Everybody is Talking about: Snail Mucin for Skin

Dr Philippa Cranwell, Technical Content Creator

When thinking of snails, the first adjectives that likely come to mind are ‘slimy’, ‘slippery’ and ‘garden pest’. You’re unlikely to think of them as the latest beauty trend! However, snail mucin is purported to offer a range of beauty benefits including repairing skin damage, soothing irritation, fading acne scars, hydration, helping with atopic dermatitis and even antibacterial properties. This isn’t a modern thing; use of mucus left behind by snails and slugs has been traced back to Ancient Greece, where it was used to reduce inflammation and signs of aging and was allegedly endorsed by Hippocrates.  

 Photo from: http://www.cosmoderma.healios.co.in/is-snail-based-cosmetics-worth-all-the-hype/

Each snail species excretes mucus with a particular chemical fingerprint, and in some cases secretes mucus for a particular purpose, however the general use of the mucin is the same: mucin from the snail’s foot is for lubrication and adhesion, whereas mucin from the snail’s tail is for microbial defense and tissue hydration.

Snail mucin is comprised of many trusted ingredients that are already ‘having a moment’ in skincare, including growth factors, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. In addition, it also comprises several other molecules including glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins, allantoin, glycolic acid, lactic acid, collagen, and elastin. The fact that all of these beneficial products are available from one natural product means that the potential market value of snail mucin-containing products is high, with an estimated market value of $1.2 bn in 2021, ultimately reaching $2.1 bn in 2031.  

However, with such a large market deriving from a natural material, and increasing consumer awareness of a product’s origins, consideration must be made to the provenance of materials and ethical treatment of the snails. Importantly, the quality and quantity of mucin produced is dependent upon the snail’s diet, their environment and the method of mucin collection, with their natural habitat giving the best results.  

When developing a product containing snail mucin, claims and their substantiation is likely to be at the forefront of the mind. TRI Princeton can offer a range of services to support this, including skin NMF levels, actives penetration, anti-aging testing and skin moisture levels.  

Contact us today to discuss your skin testing needs.

Keep It Simple & Straightforward (K.I.S.S.) in Claims Testing

Dr Paul Cornwell from TRI presented “Keeping Claim Support Testing Simple” at an Open Seminar in Holmes Chapel, UK on 4th July, 2024.

It is an interesting debate.  Is keeping it simple and straightforward (K.I.S.S.), a trend seen recently in cosmetics, really a route to improved product performance and cost effectiveness?   This was the question raised at a recent one-day seminar co-organised by the BCA Personal Care Group, SCS RDG North and Cosmetics Cluster UK, titled ‘K.I.S.S. Formulations.  Simply the Best – Optimising Performance in Simple Cost-Effective Formulations’

At the meeting Dr Paul Cornwell from TRI presented his thoughts in a presentation titled “Keeping Claim Support Testing Simple” and argued that if formulators focussed only on delivering conditioning from hair products and moisturisation from skin products, then there are still many ways to measure these benefits and many creative claims that can be made.  As with many things, the deeper you look and investigate into what seem simple things, the more you will see!  Paul’s presentation is available to read on the TRI Library.  Other presentations at the event focussed on marketing trends (Helene Hine, Croda), ingredients (Claire Walker, Holiferm), skin care formulation (Stacey Irving Gaffey, Global Cosmetic Developments, and Fiona Elliot, HAPII), hair care formulation (Innospec) and sustainability (Rachel Davison-White, Barentz).  

Contact us for more information about claims testing at TRI.

Skin Course 2024: Open for Registrations

Registrations have just opened for the TRI Principles of Skin Measurement Science and Claims course that will take place this year on 11th and 12th September. This year the course will run as a hybrid event. Attendees can join in person at TRI, or online. Book now if you wish to attend in person, as places are limited.

REGISTER NOW

The Principles of Skin Measurement Science & Claims course at TRI is designed for anyone involved in the development of new skin care products. The intensive two-day programme is designed for anyone who needs to build their knowledge rapidly in the measurement techniques used in the development of new skin products and to support skin claims. The course will include:

• Session 1 - An Introduction to Skin and Skin Testing

• Session 2 - Skin Testing Methods Available from the Skin & Biosubstrates Team at TRI

• Session 3 - The Latest Developments in Skin Testing Methods

• Laboratory demos (skin moisture testing, FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, facial imaging methods, microscopy of skin sections, and skin mechanical testing)

Registration for attending both days in-person costs $325.00, with an Early-Bird price of $300.00 up until Friday 9th August. In person attendees will be to able attend all the lectures in the TRI Seminar Room, join in an evening social event in the TRI, and participate in laboratory demos of skin testing methods. Places are strictly limited to 30 people, so please book early to secure your place.

Online registration costs $250, with an Early-Bird discount price of $225 up until Friday 9th August. Those online will be able to watch the lectures (live and on playback), participate in the Q&A after each lecture, and join Kahoot! quizzes to test their new skin testing knowledge.

TRI Member companies have free places on our courses as part of the membership benefits. Please take a look at the course registration website to see how to apply for your free places.

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