Snails have always been unique albeit slow and slimy beings. Through their unique qualities, snails have become a diverse resource across many countries.
The French, for instance, enjoy eating them. Native Americans used to see them as symbols of joy and rebirth.
Koreans, however, perfected the art of using them for skin care products.
All that from a snail, huh?
Snail slime has become an important ingredient for many Korean beauty products today, including for MIZON’s All-in-one Snail Repair Cream.
Product Overview
MIZON All-in-One Snail Repair Cream is one of the most known K-beauty products that contain snail slime.
It’s great for smoothing, soothing, and mattifying the skin.
As a face cream, you instantly see smoother skin. It even works as a makeup primer because it mattifies skin too.
Your makeup look stays intact longer with its oil-control power.
As a snail mucin product, it contains a good amount to add moisture to the skin. 92% of snail extract is a good amount for hydration.
It promotes healing of old blemishes and acne scarring over time as well.
Pros
- Ideal for oily skin types
- Smooths and mattifies skin
- Blends easily and cools the face
- Lightweight and absorbs quickly
- Scooper is super handy
Cons
- Contains comedogenic ingredients
- Doesn’t moisturize by itself
- Doesn’t fix fine lines and acne scars quickly
- No SPF
What is Face Cream Used For?
Before anything else, it’s good to know why exactly you need a face cream. How is it different from a normal moisturizer or serum?
A face cream is essentially just another moisturizer you can add to your skincare regimen.
What makes it special is the high concentration of nutrients it gives your skin.
Most users apply face cream right before their usual moisturizer.
Topping it off with your normal moisturizer helps seal in the nourishing properties better.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Face Cream:
Specific Skin Issues
Different face creams are formulated to target different skin issues.
People with dry skin want a hydrating cream. Those with oily skin want a cream that controls oil and shine.
Others with aging skin would opt for a cream with anti-aging ingredients.
Ingredients
New ingredients are constantly being added to face creams. No matter how effective they might be, it’s best to remain discerning.
An effective ingredient could harm your skin if it’s comedogenic.
Comedogenic ingredients clog pores and cause acne so you should stay away from them.
Sun Protection Factor
Everything you apply on your face will go to waste if you don’t use sunscreen.
This is why products infused with SPF are better choices than those that aren’t.
Also, remember that an SPF of at least 30 will give you a good amount of sun protection.
About MIZON
The MIZON brand was created with the aim of creating effective yet affordable skincare products.
Its founders all started as researchers from other famous Korean beauty brands.
They came together to make top quality skin care more accessible to all.
MIZON is most known for producing products that contain snail mucin. This is the slime that snails produce when they move.
Snail mucin has many proven benefits for the skin. This snail cream is perfect proof of this.
All-in-One Snail Repair Cream
This face cream is among the brand’s most famous products. It’s sold millions in Asia alone.
The best thing about this product is it instantly smooths the skin upon application. You also get a soothing feeling since it cools the skin as it sets.
Its gel-like texture makes it easy to use as well. It dries quickly so you can continue with your skincare routine without hassle.
It could still improve on its ingredient list though. It has comedogenic ingredients that could clog pores and cause breakouts. This may lead to irritation for people with sensitive skin.
As a face cream with “all-in-one” and “repair” claims, it doesn’t really live up to those.
You’ll still need to wear moisturizer over it since it can’t fully hydrate the skin. Those with dry skin will want to layer on more product.
Finally, it doesn’t really have any drastic effects on fine lines, acne scars, and dark spots. You’ll probably need to mix in a serum to enhance its effects.
Overall, we give it 3 stars. It’s a good product if you want instant priming effects but still leaves more to be desired.
Key Ingredients and Benefits
92% Snail Extract
This comes in the form of Snail Mucin Filtrate. It provides many hydrating and regenerative properties for the skin.
Snail extract hydrates the skin so that it looks firmer, plumper, and more elastic. This prevents any fine lines or wrinkles from forming.
It also renews the skin to promote the healing of acne scars and blemishes. These skin issues become less noticeable with continued use.
Centella Asiatica Extract
This comes from an herb found mainly in Asia. When used on the skin, it has soothing and anti-aging properties.
It calms irritation since it’s rich in amino acids that promote healing and hydration.
It also protects the skin from signs of aging with its many antioxidants.
Sodium Hyaluronate
Derived from Hyaluronic acid, this revitalizes and hydrates the skin.
They’re essentially the same thing except Sodium Hyaluronate is a salt derivative and so it’s absorbed by skin faster.
It also gives a smoother and more glowing texture to skin when used often.
Copper Peptides
These are components found in snail slime that promote wound healing. They help in healing any acne or irritation on the skin.
Copper peptides also repair and prevent wrinkles since they promote collagen production. They soften the appearance of fine lines over time.
No Harmful Ingredients
This repair cream is certified free from parabens, fragrance, and artificial colors.
Packaging
The cream comes in a dark glass tub and a small scooper for application.
Texture
This face cream is sheer white with a gel-like consistency. It does feel quite like actual snail slime since it’s a little sticky to touch when wet.
It dries smooth and silky when blended onto your skin.
It feels lightweight when applied so you know that your skin can breathe. It’s absorbed easily as well.
Scent
Since it’s free from fragrance, it doesn’t have a scent.
Application
Apply it onto your skin after cleansing and toning in the morning and at night.
Ingredient List
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Coploymer, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glyocol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Arnica, Montana Flower Extract, Artemesia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Alcohol, Camellia Sinesis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Human Ogliopeptide-1, Propylene Glycol, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Beta-glucan, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Disodium EDTA
User Reviews
A general comment we noticed is that this face cream really does have immediate smoothing effects.
It also has good value for money since just a small amount can be blended well.
A common negative comment we noticed is that it can’t really be a standalone moisturizer.
You still need a separate moisturizer since it mattifies more than it hydrates.
Testimonials
Hydrates Combination Skin Well
The product proves to be practical as one user said that just a small amount can already be used for her entire face.
Since it doesn’t hydrate as strong as it claims, she certainly doesn’t recommend it for people with dry skin though.
“This cream makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. A little goes a long way. However, it’s not a very hydrating cream, so I do not recommend this to people with very dry skin.”
Evens Out and Smooths Skin
One user said she mixed serum into the product and it worked better. Of course, it might also be more because of the serum and not the face cream itself.
“It lays on skin very comfortably. The cream moisturizes skin very weakly, so it is better to use it in tandem with serum. The skin looks fresher, wrinkles visually seem smaller. Skin tone becomes even.”
Works on Body Scars
The product also seems to work well for other parts of the body. This user says that she rubs the excess cream on her hands after. She noticed that the scars on her hands actually faded quickly.
“I love this cream because it really lightens up my face. I have small scars on the tops of my hands and they have been disappearing. Yes, I rub the extra cream on my hands after applying it on my face.”
Alternatives
If you’re still uneasy about this face cream, then we recommend three other top snail creams that give just about the same benefits.
MIZON Black Snail All-in-One Cream
This is the premium counterpart! It’s mainly made of 90% snail mucin from African black snails.
The Mizon Black Snail All-In-One Cream is much thicker in texture and has a higher concentration of snail extract.
It hydrates the skin significantly better than normal snail mucin would.
This product also has more potent anti-aging and healing properties. It has richer ingredients that target fine lines, large pores, and blemishes.
This is for you if you have dry skin and want something with strong anti-aging properties.
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream
This product usually comes up among the top results when looking for a good snail cream.
It has a highly nourishing formula that moisturizes, plumps, and heals skin.
Similar to MIZON’s face cream, the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in one Cream has 92% snail mucin as its key ingredient. It also has a fast absorption rate.
The main difference is that it has a slightly thicker texture so dry skin types might enjoy this more. Those who’ve used this also find that it fades acne scars and dark marks faster.
This is for you if you want to target scarring and blemishes.
SeoulCeuticals Korean Skin Care Snail Repair Cream
SeoulCeuticals Korean Skin Care Snail Repair Cream contains a whopping 97.5% of snail mucin. It’s the snail cream with the highest concentration you’ll find.
Apart from snail mucin, it also has organic Aloe leaf juice mixed in. This gives added hydration to the skin when applied.
Most users observe that it helps with dryness and flaking on their skin. People with rosacea and eczema particularly like this product.
This is for you if you have dry skin or skin issues like eczema and rosacea.
Conclusion - Should I Buy the Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream?
This cream is great for prepping the skin.
It gives instant smoothing and mattifying effects because of the many benefits of snail mucin for the skin.
Just remember…
- It has no added SPF so don’t forget to apply sunscreen.
- It can’t be used as a standalone moisturizer so pair it with a separate moisturizer.
- It doesn’t immediately fade blemishes so be patient. Dark marks will lighten over time.
- It works better when you mix it with a healing serum.
- It has ingredients that may be comedogenic.
- If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, it’s best to just test it out first before using it regularly. Stop using it if your skin gets irritated.
Overall, this is a good snail secretion filtrate product. Just be sure to pair it with a good moisturizer and sunscreen if you want optimum results.
But if you want something that undoubtedly works better, then you should just opt for the highly-rated MIZON Black Snail All In One Cream instead.
CHANGELOG:
August 31, 2021 – Updated article formatting and content
July 21, 2021 – Reviewed and updated article links
