Nothing slow about the facial snail trial

THE production of a rejuvenating cream made from the mucus-like slime secreted by snails has created quite a hype in the skin care community lately.

Elicina is marketed as a rejuvenating cream that claims to have the ability to ''diminish and soften wrinkles, scars, keratosis, burns, the signs of ageing and sun spots, stretch marks, acne and warts".

The company claims results are visible after the first four weeks of use. This "miracle" cream is made up of no less than 80% pure snail mucus. The remaining 20% is made up of excipients, which are pharmacologically inactive substances used to dilute the active ingredients .

The only thing more astonishing than the ingredients of this cream are the results people are claiming to experience when using it.

The cream is derived from the Chilean snail and was discovered by the Dockendorff family, snail farmers who were breeding gastronomic snails for export. The family were amazed at the speed with which their minor cuts and lesions healed after they had handled the snails. After testing snail mucous for cosmetic use they produced the cream, and it is now a hit around the world.

The use of snail cream has grown exponentially and is now a part of Katie Holmes's and other major celebrities' skincare routine.

What will the next big thing in skin care be? Bird droppings? Cow pats? We hope snail slime cream hasn't set the precedent for future skin-care products, despite the results.