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When you hear the words “snail mucin,” do you picture a slimy, gooey snail, or does your mind go straight to skincare? Welp, either way, you'd be right. Snail mucin, aka snail secretion filtrate, is a substance that's excreted from snails and later used to formulate all the skincare serums, essences, moisturizers, and creams you've been seeing on social media. A popular K-beauty skin ingredient, snail mucin has been a buzzy ingredient for a while now, but the hype has pretty much stayed consistent.

So what's the deal, you ask? Should you try it, too? Whether you've seen snail mucin skincare on TikTok or read the countless convincing reviews online, I'm willing to bet you want to know more about snail mucin before slathering slime on your own face. And that's where I come in. I chatted with two skincare experts on everything you need to know about snail mucin for your skin, below. Keep reading, and getting ready to experiment.

Not to be confused with slugging, another K-beauty skincare trend that involves covering your face in a thin layer of an occlusive moisturizer to help repair your skin barrier, snail mucin involves actual snails. “Snail mucin is a thick fluid with a slimy texture that is released from a snail when it is agitated,” says Vanessa Thomas, chemist and founder of Freelance Formulations. “The purpose of the fluid for the snail is a means to protect itself.”

All that to say, snail mucin is definitely not vegan. If you'd prefer a vegan-friendly version of snail mucin, Thomas says to look for ingredients like glycerin, glycoproteins, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid, or sodium hyaluronate listed on the label for a similar effect.

Board-certified dermatologist Sherwin Parikh, MD, points out that there's not super-aggressive research behind snail mucin, but it does contain elements that should help the skin. It's said to contain hyaluronic acid, allantoin, antioxidants, zinc, manganese, glycosaminoglycans, growth factors—all good stuff for hydrating, plumping, and soothing the skin, and building collagen.

Because of this, board-certified dermatologist, internist, and dermatopathologist Mamina Turegano, MD, says snail mucin has been used for hydrating, anti-aging (like improving wrinkles and skin texture), and wound-healing purposes. Which brings us to your next question:

It's not that snail mucin does or doesn't work, it's just that it doesn't have tons of data to back up the anecdotal evidence. As convincing as the promises, testimonials, and before-and-after photos are, board-certified dermatologist Daniel Sugai, MD, highlights just how limited the research is, so, you know, keep that in mind as you read through all the claims.

As mentioned before, if you're not into the idea of using snail mucin, hyaluronic acid is a well-studied alternative worth looking into, but it's not the same thing. Dr. Parikh points out that one of the ingredients found in snail mucin is hyaluronic acid, a humectant known for binding moisture, hydrating, and plumping the skin.

Because the research is still so limited, it's hard to say what other ingredients or products work well with it and what doesn't. “Personally, I think snail mucin pairs well with most skincare,” Dr. Turegano says. From Dr. Sugai's experience, snail mucin layers nicely and works surprisingly well with actives, like vitamin C or retinoids.

Although snail mucin lacks the research, the experts say it's pretty well tolerated, so try it anyway if you want. Dr. Sugai says it shouldn’t necessarily be part of the foundation of your skincare routine, but once you have your cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, followed by more evidence-based extras, like a retinoid or vitamin C, you could consider adding snail mucin to the lineup, too. “If you wanted to add in something for an extra plumping or hydrating boost, then I’d say, yeah, it’s a great thing to add into your routine.”