I just recently received my order of Korea products from Korea Depart. Let's just say, I love them all! They sent me a nice amount of samples. One of them was a mask. Nature Republic Snail Solution Mask Sheet. I had heard about these korean facial products with snail slime in them (I know it's gross but hear me out) At first I thought "Eww! Snail slime!" Snails & slugs actually freak me out. But supposedly snail slime can really moisturize your face, reduce wrinkles and scars and even prevent wrinkles from appearing.
"Packed with glycolic acid and elastin, a snail’s secretion protects its own skin from cuts, bacteria, and powerful UV rays, making mother nature’s gooeyness a prime source for proteins that eliminate dead cells and regenerate skin."
-Snailied It article from Today.com
I was very intrigued when I saw these kind of products online but wasn't so sure about buying any (mainly because they're so expensive) so when I received this free sample I thought "Here's my chance to try out this kind of product, for FREE!"
I had to prevent myself from using the mask the day I got it. I wanted to so badly! But I was a good girl and I waited.
Thankfully the instructions were in Korean and English. (I don't speak Korean fluently but one day I will) The instructions said to wash my face and then apply toner. I washed my face first with my facial wash, White Tree Snow Facial Scrub from The Face Shop and then used my toner, Arsainte Eco-Therapy Tonic With Essential. I haven't altered these photos in any way because I want you to see how everything looks before and after.
Yep, that's me. Au naturale. My skin is pretty clear but I hate that I can see my pores. I also have noticed slight creases right under my eyes and some creases on my forehead that I don't particularly care for.
As I opened the product I was hit with an array of wonderful fragrance. It smelled divine considering it's got snail slime in it. I read the ingredients and it says it has some lavender and fruit extracts in it so maybe that's why it smelled so good. There was a lot of product on the mask. It was drenched actually, which is good. The more product, the better.
Applying the mask wasn't too bad. I started from the chin on up. I tried to get it to cover my entire face. As you can see part of my nose isn't covered. I don't know if it's because of my Nigerian nose being bigger than normal noses or if it's because I had the mask up too high? Oh well, it's done now right? I look like a creepy serial killer from some scary horror movie. Haha!
The instructions say to leave this on your face for 10-15 minutes. I left it on for 20 minutes. I figured it wouldn't hurt and the mask wasn't dried out after 15 minutes (I've had masks that have dried out pretty quick after applying it) The mask was quite soothing. It was nice and cool on my skin. I felt a slight tingling while it was on but it wasn't anything too concerning.
I took it off after 20 minutes. The instructions said to take the mask off and then gently pat the product into your skin. There was some leftover product in the package so I scooped it up and put that on my face as well. While drying it felt a bit sticky, but it does have snail slime in it so I guess that's normal.
After waking up the next morning....
I'd have to say this product has left my skin feeling very soft and smooth. It was kind of amazing actually. As far as wrinkles or lines going away, they're still there. And that's ok. I didn't expect anything magical to happen overnight. I think if this is a product you regularly use, you'll eventually see those kinds of results. Again I will say, my face was really soft afterwards. It was nice.
So would I buy this product? Probably. One thing that's concerned me lately is, as I get older, will it physically start to show? I won't reveal my age because a lady never reveals her secrets but I am getting closer to 30. They say this is when you want to start using age preventing products, before you really start to age. I know people are skeptical about using snail slime and they haven't done too many studies to show if it really works but some are saying this is better than putting so many chemicals on your face. This is more of a mother natures facial regiment.
The only problem for me is the price. Most of these snail products are on the pricey side. $39-$48 and up. A bit out of my budget. I'm sure they're worth it though. Just gotta save up for them I guess.
Overall, I think this mask is a great product. I'll definitely be buying some in the future. I might even splurge on products like this:
MISSHA SUPER AQUA CELL RENEW SNAIL CREAM + SLEEPING MASK SET
You can find this at Sokoglam.com for $48.00
There's also this:
You can find this at SokoGlam.com for $35.00
Well this looks intense:
You can find this at KollectionK.com for about $68.00
So what do you guys think? Is it something worth giving a try? Does the thought of using products with snail slime creep you out or are you like me, intrigued by this new beauty trend? Let me know in the comments below.
One thing's for sure, I won't be doing what these women in Russia did as a beauty spa regiment:
Yes! Those are Giant African Snails crawling on those women's faces according to this article by dailymail.co
Did you just flinch or attempt to throw your laptop or phone across the room because that's what I did when I saw this picture! I think I'll pass on this kind of "beauty" treatment.
xoxo Iquo