I Applied Snail Goo On My Face. Here’s What Happened!

Snails in skincare isn’t exactly new. In fact, it can be traced back to ancient Greece when Hippocrates supposedly prescribed crushed snail shells in an ointment to help treat inflammation. Apparently, even live snails were known to be used for anti-aging. Bit icky, if you ask me. These days, however, we look to snail trails (mucin) collected and put into skincare instead. If you look at plenty of Korean brands, snail essence or mucin has been around for at least 20 years!

What made me try it, then? Honestly, the Neogen Dermalogy Cica Repair Snail Essence was a gift sponsored by our friends at Yes Style. You can get a discount using my code YESIMEE10 🙂 But the main reason was curiosity – I had been wondering for quite some time why this ingredient is so popular. For someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin like mine, it’s hard to find skincare that works. Yet, this hydrating product boosts the effects of my other skincare steps. I saw improvement in just 2 days! The snail essence has plenty of antioxidants, and the cica (tiger grass) does too in addition to giving a calming feel to my acne-prone skin. There’s plenty more good stuff in there to love!

What Is Essence?

I’ll admit, the first time I heard about essences, I was skeptic. And this is coming from me, a skincare lover! I thought, what’s this new, additional step for this time?

Essence is part of the Korean beauty trend, and is applied after toner but before serum and moisturizer. What it does is hydrate the skin after cleansing and toning, as well as boost the effects of your other skincare products applied after it.

It may come as a surprise, but essence has been around since the late 1800s thanks to Shiseido – their first product ever was an essence called Eudermine!

Neogen Dermalogy Cica Repair Snail Essence targets specific skin concerns, a lot of which I have ;p

What Does Snail Essence and Cica Do?

Basically, I put snail goo on my skin. That’s right, this product contains up to 96% snail mucin concentrate, which adds moisture to help heal damaged skin.

However, there’s plenty of other good stuff in this amazing product. AC-Cica Pure Complex contains centella asiatica extract (also known as tiger grass), asiaticoside, madecassic acid, asiatic acid, and madecassoside – this potent mix helps people with acne-prone skin so much! Tiger grass helps calm the skin and helps heal acne scars.

Other notable ingredients include hyaluronic acid (very hydrating) and cranberry fruit extract (super soothing).

Personally, I noticed its effects within a day, but a noticeable difference in a matter of days (not even a week!) – even the pimple trying to rear its ugly head the day I got this product immediately went away. Color me impressed, this product is a new holy grail I vow to never live without.

How to Integrate Into Existing Skincare

Honestly, the easiest way to know the order of applying products is to start from thinnest to thickest. But as mentioned above, it should be after toner, and before serum and moisturizer. This product in particular calls for twice-a-day use (day and night), by applying a pump or two onto your palms and then pressing onto your skin until it’s absorbed.

Get Me the Good Stuff!

If you’re as convinced as I am, a 100ml bottle of Neogen Dermalogy Cica Repair Snail Essence is ₱ 1,506.60 on Yes Style. It gets discounted prices every now and then, but don’t forget you automatically get a discount if you use my code YESIMEE10.