Unless you've been (very fittingly) living under a rock, the product that's been doing the rounds is the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence AKA, snail slime. The popular Korean snail mucin serum has garnered serious attention from TikTokers and shoppers looking to achieve that 'glass skin' glow, and rightfully so. With a whopping 80,000 reviews on Amazon (60,000 of which give a rating of five-out-of-five stars), this serum is packed with benefits. Hydration on lock, improved skin texture, a soothed and repaired skin barrier, and bountiful amounts of collagen to instantly plump - this is one beauty product worth adding to the skincare routine.
But with all this goodness, it surely must be expensive? While the COSRX Snail Mucin retails for £25.99, it's currently on offer for just under £17. If you've always wanted to give the viral serum a go, we'd say now is definitely the time to do it.
SHOP: The COSRX snail mucin serum
COSRXPros
- Delivers exactly what it promises, skin feels hydrated and healthy after use.
- Solid packaging, the lid is on firmly so great for travelling and clumsy people (like myself) who often smash glass.
- Lots of product for a small price, I’ve used about a quarter of a bottle in 3 months as you only need one pump per night.
Cons
- Consistency of product may be an issue for some. Can feel slightly gloopy.
To make sure this really wasn't too good to be true, our tester, Carys, put the COSRX snail mucin serum through its paces. And don't worry, no snails are harmed in the production of this frankly magic serum.
COSRX snail mucin serum: Our honest thoughts
"I have used the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence for about 3 months now and I use it every night after cleansing my face (and toner three times a week). I apply the essence when my skin is still damp to lock in moisture and when it’s dry, apply my final step – moisturiser. If my skin is feeling extra dry, I use a face oil after the essence and then my moisturiser, to lock it all in. So far, I can say that the snail mucin definitely delivers on its promises.
"When I use it at night, my skin feels far more hydrated in the morning than if I leave it out of my routine. I especially like the glass finish I am left with after applying, however, that doesn’t typically last till the morning.
"For reference, my skin type is dry and dull, and I only tend to break out the week before my period and these are often under the skin lumps. Thankfully, I haven’t noticed this product causing me any breakouts and my skin feels smooth and healthy.
"I also really rate the bottle itself which is sleek and made from a hard plastic - handy for me as I’m clumsy and tend to knock everything over on my dressing table as I get ready. The lid is on firmly, this is great for when I’m travelling as I can take the bottle with me and not worry about it opening and ruining clothes etc. Overall, I would 100% recommend, giving this product a solid five-out-of-five stars."
Eleanor Weaver is the Commercial Content Editor at Closer, specialising in home décor and furnishing alongside home and beauty hacks/ dupes. In her spare time, Ellie enjoys reading a good thriller, doing at-home manis and finding fashion and homeware inspiration online.
Carys Wigley joined Bauer as an SEO Content Strategist for heat and Closer in March 2023. She began her journey into SEO, and after previously undertaking a degree in Archaeology at Cardiff University, put down her trowel and set her sights on digging up something else, Google’s algorithm.