ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Cream and ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Essence Review

This week's review is double feature of ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Cream and the matching ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Essence.  I'm doing both at the same time because I just want this duo of colossal failure out of my bathroom and out of sight/mind.


I had purchased them in in a set, because I had been searching for a snail filtrate cream to replace my Skin79 White Reviving cream, and I was looking for a serum to boost hydration on my skin.  Why not save $$ by getting them in a set?  I'm a committed proponent of having a wide range of moisturizer types to choose from, because with my nastily combination skin, it's easier for me to apply/layer different types of moisturizers in the areas with individual needs than use a one-size-fits-none general moisturizer.

I am going to warn you right now: I am highly disappointed with these products.  They were a complete let-down, and at their price they should have been amazing.  ElishaCoy is known for having high-quality products, and when I first researched this product, I was encouraged by the only review I could find at the time: Hope in a Blog's review of the cream.

She compared it to the Mizon Snail cream, and since I have been using the Mizon Snail Gel (reviewed) to great effect, her rave review of the EC compared to the Mizon left me with high hopes.  I'm glad it worked for her, because these products sure sucked for me.

Well, let's get this review over with!


Details (cream):
Full product name: ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Cream
Purpose: Moisturizing cream with skin 'repairing' functions via 91% snail filtrate.
Texture: Standard light cream texture, as opposed to the heavy, rich creams that leave your face greasy.
Scent: Mild.  Has the sort of standard EC scent, a natural floral-and-green-things smell.
Quantity: 50g, lasted me a month at best.
Availability: I bought mine from ebay, it's also available from Sasa and a few other online vendors.
Price: Insane.  I purchased this + the essence for $69.99, and it was a complete disappointment.  Seller may also be slightly shady, so I am not going to link their shop.
Rating:  2.5/5
Repurchase: Hell no.  When I compare the price to its performance, it's so not worth it.

Details (essence):
Full product name: ElishaCoy Skin Repairing Snail Essence
Purpose: A serum which you layer on between toning and your final moisturizer, also  formulated for skin 'repair' via 80% snail filtrate.
Texture: Very light cream, almost like a whipped verion of a milk, or if you mixed a milk with a cream.
Scent: Medium.  In addition to the standard EC scent, it also has a strong citrus scent which was very pretty.
Quantity: 40ml, and either my seller was scamming me, or 40ml doesn't go very far.
Availability: I bought mine from ebay, it's also available from Sasa and a few other online vendors.
Price: See above for price insanity.
Rating:  1.5/5
Repurchase: I might purchase the cream if it was on sale down to $15, but I'll never purchase the Essence again.


Full Review:

So, let me preface by saying that my resentment and bitterness towards this set is 100% brought on by high expectations compared to poor results.  Not only have I had miraculous success with other snail (Mizon) products and general success with ElishaCoy products, after reading Hope in a Blog's smackdown of EC outperforming Mizon in nearly every category, I was willing to pay the completely ridiculous price for this set.  If my experience with Mizon was amazing, and EC was so much better than Mizon, at that price it was bound to release a cloud of angel dust when I opened the container, right?

Not only did it take a stupidly long time to get here, even  by international shipping from Korea standards, I was immediately suspicious that essence was half empty, because unlike the cream's jar which had a seal strip you can see in the photo, there was no seal on the essence.  The packaging looked pretty enough, as per usual, but as soon as I lifted the essence I was suspicious-- it felt very light and flimsy.  I immediately messaged the seller asking them to send me a photo of a full bottle on a scale, and they sent me back a picture of a totally different bottle.

I instantly panicked, thinking I had just spent $70+shipping on a fake, but googling showed my bottle as the type displayed everywhere other than the image they had sent.  They hastened to explain that it's because EC had changed the packaging, and because they had a 100% rating for 1.5k+ feedback, I took them at their word.

The Essence lasted me a month, as did the cream.  There is no way in hell I am spending $70 a month for two skincare products unless they were magical, and lemme tell you, they were nuthin' special.

First off, the cream.  As usual, the packaging is very pretty as it boasts: Skin Repairing Snail Cream Skin Re-generation Wrinkle care & 91% snail extract, for all skin types.

Back details:
-Contains snail slime extract that boosts skin resilience and flexibility and forms a healthy moisture barrier over the skin to keep the skin vitalized at all times.
-Adenosine and peptides enhance skin density and glow to prevent skin cell damage and to strengthen the skin.
-Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera extract and 12-tea complex provide ample moisture and nutrients to the skin and enhance the moisture retention capacity of dry skin that easily feels tight to keep the skin moisturized and smooth at all times.
-Phyto-TF, an all natural plant extract, protects and calms tired skin, helping to maintain your skin's natural vitality. 



Sounds impressive, right?

Sadly, it was an average, run-of-the-mill face cream.  The nicest thing I can say about it is that it did not break me out.  It's slightly heavier than the Skin79 White Reviving cream, and it absorbs fairly quickly into the face.  It did a decent job of keeping my skin hydrated throughout the day, but I still got flaky by the end of my workday.

I did not notice any improvement in my acne compared to just using the Mizon snail gel alone, which was a huge disappointment.  I was expecting a lot of heavy acne-improving magic from the snail-on-snail-on-snail action (gel + cream + essence) but I found it made no effect.  Perhaps if I wasn't already using the gel, I would have noticed more of a difference in how it handled my acne.

I did not notice any dramatic improvement in my wrinkles either, compared to the effects I have been getting from my regular (cheaper) products.  That's really the bottom line for me-- if this cream had been only $20-$30, I would have a very different perspective on it, but at this price it should have made me fart rainbows.

Next, the essence.  Again the packaging is lovely, with an adorable little snail frolicking on the front as the label reads: Skin Repairing Snail Essence Wrinkle-care & Whitening Contains 80% snail extract For all skin types.


Back details:
-80% Snail extract plus Human Oligopeptide-1 and Tomato Callus Extract that helps give your skin elasticity.  Improves your skin's ability to stay moisturized.
-A high degree of the skin-friendly vitamin complex, Liposome, and mushroom extracts penetrate deep into the skin to deliver clean and clear skin.
-Marine collagen and Ceramides improve and maintain the skin's natural moisture retention capacity and improves elasticity bringing moisture and relief to dry skin.
-Certified by ECOCERT for care of skin irritation, a combination of chamomile and black soybean extracts, phyto collagen helps manage your skin's dryness with ease.
-Whitens and fights wrinkles while keeping your skin bright and full of its natural elasticity.

Sounds even more impressive!  If anything the essence was even more disappointing than the cream, because not only was it not very hydrating or long-lasting, it irritated my skin after application.

I think it may be the citrus, but it definitely stung a bit when I applied it, and as a result my skin was more prone to breakouts than usual due to the irritation.  I find it so ironic that it's "ECOCERT certified for care of skin irritation" (whatever the heck ECOCERT is) when in fact it caused irritation instead of healing it!

It also had a case of "neither fish nor fowl" where it was too heavy to be a light moisturizer and too light to be a true serum-- I expect serums to be a thin, easily-spread moisture bomb or treatment that sinks easily into the skin.  The EC snail essence was just so terribly 'meh' in this area ... in fact, let's just stop talking about it so I can move on.  I have a Mizon Snail Serum en route from Korea right now, let's hope it renews my love affair with the little gastropod guys.

Wait, I lied about moving on, because we didn't talk about whitening.  GRAH!  As you may know from my Skin79 White Reviving Cream review I have a ton of hyperpigmentation as my acne clears, and I need a product to fade the scars and desert-sun damage.  As I used these products instead of the White Reviving cream, my skin darkened and darkened until I bought the Skin79 White Reviving Solution to try to halt and reverse it.  Whatever concentration of whitening ingredients the EC snail line has, it might as well not be there at all.

Final thoughts:

ElishaCoy had better pull out some stops in the next product I get from them, or I'm revising my opinion of the brand.  This is the second product that has completely fallen down on the sweeping claims made by the packaging, and I'm starting to get really annoyed.

If the EC snail cream ever goes on sale for, say, $15, I would definitely pick it up, because it's a perfectly serviceable face cream that doesn't cause blemishes.  At $40+ a jar retail, it's so, soooo not worth it.  I am back to using the Skin79 White Reviving Cream ($20-30$ retail) and I am using the matching White Reviving Solution which is the serum from the same line.  I'll be doing a review of it when I hit the 1 month usage mark.


Leave me a comment if you have found your own HG snail product, and follow me for updates on upcoming reviews!
All the best,
-Cat

**Disclaimer: All products reviewed/mentioned in my blog, are 100% purchased with my own money, with a single exception of a press sample I tested & reviewed in 2015 which swore me off of them forever.  This blog contains  both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and clicking the former before you shop means that this blog may receive a small commission to assist in this blog supporting itself.  Please see my Contact Info & Disclaimer policy for more information.

6 comments

  1. Would you recommend Mizon Snail Cream for acne? I am trying to find a good substitution for my AHA night treatment and I was thinking about snail creams.

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    1. I would highly recommend the cleanser. I'm acne prone and work at McDonald's and have full time school. Needless to say, I'm stressed and I barely eat and when I can it's not as healthy as I want. HOWEVER. THAT CLEANSER CLEARED MY SKIN AFTER 2 USES!? I just bought the cream today because the cleanser did not disappoint. (I usually try cleanser's first because if a company can't nail a soap and deep cleanse the rest of the collect-to me- will probably FLOP)

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  2. *Edit: had the wrong link posted :)

    I am not a professional, but I personally found that the Mizon Snail Gel http://snowwhiteandthepear.blogspot.com/2013/03/weekly-review-mizon-multi-function.html worked really well for my acne in terms of healing it more quickly, but I didn't find it that stopped new breakouts from forming. It did amazing things for me in terms of healing, though, but again that's just my personal experiences :D

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  3. >>it should have made me fart rainbows<<

    Ahahahah !! I definitely love reading your blog !

    Oh and Ecocert is a french certification for organic products. :)

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  4. I find it interesting that you have problem skin to begin with (acne, flaking, scars, sun damage, prone to breakouts...per your review) and condemn this product although it were supposed to magically fix your myriad of skin issues. Just because it didn't miraculously change what can't just be changed overnight doesn't make something a bad product. A more thoughtful reviewer would have said, "This product doesn't work for those with problem skin, but may be great for others who have fewer skin issues"..instead of just saying it sucks entirely. It's just funny that you have a laundry list of skin disorders and expect this product to have fixed them all for you.

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