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Quarantine is, in some ways, the great unifier. Case in point: I’ve found myself scrolling through Human Goddess Emily Ratajkowski’s social media and relating to her mid-pandemic mood. She’s listening to Fiona Apple, she’s cutting her own hair, and (most urgently) she’s trying strange skincare routines.
On her Instagram Story over the weekend, EmRata was asked to detail her skincare regiment and began by voicing a problem us mere mortals can all relate to. “My skin freaked out at the beginning of quarantine,” she explained, before bestowing us with her go-to products. Ratajkowski is using Dr. Loretta’s Gentle and Hydrating Cleanser, the brand’s “delicious” Intense Replenishing Serum, and the Dr. Dennis Ross Retinol Moisturizer. The one element of her product haul giving us pause? A snail, “yes snail,” EmRata assured us, product.
The internet has determined that this escargot esthetic comes courtesy of Cosrx’s Advanced Snail Mucin Power Essence. It hydrates, balances skin tone, and heals scarring. Plus, the K-beauty item is vegan with 96% of the insect secretion. Our very own Beauty Director, Chloe Hall, is a huge fan of the product. At $23 and a 5-star rating on Dermstore, the product has officially wandered into my shopping cart.
While ones first instinct may be to shun a shellfish-inspired serum (no, snails aren’t harmed in the making), consider the source. In mid-April, Ratajkowski aired her cosmetic grievances on the ‘gram, writing to her 26 million followers: “🆘 Plz put skin advice here ⬇️ tysm” alongside a video that suggests she’s got no worries in the skincare department. (If that’s the video EmRata posts alongside a beauty cry for help, homegirl is doing something right.)
What I want to know is the person who offered the snail product as a way to combat stressed out skin. Was it a beauty influencer? An A-list ally? Or plain jane with the tea on snail mucin’s untapped magic? EmRata has been influenced and we need answers!!!
These days, we’re all just wandering our homes, one second away from ill-advised bangs and another from stumbling upon the secret to all of our skincare woes. I, for one, will not be contesting the results of Ratajkowski’s beautification journey. Sis can pull off negligee on a bodega run, convince me I’m hot enough to vote for Bernie, and has now inspired my latest cosmetic purchase. My skincare may say snail, but my pores shall be sluggish no more.