The niche K-Beauty ingredient Emily Ratajkowski swears by for stressed skin

It’s not uncommon for our favourite celebs to try out new, wacky and often unheard-of beauty trends – in fact we almost uncover one every single day. From Kim Kardashian’s infamous vampire facial that sent the internet into a frenzy, to JLo’s cannabis seed oil under-eye cream; we’ve truly seen it all.

Or so we thought.

Thanks to self-isolation, our skin is having a little bit of a freakout moment – ok, a major freak out moment, and as it turns out, even angel-faced Emily Ratajkowski isn’t exempt from the trauma. Taking to her Instagram stories, Em Rata shared with her followers that her “skin freaked out at the beginning of quarantine,” which saw her turn to this one major K-Beauty trend to combat her stressed skin – snail mucin.

“I’m using Dr Loretta cleanser, this amazing snail [product] – yes snail – then I put a retinol on,” she said when asked by a follower for details of her skincare routine. While it might seem subdued compared to some of the treatments Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow has trialed over the years, it’s definitely far from your conventional cleanser or toner. 

The snail product she showed off is by Korean beauty brand COSRX, who have famously developed a string of products featuring the ingredient. The piece de resistance in Em Rata’s revamped beauty routine is the Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence, an ultra-hydrating spray designed to be used after cleansing to replenish moisture and soothe angry skin.

Jampacked with hydrating hyaluronic acid, copper peptides and antimicrobial properties, snail mucin is a great ingredient for all skin types and works to diminish the appearance of pores, heal scars and brighten complexion. 

Brave enough to give this unconventional ingredient a shot? Below, we’ve rounded up some other great snail mucin products to help restore your pre-coronavirus radiance!

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence

This highly concentrated product from cult-Korean beauty brand Benton is packed with a potent combo of snail mucin and bee venom that treats your skin to intense hydration, skin repair and anti-aging benefits while aloe, collagen and plant extracts help soothe and smooth skin.

TONYMOLY Intense Care Gold 24K Snail Hydro Gel Mask

The luxurious combination of 24K gold and fermented snail mucus essence, ginseng extracts, and EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) helps boost skin vitality, improving fine lines and wrinkles while restoring skin’s elasticity and resilience for intensely nourished, supple and smooth skin.

iUNIK Black Snail Restore Serum

Made with 70% Black Snail secretion, this serum from iUNIK is filled with anti-aging and anti-acne properties that help smooth the skin and enhance its elasticity, resulting in a glowing and fresh complexion.

If you're looking for more acne-fighting products to give a try, test out this sell-out 'miracle' charcoal cleansing bar that just launched in Australia!

Main image credit: @emrata