Doctors say putting snails directly on the skin is not advisable. How did the snails used for facial beauty treatments die? The "autopsy report" reveals they died of alcohol poisoning.
□ By this newspaper's reporter, Huang Yihan (text and photos)
The snails have died, and Qingqing is very upset. Qingqing, an "80s generation" individual, is quite beautiful. She says that beauty and skincare are the most important things in her life, even more important than LED lights.
Hearing about the benefits of snail cream for beauty, Qingqing had a sudden idea to buy snails and place them directly on her face for cosmetic purposes. Initially, she found the results to be pretty good. However, yesterday, the snails died, leaving Qingqing in a panic - "How did the snails die? If it was due to poor health of the snails, would their mucus pose a problem, thus jeopardizing my skin? If there's something wrong with my skin, then did I accidentally kill the snails?"
A series of doubts troubled Qingqing greatly.
A pet doctor encounters an unusual case: a young woman brings snails for autopsy
More than 10 snails were laid out side by side on the operating table. The snails brought by Qingqing looked completely different from those we usually see in grassy areas. They resembled periwinkles but were much larger, as big as goose eggs, with black-brown shells and snow-white flesh.
Of these more than 10 snails, many were either dead or barely alive, with only a few showing any vitality: some snails were still clinging to life, hiding inside their shells, refusing to come out no matter how much they were teased; others had already died, their flesh no longer white, dragging outside the shell, forming limp masses.
There were also a few live snails adhering to the stainless-steel operating table, exposing two antennae, looking around. "These two I just bought. I deliberately brought them to Dr. Zhang Xu's pet hospital so that the doctor could investigate the cause of death of the snails, allowing a comparison between the dead and living ones," Qingqing thoughtfully explained.
Dr. Zhang Xu said that the snails Qingqing used for beauty treatments were White Jade snails, which can be cooked and eaten, and many young people buy them as pets. Snails are easy to keep, so how did they die?
Qingqing said she didn't mistreat the snails much, just letting them crawl on her face, "to beautify me. A week later, they died."
Inspired by French snail cream
Last month, Qingqing visited her younger sister in France.
Her sister introduced her to a cosmetic called snail cream, reportedly made from snail mucus, which is very beneficial for the skin.
After using it a few times, Qingqing felt it was effective. But it was too expensive to afford regularly.
Back in Hangzhou, Qingqing couldn't stop thinking about the snail cream. Since the cream was made from snail mucus, Qingqing decided to DIY it herself.
Initially, Qingqing just wanted to try it out. She went to the flower and bird market and bought five White Jade snails. They weren't expensive, costing only about ten yuan each.
After bringing the snails home, she placed them in a fish tank and kept them for two days to clean their digestive systems.
At first, Qingqing was afraid of allergies, so she used a cotton swab to dab a bit of snail mucus on her wrist and earlobe. Fortunately, there was no adverse reaction.
Later, she placed them on her legs and arms, feeling pretty good.
However, putting a live snail on her face took some mental preparation.
"I wasn’t scared or anything, I’m a grown-up, and I wouldn’t be afraid of a little snail. It’s just kind of creepy, like ‘hairs standing up’.”
But for the sake of beauty, Qingqing decided to go all-in, placing one on her forehead first.
Facial skin is more sensitive. As soon as the snail touched her forehead, Qingqing shivered, and the hairs on her arms stood up.
Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, Qingqing endured it.
Later, every night before going to bed, Qingqing would do a snail mask: one on her forehead and one on each cheek.
After a few days of snail beauty treatments, Qingqing claimed her skin had improved, becoming more hydrated.
Qingqing thought that snails were probably similar to humans: humans sweat, while snails secrete mucus. Every day, so much “beauty liquid” flowed out, and Qingqing worried the snails might not be able to handle it, causing the mucus to thin and affect the beauty results.
Since snails aren't expensive, Qingqing went back to the flower and bird market and bought five more, marking numbers on their shells. Each evening, she called out numbers, rotating the snails on duty, ensuring one day of work followed by one day off, guaranteeing the quality of the mucus.
The snails suddenly met an untimely end
Snails generally only eat carrots and vegetable leaves. To reward them, Qingqing specially bought vacuum-packed organic vegetables from the supermarket for the snails to eat.
With more snails, Qingqing expanded her beauty regimen. On her arms, legs, face, chest, back, neck... wherever the snails could stick, Qingqing applied the snail beauty method.
Not only did she use it herself, but she also recommended it to her friends. However, none of her friends were as daring as her; they all found it unsettling for snails to crawl on their faces.
Despite this, Qingqing remained enthusiastic. She planned to buy dozens more snails, aiming for a full-body "snail bath."
However, the other night, when Qingqing fished out snails numbered 7, 8, and 9 from the fish tank and placed them on her face, they took a long time to adhere properly.
Lying in bed, Qingqing suddenly noticed that three snails had fallen off. Picking them up, she realized the snails' bodies were slowly retracting into their shells, and poking their antennae yielded no response.
Perhaps the snails were tired. Qingqing returned snails 7, 8, and 9 to the fish tank, tossing in some chopped carrots, and let snails 4, 5, and 6 work overtime.
Early the next morning, Qingqing discovered that snails 7, 8, and 9 had passed away, shocking her.
Yesterday, Qingqing demonstrated the snail beauty process to the reporter. "I don't dare to let the snails crawl on my face anymore, so I'll let them crawl on my calf." At first, the snail stayed hidden in its shell, but after touching the skin, it gradually grew bolder, familiarized itself with the environment, and crawled out of the shell, adhering to Qingqing's calf, its small antennae gently swaying.
"There's a cool sensation on my leg, like applying menthol and then blowing with a fan, quite comfortable." Qingqing described her experience with live snail beauty treatments with a hint of fascination.
The snail slowly moved across her calf, secreting more and more mucus, resembling small droplets sticking to the skin. Qingqing spread the mucus with her fingers, "This mucus is similar to silk essence, it seems quite moisturizing," she explained.
Indeed, there are snail creams available abroad, but using live snails directly isn't feasible.
Dr. Zhang Xu dissected the snail's corpse. The flesh of the dead snail was slightly yellowish and black, emitting a pungent odor. After testing, Dr. Zhang initially determined: the snails likely died of alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning? Qingqing was stunned, "I never gave the snails alcohol to drink."
Dr. Zhang analyzed that it might be due to residual cosmetics on Qingqing's face, such as toners containing alcohol, which poisoned the snails upon contact.
After checking online, the reporter learned that there is indeed a type of cosmetic called snail cream, available for purchase on Taobao. The more expensive ones cost over 300 yuan, while the cheaper ones are around 100 yuan. Compared to high-end cosmetics, this price isn't excessively expensive. Allegedly, it helps with skin regeneration and repair, such as removing scars after wounds scab over.
However, snail cream extracts mucus from snails and processes it using technological methods to produce snail cream. Foreign snail cream cosmetic companies kill countless snails annually, trading the lives of snails for human beauty, a practice opposed by many environmental organizations in Europe.
The reporter consulted dermatology experts at the Third Municipal Hospital. The doctors found the situation amusing, noting how girls today will try all sorts of strange things for the sake of beauty.
The doctors confirmed that the mucus inside snails does indeed have certain cosmetic effects. However, directly placing snails on the skin is not advisable, as it may lead to skin allergies or parasitic infections carried by live snails.
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