Treatment of mucus in extract

Low-pressure cold extraction consists of extracting the active principles (or active substances) naturally contained in snail slime and which have a biological interest for the skin. With this extract, we seek to preserve the bioavailability of the proteins of interest. This means the share of proteins in the extract which are effectively assimilated by the body.

Pourquoi utiliser de l’extrait plutôt que de la bave brute ?

It is not possible to incorporate raw slime directly into a cosmetic. Attention ! We are talking here about mucus or real drool, because what characterizes a mucus?
Mucus is a substance neither liquid nor solid, it is flexible and elastic. It is a hydrogel composed of 92-99% water, but the water is held in a three-dimensional molecular structure, so it can no longer flow and becomes viscous.
It is therefore not possible to formulate a raw viscous mucus directly in a cosmetic treatment. A true mucus, with a high rate of viscosity, must go through the cold low-pressure extraction stage which consists in isolating the compounds of interest present in the mucus. During this operation, the contact with a fluid called solvent, in which the proteins, peptides, and other vitamins will dissolve. This step is fundamental because it makes it possible to extract the active ingredients contained in the snail slime but also to concentrate them.
Since the dawn of time, humans have used extraction methods from plants, the oldest known are decoction, maceration or hydro-distillation, in order to obtain aromas, perfumes or even pigments.
It is for these reasons that Mademoiselle Agathe uses an extract for her cosmetics and not raw slime.

Harvesting and extraction protocol

Dans le plus grand respect de l’animal et de la matière brute.

Mucus is loaded with good proteins but also with bacteria that we need to eliminate. Thanks to the know-how of our laboratory specialized in extraction, we preserve the proteins of interest by reducing the bacterial flora.

Step 1: Breeding

Patrice, our snail breeder, is the first snail farmer in France to have been certified in Organic Agriculture. He set up “Sa ferme aux Escargots” at Creux de la Tine in Albon, in an exceptional area between the Drôme and the Ardèche where the entire breeding cycle of our snails takes place. No step is subcontracted.
The Snail Farm is also the first and only organic farm to have obtained the COSMOS label for the production of mucus intended for cosmetics with an exclusively manual harvest.

Step 2: respecting the snail's life cycle

For Patrice and Alexandra, our snail farmers, " The most important thing with snails is knowing how to take your time " "More than for any other animal, the notion of time is essential, since to flourish it needs to evolve slowly », it is for this reason that we collect the mucus only by hand, snail by snail, at the most opportune moment for the animal, that is to say when it will be the least disturbed in its natural occupations. It is only under these conditions that the animal gives the best with a thick mucus very rich in proteins.

Step 3: 100% manual harvesting

C’est l’étape la plus délicate. Elle demande une grande dextérité car si l’animal est stressé, il produira une bave mousseuse et liquide, sans viscosité et donc sans intérêt pour nos cosmétiques. Seul le procédé de récolte manuelle peut garantir le bien-être de l’animal. Ce mucus (en moyenne 3 à 5 grammes par escargot) récolté est très épais et visqueux avec beaucoup de liaisons protéiniques. Seule cette récolte manuelle offre la possibilité de collecter un mucus intéressant pour les cosmétiques.
Il existe d’ailleurs un grand nombre d'expressions en langage scientifique moins connues que bave ou mucus : exo-polymères, biofilm, mucilage, gelé viscoélastique ou même fluide non newtonien.

Step 4: Mucus stabilization

We carry out a low pressure cold treatment of the mucus which will allow filtration without causing emulsion and therefore oxidation of the product. This extraction system makes it possible to preserve the hydro and fat-soluble part of the mucus. This is the key point of the manufacturing which consists in bringing down the level of bacteria naturally present in the drool without damaging the organoleptic qualities of the mucus. For example, hemocyanin is one of the many active ingredients that make up the mucus of our snails, that is to say it will have a regenerating action for the skin.

The scientific analysis of our extract

Plus d’une centaine de protéines présentent avec plus de 23 identifiées à date.

This research demonstrates that the choice of protocol is very efficient in separating the metabolites of interest from the raw material. Hemocyanin and actin are two major proteins present. Bibliographic research on the role of the identified proteins all attribute to them a link with the skin, its immune system and its collagens.

Scientifically proven effectiveness

In order to guarantee that our snail slime extract is very rich in active ingredients, we carried out a series of studies in mass spectrometry with the Museum of Natural History in Paris, and chromatography with the University of Rouen. . This research has demonstrated a great protein richness.

La bave d’escargot dévoile de fantastiques propriétés cosmétiques.

Une action hydratante et nourrissante : les collagènes et l’élastine présents déterminent les propriétés de souplesse et d’élasticité de la peau.
Une action régénérante : l’hémocyanine et l’ARN hélicase agissent sur le processus du vieillissement ainsi que le renouvellement cellulaire de la peau.
Une action purifiante : les peptides antimicrobiens et les cytokératines, servent de point d’appui au système immunitaire et limitent la prolifération des bactéries sur la peau.
Une action cicatrisante : l’allantoïne et l’actine interviennent dans le processus de cicatrisation des plaies et favorisent la réparation des tissus.
Une action anti-oxydante : la vitamine D et les protéases à sérine réduisent l’inflammation et neutralisent l’action des radicaux libres.
Une action exfoliante : l’acide glycolique redonne de l’éclat au teint en éliminant les peaux mortes et permet de réduire les taches cutanées.