Snails have become somewhat more mainstream in beauty nowadays and are considered a staple in Korean (K-beauty) skin care, but did you know that throughout history snails have been incorporated into beauty products and rituals due to their incredible anti-aging benefits?

Snail mucin, the mucus that nails secrete to protect themselves, has become a highly coveted beauty ingredient used in everything from sheet masks to face creams and is said to offer numerous beauty including enhancing skin’s glow, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, reducing hyperpigmentation and acne scars, and more.

Fun Korean Beauty Products You Need to Try

In 2018, Marius Ronnov and Jeffrey Lee discovered that many people were struggling to care for themselves, even with the constant stream of “innovative” products in the market. With expertise in technology and consumer behavior, they both decided to start Cubert, a collection of care brands that would help people achieve health and happiness. 

“I brought a decade of experience growing consumer-focused brands and e-commerce platforms to Cubert,” says Ronnov. “From guiding enterprise software development at Shutterstock to leading mixed media strategies for Google, my data-driven approach has consistently led to surpassing bottom-line results for high revenue companies.”

Adds Lee, “ While I brought my experience of growing multiple brands from incubation—I like to think I’ve  mastered the art of scaling brands quickly and profitably without breaking the bank. As an entrepreneur and performance marketer, my goal is transform the direct-to-consumer space through funnel and creative hacking.”

Behind the Brand: Southold Bay Skin Care Features Innovative Oyster Technology

One of Cubert’s brands is Eskafil, a recently-launched holistic skincare line that harnesses the power of snail mucin to reduce signs of aging, moisturize dry skin, and more. The difference between their brand and other snail slime products on the market is Eskafil’s use of ethically sourced snail slime.

Eskafil obtains the snail slime through a system that places snails in an environment that makes them extremely pleasured and happy. This environment is a room that’s at the exact temperature and darkness for ultimate snail happiness—the snails then excrete their slime over a mesh covering, the slime is then removed and placed into their skincare products.

We chatted with Lee and Ronnov, who shared the inspiration behind the brand, what distinguishes their brand from other snail products on the market, and more.

When was Eskafil founded and what’s the meaning behind the name?

Eskafil was founded in 2020 and the brand name is a play on words. We came up with the name by combining the French word escargot meaning ‘snail’ with the french word fille meaning ‘girl’—with this, we created Eskafil! 

Tell us more about your products and what makes them special.

All of Eskafil's products harness the power of snail mucin. The Youth Activating Line, which includes the Youth Activating Serum ($65), Youth Activating Cream ($60), and Youth Activating Eye Cream ($59) boasts one of the highest concentrations of snail slime on the market. Coined as the “fountain of youth” by ancient Greeks, snail mucin boasts the ability to stimulate new cell repair and increase collagen production—the protein responsible for young healthy skin.

One of the key active ingredients in snail mucin is allantoin. It is this substance that repairs the snail’s shell when it accidentally becomes chipped or split. The extracts healing properties are also known to heal cuts, soften scar tissue, fight infections, repair sun damage, regenerate skin cells, and make skin look younger, tighter, and brighter. By using the right combination of natural ingredients, Eskafil helps you reverse skin damage and restore your skin health so it looks smoother and younger without needing to undergo painful medical procedures.

Do you have a hero product? What’s your favorite?

The Youth Activating Line is really supposed to be used as a whole regimen so rather than having a hero product, we’d say the Youth Activating Line is the hero of our brand. For that reason, we like using all of the products because they each target a different skin concern. 

But if we had to pick just one, we’d have to say our favorite is the Youth Activating Serum. The texture of the serum is unlike anything we have experienced on the market. 

Where are your products sold?

On our website.

For more information and to purchase, visit the website and follow on Instagram: @eskafilskincare

[Images courtesy of Eskafil]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk