Okay, I know – snail excretion doesn’t sound very glamorous but you might change your mind when you hear about its big celebrity fan: Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester.
You might have already heard about snail mucin because of the TikTok viral COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence Gel, $18 / £17.70.
But Leighton has now revealed that she’s actually a faithful user of a different skincare serum, also made with the trending Korean beauty ingredient known for its moisturizing, radiance-boosting and anti-inflammatory effects.
The 38-year-old’s go-to, The Klog Snail Mucin Energy Essence, $17, is formulated with 90% snail mucin along with nourishing ingredients like wild yam extract - and it's definitely on my radar. (In case you're curious, CosRX’s formula contains just over 96% snail secretion filtrate.)
© Getty ImagesWhile I personally haven’t tried it, I decided to check out the reviews and it’s really earning some pretty great ratings with some pointing out that it’s great for the ‘glass skin’ effect.
“Extremely hydrating,” said one verified reviewer. “I use this product to seal in my serums, and it leaves my skin looking like glass. 10/10, will buy again!”
The Klog Snail Mucin Energy Essence
Another raved: “I have been trying to test which snail mucin is the best for 5 years and this one was in the lead for the last year… This is the winner. I’ve repurchased almost 10 of these.”
Even Leighton’s husband, Nobody Wants This star Adam Brody, is a fan. As Leighton told Vogue Beauty: “Adam gets into the mucin. We share,” later adding: “We’re like a mucin family.”
In the same chat she revealed that it was her sister-in-law who told her about The Klog snail serum. “I saw [it] in her van – we were on a surfing trip – and I was like: ‘What the hell is that?’"
In the accompanying video, a bare-faced Leighton, with freshly cleansed skin, can be seen applying the Essence by massaging it into her skin, paying special attention to her undereyes, forehead and neck.
If you're wondering about any of her other skincare secrets, I can tell you that to prepare for the Golden Globes, she prepped her skin with Chanel’s Revitalizing Serum, $165 /£128, with red camellia extract – not snail mucin – as its key ingredient.
Snail mucin, meanwhile, also has fans on the HELLO! Shopping team. When editor Katherine Robinson tried the COSRX gel, Julia Marinkovich, the UK representative for the K-beauty brand, explained the “huge” benefits of the unusual ingredient.
“All in all, you can expect skin to be softer, more moisturised and glowing with consistent use of snail mucin.”
