If you are constantly looking for new ingredients that will benefit your skin, put allantoin on your list. Although it has not yet received the attention and notoriety it deserves, such as hyaluronic and salicylic acids, it is incorporated into many skin care formulas. Snail mucus contains allantoin, a natural substance that promotes cell renewal and the reconstruction of damaged tissues. It also contains fibrinolytic enzymes that repair damaged tissues and rebuild blood vessels. Allantoin accelerates the growth of new healthy tissue by accelerating cell proliferation. Improves the skin’s ability to retain water. It helps remove dead cells, rejuvenates the skin, restores shine and softness.
Mucus is analyzed as a proteinaceous substance produced by the snail, similar to antibodies. It is proven to be able to reconstruct and care for the skin, which is due to its composition full of beneficial ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, glycoprotein enzymes, collagen, elastin, antimicrobial peptides and trace elements including copper, zinc and iron.
It is not only a tonic and stimulating material for the skin, improving its appearance, as it also fights oiliness, acne and wrinkles, but also has antibacterial, antimicrobial, anticancer and disinfecting actions for almost all the functional systems of man.
Hippocrates had discovered snail saliva much earlier in the field of skin repair and regeneration. He also used it to treat whooping cough and stomach ulcers. In fact, the snail included a prominent position, as an emblem of health as it was the symbol of the pharmacies at the time. In fact, in ancient times the mucus of the snail was already used for many aesthetic reasons, such as in the fight against wrinkles and in the treatment of burns. There are stories of Cleopatra bathing in helicine water, attributed to the substance’s ability to soften the skin. During the Middle Ages the mucus was used to heal wounds. The properties of the miracle substance were discovered by accident by the Chinese working in the snail farms, when they found that their hands were extremely soft, while minor wounds healed very quickly.
Today, the medicinal uses of snail mucus are varied. Creams containing snail secretion provide the skin with proteins and antioxidants to remove dead cells, reduce inflammation and keep the skin hydrated and youthful. It also heals the signs of acne, wrinkles, burns, pimples and stretch marks and improves skin elasticity.
Cosmetic chemist David Petrillo explains the benefits and properties of allantoin:
What’s interesting is that allantoin is actually a chemical compound that occurs naturally in your body, but when used in skin care, it’s sometimes synthetically made in a lab. It can also be extracted from some plants, such as chamomile. “Its main role in skin care is as an anti-aging agent.”
“It’s also hydrating and can help clear away dead skin cells. Some small studies have found that treatments combining allantoin with onion extract can help reduce the appearance of surgical scars, notes Suzan Obagi, associate professor of dermatology and plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. These studies may suggest that the properties of allantoin may help facilitate the transition of a wound from an inflammatory state to a state of tissue regeneration.”
