to increase your results even further, add an optional platelet-rich plasma treatment (more commonly known as PRP). PRP is a golden-tinged liquid that’s a component of your own blood. When applied to your skin before microneedling (or injected just under the skin), it can support your skin’s own healing abilities. 

In summary...

If you’re looking for an ingredient to boost your skin's hydration and give yourself that dewy, youthful, radiant glow, give snail mucin a try. Although the idea of using a product collected from snails may seem unusual, science backs its benefits more and more. 

When it comes to using snail mucin before or after retinol, it’s best practice to apply it prior to any retinol products. 

For more tips and tricks on how to take your skin care to the next level, or for advice on what products and treatments can help your skin look and feel its best, schedule a skin consult with one of our Skin Pharm providers. 

This article was medically reviewed by Chelsie Rogers, PA-C, a board-certified physician assistant with six years of experience in cosmetic dermatology.

Sources:

Biological activities of gastropods secretions: snail and slug slime | PMC

HelixComplex snail mucus as a potential technology against O3 induced skin damage | PLOS ONE

Snail mucus is a skin care phenomenon—but does it really work? | National Geographic

Advancing Discovery of Snail Mucins Function and Application - PMC