Glowieco.com is proud to now carry Holy Snails on our site! It’s inspired by Korean skincare and formulated based on scientific research (plus a bit of fun!). Their products combine finely-tuned concentrations of active ingredients paired with high-quality botanical extracts. No-frills packaging lowers costs so that more resources can be invested into what matters: the ingredients inside.
The Story of Holy Snails
What happens when DIY, Korean beauty, and science come together? Holy Snails happens of course! As a cornerstone of the Asian Beauty community, Holy Snails needs little introduction (especially for the type of skincare fan that tests their products with pH strips). For the uninitiated, their backstory is unique - a refreshing departure from the fluff surrounding so many of today’s skincare brands.
Jude Chao and Chel Cortes are the minds behind Holy Snails but before getting into the skincare business, they came from technical backgrounds in different fields. Jude’s previous career was an editor in the world of enterprise tech. Chel previously tested water quality in a lab. They both shared an interest in blogging about Asian Beauty and often chatted about it. This is where the story starts.
The Birth of the Shark
Chel and Jude were up late one night talking about cupcakes and skincare in a Twitter DM conversation. Jude writes: “At the time, I was using a serum that I liked okay, but I was frustrated with it (and with skincare in general) because I knew what ingredients I wanted, and I more or less knew what concentrations I wanted them in, but almost no brands ever made that information public on their labels. For obvious reasons.”
Jude goes on to write: “I told Chel that my dream serum would have sea kelp extract as a base, with niacinamide and licorice root extract for brightening--niacinamide in the optimal concentration for that purpose.”
Although she didn’t know it at the time, Jude happened to be speaking to the perfect person for this. Chel was already doing DIY skincare herself. She offered to whip something up immediately. After Jude received the product, she loved it and blogged about it. Reddit started clamoring for them to sell it and that’s how Holy Snails was born.
This first serum features the researched-backed holy grail combination of 5% niacinamide and 3% n-acetylglucosamine to reduce hyperpigmentation and redness. The addition of sea kelp bioferment aids with hydration, and licorice root extract helps to brighten and calm the skin. It was called Shark Sauce, named after Jude because her handle on Reddit was Sharkus_Reincarnus. No actual sharks were harmed in the making of Shark Sauce.
Focus on Effective Ingredients and Creative Formulations
Shark Sauce quickly became successful (and remains their best-seller) but Holy Snails didn’t stop there. Shark Sauce was meant to cover a broad range of benefits with its Niacinamide, N-Acetylglucosamine, green tea, licorice root, and hyaluronic acid. They realized that they can take the same approach of finely-tuned active ingredients and creative formulations to expand their product line and address many more skin concerns.
First Snow Essence
For those seeking to strengthen their skin’s protection against the environment by using ceramides, Holy Snails has just the right product for that. First Snow Essence (formerly known as Snowbang Essence) is a skin-softening, barrier-strengthening 5% ceramide complex that’s enhanced with Asian herbal extracts known for soothing and calming properties.
El Dorado Vitamin C Oil Serum
The El Dorado Vitamin C Oil Serum is a great way to lock in the benefits of other products in your routine and can be used right before or right after moisturizing. It provides 10% THDA vitamin C for brightening in a nourishing avocado and jojoba oil base.
Perseids Facial Oil
For antioxidant protection against free radical damage, try the Perseids Facial Oil. Dry skin lacks the ability to produce enough oil on its own to maintain optimal moisture levels, leading to dullness, rough texture, irritability, and increased appearance of fine line and wrinkles. Perseids Facial Oil moisturizes with a blend of antioxidant-rich plant oils.
Handmade, Not Homemade
Although Holy Snails products are produced by hand in the U.S., Holy Snails adheres to strict manufacturing and quality testing standards to ensure precision, prevent contamination, and guarantee product consistency and stability from batch to batch. Manufacturing and bottling take place in the Holy Snails lab in the U.S.
Small Indie Company. Highly Concentrated.
Holy Snails does things a bit differently. They are a small indie company that’s woman-owned and certified cruelty-free with handmade products. Whether you’re looking for general skin improvements or targeting specific concerns, Holy Snails likely has formulated a product that would work for you.
A word of caution though: Holy Snails products are highly potent to ensure efficacy, so you’re not going to want to lather on heaps of it right away. As with any new skincare product, Holy Snails recommends a patch test first.
Here at Glowie Co, we find that Holy Snails products are the perfect addition to any skincare routine. We think you will enjoy it too!
Shop all Holy Snails products on Glowie Co here!