<p>Consider it the beauty industry’s version of the search for the holy grail. In what feels like a never-ending quest to find that miracle product that will smooth away your wrinkles, make those crow’s feet disappear, and fade away your leftover pimple marks from your teens, cosmetic companies world over are now hankering after some weird, to put it mildly, ingredients. We are talking snail slime, bee sting, crushed beetles, fish scales, and bird poop, to mention just a few.</p>.<p>According to Italy’s largest agriculture industry association Coldiretti, snail farming has increased in Italy by more than 325 percent over the past 20 years and nearly 44,000 tonnes of live and preserved snails are now produced annually, because of the rise in demand for its slime. Although snails are not new to the cosmetics market (you can let them crawl over your face in some spas, for instance), in recent years, the slime is more, well, attractive for its apparent acne-healing and wrinkle-reducing properties. Apart from snail slime, the other bizarre ingredients in high demand are bee venom, bird poop, and caviar.</p>.<p>Viren Sawhney, co-partner of an LLP that has recently brought a luxury skincare Italian brand to India, says the science is simple. “Our skin is made up of amino acids and proteins. Since an ingredient like caviar is also rich in amino acids and proteins, it gets absorbed by the skin immediately. Since caviar also helps produce collagen, it ends up fighting the skin’s ageing process,” he explains. His partner Federico Natalini adds that both bee venom and snail slime are also rich in amino acids, proteins as well as other vitamins, thus making them nothing short of “wonder cures”.</p>.<p>However, because of the rising popularity of such natural ingredients, questions have been raised about the ethical aspects of their farming as well as sourcing. Sawhney claims his company ensures that all the ingredients are ethically sourced. “We prefer local farms though now major corporations are also extracting and selling bee venom and snail slime...the bees are precious to us and are not harmed by the extraction process.”</p>.<p>Although extensive clinical studies on the efficacy of these products are hard to come by, many dermatologists agree that natural ingredients generally hydrate better and help lock in moisture, thus giving the much-desired effect of ‘dewy’ skin. Chemist Confessions, a popular website that explains the science behind skincare, agrees that the snail slime’s main benefit for the skin is hydration. Renowned dermatologist Joshua Zeichner writes in his paper that the snail mucus is rich in hyaluronic acid and has exhibited antioxidant properties and the ability to heal burns.</p>.<p>Products containing these ingredients don’t come cheap though. Bee venom, for example, costs even more than gold at 500 euros/gram, informs Sawhney. But since cosmetics that use these ingredients are generally prepared in high concentrations, the expectation is that the eager buyer will make a conscious choice to choose quality over quantity.</p>.<p>Oh well, guess there is a price to pay if you wish to go around telling your friends that the secret to your glistening skin is slime and venom!</p>
<p>Consider it the beauty industry’s version of the search for the holy grail. In what feels like a never-ending quest to find that miracle product that will smooth away your wrinkles, make those crow’s feet disappear, and fade away your leftover pimple marks from your teens, cosmetic companies world over are now hankering after some weird, to put it mildly, ingredients. We are talking snail slime, bee sting, crushed beetles, fish scales, and bird poop, to mention just a few.</p>.<p>According to Italy’s largest agriculture industry association Coldiretti, snail farming has increased in Italy by more than 325 percent over the past 20 years and nearly 44,000 tonnes of live and preserved snails are now produced annually, because of the rise in demand for its slime. Although snails are not new to the cosmetics market (you can let them crawl over your face in some spas, for instance), in recent years, the slime is more, well, attractive for its apparent acne-healing and wrinkle-reducing properties. Apart from snail slime, the other bizarre ingredients in high demand are bee venom, bird poop, and caviar.</p>.<p>Viren Sawhney, co-partner of an LLP that has recently brought a luxury skincare Italian brand to India, says the science is simple. “Our skin is made up of amino acids and proteins. Since an ingredient like caviar is also rich in amino acids and proteins, it gets absorbed by the skin immediately. Since caviar also helps produce collagen, it ends up fighting the skin’s ageing process,” he explains. His partner Federico Natalini adds that both bee venom and snail slime are also rich in amino acids, proteins as well as other vitamins, thus making them nothing short of “wonder cures”.</p>.<p>However, because of the rising popularity of such natural ingredients, questions have been raised about the ethical aspects of their farming as well as sourcing. Sawhney claims his company ensures that all the ingredients are ethically sourced. “We prefer local farms though now major corporations are also extracting and selling bee venom and snail slime...the bees are precious to us and are not harmed by the extraction process.”</p>.<p>Although extensive clinical studies on the efficacy of these products are hard to come by, many dermatologists agree that natural ingredients generally hydrate better and help lock in moisture, thus giving the much-desired effect of ‘dewy’ skin. Chemist Confessions, a popular website that explains the science behind skincare, agrees that the snail slime’s main benefit for the skin is hydration. Renowned dermatologist Joshua Zeichner writes in his paper that the snail mucus is rich in hyaluronic acid and has exhibited antioxidant properties and the ability to heal burns.</p>.<p>Products containing these ingredients don’t come cheap though. Bee venom, for example, costs even more than gold at 500 euros/gram, informs Sawhney. But since cosmetics that use these ingredients are generally prepared in high concentrations, the expectation is that the eager buyer will make a conscious choice to choose quality over quantity.</p>.<p>Oh well, guess there is a price to pay if you wish to go around telling your friends that the secret to your glistening skin is slime and venom!</p>