Snail facial treatment offered in Japanese clinic

A salon in Japan launched a beauty treatment that involves live snails

06:56 16 July 2013

A salon in Japan has recently launched an unconventional beauty treatment that involves letting live snails crawl across the face. This revolutionary facial treatment has been hailed as the next big thing in beauty because of the glow-boosting properties of snail mucus.

The mucus is said to help skin retain moisture, soothe inflammation, and remove dead skin because it contains a mix of powerful proteins, antioxidants, and hyularonic acid.

During the treatment, the therapist will place snails directly onto the face of reclining clients in order for them to leave trails of mucus slime in their wake.

"This salon is the only place in Japan where you can try a live snail facial," said Yoko Minami, sales manager at Clinical Salon.

"Snail slime can help the recovery of skin cells on the face, so we expect the snail facial to help heal damaged skin."

The spa can be found in the Ebisu district in Tokyo. It is now the home to five resident snails, which are kept in a small container where they are fed organic vegetables, which include spinach, Swiss chard, Japanese komatsuna, and carrots.