Generality
One of the latest trends in the cosmetics sector draws on natural extracts from the animal world.
What's this?
What is the Snail Burr?
The snail is a gastropod, a mollusk that moves through a very expanded foot, on which the whole body rests and which represents the only locomotor structure. The snail mucopolysaccharide, commonly called " bava ", is a secretion produced by particular glands located at the level of the snail's foot.
The main functions of the different types of slime mucus are as follows:
- Hydration and protection : the first type of fluid is designed to coat the external parts of the Gastropod, in order to keep the body always moist on the surface, preventing the drying of exposed soft tissues. Moreover, the constant sliding of the snail on rough and uneven surfaces, in the environment in which it lives, justifies the restructuring function of the burr, necessary for the repair of the fabrics. The snail reacts to skin damage by producing a large amount of mucus, which protects it with antimicrobial substances and molecules that stimulate the natural process of regeneration of damaged tissue cells.
- Lubrication : the mucous slime is produced under the foot, to form a layer that allows the animal to move without direct contact with the supporting surface, and which helps the animal to crawl on any surface. As a snail progresses due to the action of the longitudinal muscles of the foot that contract, the mucus dries, forming a silvery and shining trace.
- Adhesion: from a functional point of view, the snail slime has peculiar adhesive characteristics. Thanks to a particular protein component, the animal is able to adhere to an irregular surface and to cling to a vertical wall without falling.
The thin layer of mucus covering the foot of the Gastropod is used for various other functions, including the reproduction and repulsion of predators .
Helix aspersa
Helix aspersa Müller is the most commonly used terrestrial gastropod species to take advantage of its secretion ("snail slime"), as well as for culinary purposes: snail farming is known as horticulture .
The Helix aspersa produces two particular types of burr :
- A translucent and non-sticky burr allows the snail to move and slide.
- The second fluid, more viscous and elastic, allows it to adhere even to uneven surfaces.
These two fluids are clearly different due to their characteristic protein composition. Helix aspersa releases different types of mucus based on the nature of the stimulation of the cochlea (shell or snail). Under normal conditions the secretion is viscous (sticky), but when the stimulation is continuous and violent, the snail releases a clear and foamy mucus.
In the case of Helix aspersa, the "extracted" burr is composed of products synthesized by various types of secretory glands (mucous, protein and salivary).
In addition to the environmental conditions, the mucus of the snail also varies in appearance and quantity based on the age of the animal and the food sources used. These factors presumably determine the properties and composition of the mucus and, therefore, the properties of a cosmetic product made with it.
Using the Helix asperses in history
Helix aspersa has been known in the literature since ancient times for food use and also as a therapeutic remedy. From ancient Greece to the Middle Ages, snail slime has traditionally been used in medicine for stomach problems, such as peptic and gastric ulcers, to heal wounds and stop bleeding and, in the form of syrup, to calm the cough, dissolve the phlegm and facilitate deletion.
The discovery of the cosmetic ingredient
In 1980, in Chile, the Bascunan family raised snails for the French culinary market. The workers employed in the horticulture realized that their hands were incredibly soft and that the cuts present on them healed very quickly, without encountering infections or scars. This consideration led scholars to begin the characterization of the mucopolysaccharide of snails, to understand which mechanism allowed the rapid healing of wounds. After 15 years of research, the secretion of Helix aspersa was used to create a first cream to which the name Elicina® was attributed. The patent was filed in Geneva and in 1995 Elicina® was introduced into the market. Today, the product is marketed in various countries, with the claim of tissue regenerating.
Slime of Snail and Cosmetics
Snail slime as a cosmetic ingredient
Currently, the snail mucopolysaccharide (or bava) is a fairly controversial cosmetic ingredient and for this reason it is the subject of several scientific studies aimed at demonstrating its real effectiveness.
Chemical composition
The qualitative chemical analysis of snail slime showed a rather complex composition of active substances, with particular presence of allantoin, collagen, glycolic acid, lactic acid, anti-protease, vitamins and minerals.
Active functional substances
According to cosmetics manufacturers and pharmaceutical laboratories, the snail slime contains the following active components:
- Allantoin: substance that stimulates tissue regeneration, promotes epidermal turnover and promotes the proliferation of keratinocytes (replacing dead cells with new cells).
- Elastin : protein that makes the skin elastic.
- Collagen: essential constituent of the skin, which acts as a moisturizer and softener. Thanks to its elasticising properties, it makes the skin toned and soft.
- Glycolic acid: allows to exfoliate the superficial layers of the skin and directly stimulates the formation of collagen in the dermis, making the skin brighter.
- Vitamins, essential amino acids and other proteins : they promote peripheral vascularization and "oxygenate the skin", guaranteeing the supply of nutrients and hydration of the skin. In addition, the vitamins have an antioxidant and healing effect.
Property
Potential cosmetic actions of snail slime
The main properties and characteristics attributed to the snail slime are listed below.
- Nourishing action : about 80% of the skin is made up of elastin and collagen fibers, substances that it is good to integrate through the use of cosmetic products containing them. For this reason, the mucus secreted by the snail, used as an active ingredient in a cream, promises to make the tissues more elastic and toned, with consequent beneficial effect on wrinkles, which become less visible.
- Regenerating action : this property is due to the effects of allantoin, which stimulates the production of elastin and collagen fibers, which allow tissue repair and the reduction of wrinkles. The allantoin allows, in fact, to cancel the signs deriving from scars, skin spots and burns, in addition to slowing down the process of skin aging.
- Exfoliating action : thanks to the presence of glycolic acid, a cream containing snail slime allows a delicate peeling of the superficial layer of the skin, proving useful for reducing skin spots.
- Purifying action : the peptides and glycolic acid contained in the snail slime are the main responsible for this effect. In fact, these substances prevent the accumulation of impurities or, if present, manage to remove them. For this reason, a cosmetic based on the snail secret is useful in combating acne.
- Moisturizing action : thanks to the proteins present, the snail slime helps tissue oxygenation and hydration, giving the sensation of healthy skin.
- Antioxidant action : vitamin C and vitamin E reduce inflammation and counteract the action of free radicals.
Production
How is the snail slime produced?
Snail slime is an animal derivative. Cosmetic companies often emphasize the "non-suffering" of snails, assigning them solely to the function of "producers of mucopolysaccharides". The mucous secretion is treated before being added to creams, cleansers and serums for the face: the production method of the ingredient involves the recovery and purification of the only burr produced in their passage, avoiding the sacrifice. A detail to consider is the fact that the horticulture is anyway aimed at the traditional breeding for food purposes; moreover, certain procedures (some of which are covered by a patent) provide for the collection of secretions to take place following interventions of solicitation of mucous hypersecretion by ionizing radiation or centrifugation.
Applications
Cosmetic applications of Snail Burr
Thanks to the substances it contains, the snail slime extract is used in cosmetic preparations active against: wrinkles and signs of expression, skin scars (burns, signs of chicken pox, etc.), stretch marks, skin spots, signs of acne, dehydration and redness of the skin.
As a cosmetic ingredient, snail slime is recommended for acne-prone skin, to speed up the repair of the epidermis and reduce the formation of acne marks, to improve the discoloration and aesthetic visibility of the scars, but also to prevent the stretch marks and as anti-wrinkle.
Effectiveness
In conclusion, when applied to human skin, snail slime presumably performs the following predominant functions :
- On the one hand, it has been suggested that it can stimulate the formation of collagen, elastin and dermal components that repair the signs of photo-aging, while the protein content would contribute to giving the skin a healthy, luminous and tonic appearance.
- Secondly, it would support the protective barrier against external agents that attack the skin.
Finally, it is argued that the content of antioxidant substances is able to slow down the premature aging process of the skin, minimizing the damage generated by free radicals.
Please note
The presumed efficacy of the Helix aspersa slime, both as a regenerator of skin tissues (re-epithelising), and as an antioxidant, is supported by some well-known scientific research, but the ingredient on the market, at the moment, is not associated with a certain and standardized definition of the concentration of any assets, contained in the different "extracts".
