by Ann Lee
Gardeners and women everywhere, rejoice, for that tiny gross slimy thing in the yard is the key to better skin. At least, that’s what some Koreans believe.
Snails are all the rage in South Korean skin care right now. The popularity of creams containing snail extract is growing in the vain Asian peninsula, despite the obvious ick factor, according to a report by CNNgo.
One user, 26-year-old Mina Oh, was amazed by the snail cream’s results. An adult suffering from acne, Oh said that because of the cream, she could feel her skin “getting much better.”
The cream’s viscous quality — “so sticky [she] has to slap it on her face with a spoon” — doesn’t bother Oh.
Considering how obsessed Korea is with appearances, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a skin cream, even one made of snail slime, would boom in popularity.
However, for one company, IT’S SKIN, the growth was also aided by the face of 2PM member, Nickhun. After the company began airing commercials starring the teen idol in February, sales shot up. Approximately 70,000 jars of IT’S SKIN ‘Prestige Cream d’escargot’ were sold were sold in March.
For those of you not willing to shell out 60,000 won (around $56) for a jar of snail cream, just go into your neighbor’s garden and start digging. Once you’ve found one of those oozing fountains of youth, slap that sucker on and feel yourself de-age.
Happy hunting!
Check out one of the Nickhun commercials after the jump:
