Skincare product of the month
OK, we admit it: it does take a little while to get used to the idea of this new skincare product, but according to those in the know, it really does work. Its name? De Tuinen Snail Gel - and yes, it is exactly as it sounds.
The unique healing and repairing powers of snails' slime was discovered by chance by Chilean snail farmers, who noticed their hands were incredibly soft and smooth, while minor cuts and scars were healing unusually quickly.
Further research and clinical tests discovered the slimy secretions contained high levels of naturally occurring allantoin, collagen, elastine and anti-bacterial substances which are used by snails to repair their shells and have beneficial healing and smoothing effects on human skin.
Still, as you'd expect, some people are keener than others to smear their faces in snail slime. A blind test on TV's How to Look Good Naked earned Snail Gel a Marmite status: you either love it or you hate it. But it did score a 62% appreciation score, which was only 10% behind the winning product.
Among Snail Gel's many fans is top make-up artist Aimee Adams. 'I think it's absolutely marvellous,' she gushes. 'It's fragrance-free and the texture is beautiful. I love its tightening and smoothing effect. It has an amazing healing quality too, which makes it great for treating everyday cuts, pimples and scratches.
'Used on the face, it's like an instant face-lift,' she continues. 'It dries and lifts the entire face, giving a younger, firmer look. I put it on every night to make sure I look peachy when I wake up the next morning.'
Has Aimee convinced you to give it a try? De Tuinen Snail Gel costs £19.99; available from Holland & Barrett stores nationwide, or by calling 0870 6066605. Use as a serum and wait 10 minutes after application before applying moisturiser on top.
