My review of super slime AKA the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream.

I tried snail mucin, the most popular ingredient in Korean skincare, for the very first time, on my sensitive, hormonal, acne-prone, combination and just all-round difficult skin. Here’s what I found.

I’ve been dying to try snail mucin

For no other reason than it’s such a treasured ingredient in K-Beauty that literally everyone seems to adore. I honestly think if my skin could talk, it would tell me to stop experimenting new skincare on it all the time BUT it can’t muahahah and so here we are.

I immediately zeroed on COSRX, given the brand is fairly well-known for its snail mucin products. Its Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence has been raved about by a number of dewy-skinned personalities, including supermodel Emily Ratajkowski. Given I’d run out of moisturizer, I chose the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream.This amazing moisturiser is enriched with 92% snail mucin and supposedly works well on sensitive and acne-prone skin.

But first, what exactly is snail mucin?

Basically, it’s a slimy secretion made by snails that carries skin-regenerating and hydrating properties. And here’s something I found out in my research – all though it was popularized by the Koreans, the use of snail mucin as a skincare ingredient actually originated in Chile, with the Chilean snail cream Elicina. Thankfully, no snails are harmed in extracting mucin: the snails are left to roam in a dark room over nets, which then catch their secretion for processing.

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream ingredients

Well, the 92% snail mucin takes up a lot of room in the formula. However, there’s also betaine (an amino acid), hyaluronic acid (an emollient), arginine (another amino acid), panthenol (aka vitamin B5, a soothing ingredient), allantoin (another skin soother) and adenosine (helps improve elasticity). All in all, there are just 18 ingredients – and excellent ones at that. This is a very typical hallmark of COSRX, given the brand is known for its simple but high-quality formulas. This product has a pH of 5.5 - 6.5, making it very sensitive-skin friendly. Even for those with damaged skin barriers, it shouldn’t burn or feel uncomfortable.

Where it fit in my routine and texture

After double cleansing, toning and applying a serum (I’m using Beauty of Joseon’s Glow Deep serum at the moment), I used a thick glob of the snail mucin moisturizer. I don’t know why this took me by surprise but wow it is SLIMY. Like Nickelodeon slime. Weirdly though, it isn’t sticky. It is goopy, but when I applied it to my skin, it just felt like a regular cold cream. In fact, it felt great! Not oily or greasy, but more like a gel-based cream.

The results

Okay – here’s the deal. The cream felt very hydrating – but when I woke up the next morning, it actually felt dryer than usual. When I looked at my skin the bathroom mirror, I had a teeny pair of zits on my chin (always a problem area for me). I discovered the issue when I washed my face: my skin felt like there was a thin film over it, suggesting that the cream wasn’t very well absorbed by my skin for whatever reason. Having read a plethora of reviews, it seems it works differently for everyone – but the way it functioned for me was more like an occlusive than a moisturizer. This isn’t a bad thing, mind you – occlusives are awesome for slugging, a weak skin barrier and persistently dry skin. What they’re not so great for, is easily congested skin or acne-prone areas (which need more breathing room). So, the next night, I tried something a little different. I put on a basic cold cream, and then applied the COSRX snail mucin like a top coat over my whole face (including my under eye area), but leaving my acne-prone chin snail-free. And the results were *chefs kiss*. The next day, my skin felt way more hydrated, but also, the little eczema patch above my lip subsided on its own in a few days without needing to resort to cortisone.

Final verdict

Would I buy it again? Yes – but only during sensitive-skin winters as its occlusive nature would be too heavy for me in humid conditions. Got dry skin prone to eczema and sensitivity? Give it a try as a second moisturizer – you’re welcome!

****

Find the Advanced 92 All In One Snail Cream from COSRX online in Australia at Kanvas Beauty

You can shop the cream and other COSRX products right here on Kanvas Beauty.

We ship Australia-wide, including all the major cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Canberra). Enjoy free standard shipping with any purchase over $50, and free express shipping with any order over $99. If you’re new to Kanvas Beauty, take an additional $20 off your first order with us (use code WELCOME20 at checkout).

Happy shopping! If you have further questions on COSRX or any of our other brands, drop us a line on chat or on email: hello@kanvasbeauty.com.au.

Have you tried any COSRX Snail Mucin products? What do you think? Leave a review and tell us all the gory details!