BYOMA Takes the Slimy Out of “Glass Skin”

Yet another “must-have” beauty trend is here: so-called “glass skin.” Usually, it’s just a fancier way of saying “put snail mucus on your face.” Enter BYOMA. They’ve decided to skip the snail exploitation altogether!

The brand’s Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum swaps snail secretions for a “bio-based” mucin pulled from Japanese roots and plants. No more snail enslavement and stress; just the same plumped-up, dewy finish people chase. 

A Plant-Powered Alternative 

BYOMA says their plant-based ingredients deliver the same barrier-boosting benefits as snail-derived slime. Claims of increased hydration, reduced water loss, and firmer skin are plastered all over their marketing. Customer reviews call it a “gamechanger.” And with good reason: the serum is loaded with plant-based peptides and hyaluronic acid, an ingredient worshipped in every corner of the skincare world. Boots stocks a 40ml bottle for £14.99, while US shoppers can grab it at Target, Ulta Beauty, and Sephora.  

All BYOMA’s products are vegan and cruelty-free, which puts them miles ahead of brands still stuck on snail exploitation. Because, yes, those brands want us to believe that scraping mucin off a snail, through any means, is “cruelty-free.” Spoiler alert: it’s not.

The Slime Factor

Snail mucin exists for a reason: to help snails when they’re stressed. They’re not pumping out slime for our vanity. The standard extraction process? Place them on a netted surface or lock them in a chamber, then mist them with sodium chloride - table salt, essentially - to force them to secrete the goo. Some companies love calling this “no-harm.” Where’s the regulated oversight? Nowhere to be found. It’s yet another deep, dark corporate secret. Unsurprisingly, these snail farms often double as suppliers for the culinary industry. Because why exploit these sentient beings once when you can do it twice?

Producing enough mucin to fill shelves across the globe demands a constant supply of living creatures. And the quality? Depends on snail health and how they’re farmed. Not exactly a failproof formula. 

Not Just Snails

Let’s not pretend snails are the only nonhuman animals used as “ingredients.” Collagen derived from cows or fish remains a cash cow for the anti-aging crowd. There’s even the infamous “salmon sperm facial,” which extracts DNA from fish farming by-products. If that doesn’t scream “desperate for youth,” what does?

There’s a world of plant-based alternatives that don’t rely on forcibly taking from animals. BYOMA’s Phyto-Mucin serum is just one example. It’s a move toward justice-driven skincare that doesn’t exploit. 

Bottom Line

Reject the snail-goo hype. BYOMA’s vegan serum offers another path, one that doesn’t center on animals, slime, or secrecy. Instead, it’s a straightforward, plant-powered punch against oppressive beauty standards.   

Originally reported by PBN.