Leave the Snails Alone
And Other Things I Want You to Stop Putting on Your Face
Snail mucin, beef tallow, baking soda, toothpaste, flaxseed, apple cider vinegar… the list could go on when it comes to things people “discover” as the keys to their skincare goals. While my job is never to tell you what you’re allowed to do with your skin, I am going to give you the no-frills information that will tell you exactly why I don’t give in to some of these trends.
RIP snails
Oh snail mucin, AKA the sticky sensation that’s taken TikTok by storm over the past year... It took me a while to understand exactly what the deal was with snail mucin, especially because it hit the American skincare scene back in the Beauty YouTube era of the twenty-teens. While you will always find die-hard fans of every skincare trend, here’s what you should know about snail mucin for skincare.
The claims surrounding snail mucin are basically that the benefits this secretion offer to snails - providing an anti-inflammatory & hydrating layer - translate to skincare. While snail mucin does have a chemical composition that includes hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid, it also contains proteins that have been shown to cause
Breakouts (including milia, folliculitis, and fungal acne)
Rashes, hives, and dermatitis
Other allergic reactions, including eye sensitivity
The reason? Most people are not compatible with the proteins contained within snail mucin. This is another great example as to why a fun and interesting product isn’t always a good product. Does your skin benefit from hyaluronic acid? Yes. Does glycolic acid support healthy cellular turnover? Sure! Is snail mucin the most effective delivery system for these ingredients? No.
My beef with beef tallow
Believe it or not, I’m not completely anti-beef tallow. I know people online absolutely love it, I know there is a case to be made for it as a zero-waste lifestyle item, and I know many people have positive personal experiences with beef tallow skincare. That being said, here’s what you should know.
The reason beef tallow claims benefits for the skin is due to the high content of fatty acids, primarily stearic and oleic acids. This isn’t an anomaly. Cocoa butter, sunflower oil, shea butter, macadamia oil, mango seed butter, hemp seed oil, and more all have similar (if not higher) fat & vitamin profiles to beef tallow. Another claim that beef tallow mimics the skin’s oil barrier isn’t entirely untrue, but jojoba oil also achieves this.
The point is… beef tallow isn’t a miracle, and it isn’t the devil. It’s not going to cure all that ails your skin either. Many, many, many of the people that have “miracle success stories” from beef tallow are most likely just seeing the benefit of repairing their moisture barrier. Most of these people either claim that they were struggling with acne, or chronic inflammation, or dehydrated skin. The results they get from beef tallow are the same results they would get by simplifying their skincare routines and consistently applying a hydrating product. It’s great that it works for them, but it might not be appropriate for you. That’s why working with a professional is important if you’re battling a chronic skin condition.
No, flaxseed isn’t “nature’s botox”
Anyone who tells you anything other than a neurotoxin is a 1:1 swap for an Botox is lying to you, and doesn’t understand clinical skincare. That alone should make them someone you don’t trust with skincare advice. I’ve seen a few natural girlies on social media make themselves flaxseed skin masks with the accompanying claims that it’s “nature’s botox” or an otherwise extremely powerful anti-aging tool.
Flaxseed, like beef tallow and snail mucin, have components which are beneficial to skin. Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, as well as a high mucilage content, result in some people seeing benefits from applying flaxseed concoctions to their skin and hair. Unfortunately, flaxseed is also high in phytic acid and cyanogenic glycosides - inflammatory anti-nutrients that can cause irritation, rashes, and swelling. Basically, if you have any sort of inflammatory skin condition, a topical flaxseed treatment is going to amplify it.
While this may have brought out more questions than answers, the truth is that you’ll likely not get the results you’re looking for from a skincare trend. There’s usually some factual basis to the claims of these trend-truthers, the benefits come from the information we already have. We know that antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, vitamins A & K, and the like are beneficial to skin. That’s why they’re in our skincare products. A beef-free moisturizer may sound boring, but that doesn’t mean it works any less effectively.
These are the main products that I’ve been asked about in the recent months, but head down to the comments or DM the skin clinic on Instagram to continue the conversation on more skincare trends!