Most of us see snails as nothing but a displeasing garden visitor. However, a Japanese spa discovered a new purpose for these slimy garden pests, which has now become the latest beauty treatment. Time to slip into the world of snail slime facial.
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The treatment can be availed in Simply Divine salon located in Corby, Northamptonshire. It’s just simple. Three snails will be placed on your face, which are left slithering up and down your cheeks to your nose and to your forehead.
The owner of the salon, Diane Gower, hired a team of what she calls the snail facialists who closely monitor the movement of the snail so they won’t get near the customer’s eyes, nostrils, and mouth.
Snails are believed to be effective because of the protein contained in their mucus. Plus, every session costs only $71.
Though it seems a bit strange, the treatment is quite relaxing, and it does make your skin radiantly beautiful. Some of the clients said that they just got used to the feeling of having snails slithering on their face that they learned to just enjoy it.
Gower’s salon is not the first to introduce the treatment. It first became popular in a clinical salon in Tokyo, where every procedure costs about $228.
All the snails used by the salon were specially farmed for them. Each animal was even given names, and they strictly follow a certain diet.
“The snails’ well-being is very important to us. Once they have been used on a client, we make sure they’re not used again for at least four days. We constantly monitor them,” said Gower.
All the staff are trained on how to feed and take good care of the snails. They are separated from each other after the facial to avoid cross contamination. The staff also sees to it that the clients do not apply any skin care products or makeup before the session.
Snail facial is very effective that even if the client does not put on creams and lotions, her face will still have that certain glow. Gower shared that the treatment can even help those with acne problems.
Snail mucus underwent some clinical tests, and it was found that it contains natural hyaluronic acid and antibiotics that can hydrate the skin.
Because some might still find it gross to let some snails slither on their face, the French are looking for ways to extract the mucus from the animal’s body and turn it into beauty products. They have emphasized, though, that the live snails shall always be more effective.
Gower has a message for those who are not convinced that the facial treatment is really effective: “This isn’t just a gimmick. It really works. My spa promotes health and well-being and alternative treatments and this treatment is truly pioneering.”