Plucky Telegraph journalist, Danielle Demetriou, was the first person in Tokyo to have a live snail facial.

Danielle had four, specially imported from Switzerland, “organic” snails (are there non-organic ones?) placed on her face.

The slime oozed by these terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks is said to be the “elixir for youthful and beautiful skin.” Snail mucus contains proteins, anti-oxidants, and hyaluronic acid, which removes dead skin and helps retain moisture. Over the past two years, sales of snail face creams, snail serum and masks have become very popular in Japan and South Korea. According to Yoko Minami, the sales manager of 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.”

It may all sound like a plot device from a Guy N. Smith or Shaun Hutson novel, but this is not the first time snails have been used for medicinal purposes. In 400BC, crushed snails were commonly used to treat wounds and skin inflammation.

Today, the Celebrity Escargot Course costs around $300 (Y24,150) and lasts for around 60-minutes. The face is washed, before the beautifying mollusks are placed on the client’s face, and allowed to move about at will. According to Ms. Demetriou:

The snails feel slow, heavy and cool and slightly ticklish. The assistant attentively lifts the snails with a little tug whenever they go anywhere too near the mouth, nostrils or eyes. Many people would probably choose to undergo the snail facial with their eyes closed. There is little in life more unsettling than spying the rearing tentacles of an approaching snail on your cheek out of the corner of your eye. However afterwards, the face definitely feels cooler and plumper.

Now, you know what to do with those garden pests
 

 
Via the Daily Telegraph