If you thought fish pedicures were crazy, you’re not going to believe this.
Like koi pedicures, this new beauty trick owes its resurgence to Asian beauty gurus, although its origins can be traced back to Ancient Greece. Hippocrates, one of the most famous and influential doctors, prescribed this mixed with sour milk to help calm skin inflammation. Used today in creams and face masks, it can smooth your skin, even out your skin tone, brighten your complexion, and even fade acne scars. But what exactly is this mystery substance?
Yep. Snail mucus.
And I’m going to slap it on my face.
I picked this up spontaneously on a trip to Ulta. It’s the TonyMoly Intense Care Snail Hydro-gel Mask, and I was too enthralled by the shiny gold packaging to notice “snail” printed three times across the packaging. The mask set me back about $8 (in all fairness, it was stocked with the $3-$4 masks and I didn’t notice the price until check out time, and by then I was committed to threatening my face for the sake of an article. You’re welcome).
“Look at how pretty this is!” I said to my sister.
“You should get it!” she replied.
And here I am. Let’s go.
I have combination skin, and a few blemishes on my face (at the time I applied this mask, anyway). Upon taking it out, it doesn’t smell as bad as you’d think something I call “snail snot” would – actually, it doesn’t really have a smell.
It is on my face and is so cold. It’s also in many, many snail snot soaked layers – so many that I thought this was multiple masks. But no, it’s just one super thick mask. If I bend over, I’m afraid it’ll fall off, so it looks like I’m not moving for the next half hour.
It’s been five minutes. I’ve had to adjust this thing twice already and my noise is incredibly itchy.
It keeps sliding down onto my lips. If snail mucus gets into my mouth, I think I might actually die. I am now sitting with a gentle duck face so it doesn’t slide down or fall off.
The thirty minutes are up and it’s off!
And now, a few days later, my skin actually does look a little better. My pores seem to be smaller, and my skin is overall clearer. Wonder of wonders, the snail mucus actually worked, and I can definitely see myself using this again.
What’s the craziest beauty trend you’ve tried out?
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