Mia Seilern
⚠️ Data is provided for informational purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies and should be independently verified. This is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making health decisions.

Description: SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE — hydration, soothing, supports skin repair (popular in K-beauty).

All Functions: hydration, soothing, supports skin repair (popular in K-beauty)

Quick Facts:

  • Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

  • Snail secretion filtrate (SSF) comes from the mucus that naturally covers snails, particularly Helix aspersa Muller
  • Research shows it may help with skin aging signs, wound healing, and inflammatory acne when used topically
  • Studies are small to moderate in size; larger trials are needed to confirm benefits
  • It appears to be well-tolerated with minimal adverse events reported
Safety: Generally Low ConcernResearch confidence: Good

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🧪 SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE

SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE

CAS Number:

Also Known As:

Category: active

Korean Name: 달팽이점액여과물

Snail Secretion Filtrate is the product obtained from the filtered secretion of one or more species of snails

SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE is an active ingredient used in skincare formulations.

hydrationsoothingsupports skin repair (popular in K-beauty)

🌍 Regulatory Status

EU: No restriction on fileUS: No restriction on file

📊 Comedogenicity

No data yet
Not rated for this ingredient yet.

📚 Research & Evidence

PUBMED CITATIONS
4
Data sources: EU CosIng PubMed

🔬 The Science

Snail secretion filtrate is produced by mechanically stimulating snails and then filtering their mucus to create a concentrated ingredient. The ingredient has been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and modern research has begun testing its effects on skin. #1: Skin aging: In a 3-month clinical trial published in the Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology (2020), women aged 45-65 using snail secretion filtrate experienced measurable improvements in skin hydration, roughness, firmness, and elasticity compared to placebo. The ingredient showed fibroblast growth factor-like activity, meaning it may stimulate cells that support skin structure. Both the treatment and placebo groups improved in fine lines and wrinkles, though the active treatment group showed greater overall improvement on physician and patient assessments.

The authors noted that larger studies are needed to confirm these results. #2: Wound healing: Research in Veterinary Sciences (2021) used a full-thickness wound model in mice and found that topical snail secretion filtrate significantly accelerated wound closure and improved markers of proper healing, including collagen deposition and tissue remodeling. The ingredient also appeared to reduce inflammatory markers in wound tissue. This suggests the ingredient may support the body’s natural wound-healing phases, though this research was conducted in animals. #3: Inflammatory acne (maskne): A randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (2022) tested a combination serum containing snail secretion filtrate along with Calendula and licorice root extract in 66 people with mask-related acne.

The treatment group showed significantly greater reduction in inflammatory acne lesions in mask-covered areas at 12 weeks compared to placebo. However, the ingredient combination did not significantly improve non-inflammatory lesions or other skin measurements like hydration or redness. The authors described it as potentially useful as an “adjunctive treatment”—meaning alongside other acne treatments, not necessarily as a standalone solution. Across all studies, adverse events were rare and mild. It’s important to note that most human trials were relatively small and short-term (3 months or less), and some research used snail secretion filtrate as part of multi-ingredient formulas rather than in isolation.

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

No data yet
Per-skin-type data isn’t curated for this ingredient yet.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

No data yet
No known incompatibilities on file for this ingredient.

🧴 Products Containing SNAIL SECRETION FILTRATE

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

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