Episode 1: Weird Skincare

We unpack the strangest skincare rituals trending online, from snail mucin hype to edible serums, and explain which ingredients are actually backed by research.

Show notes

Why snail mucin works for some barriers and not others
Edible skincare: what the SA regulatory landscape allows
Three viral rituals to skip entirely

Chapters

Products mentioned

Skoon Skin — Basic Sensitive Fluid Moisturizer Lelive — All the Shade Marula Tinted SPF 30

Transcript

Welcome to The Skin Deep Podcast. Today we're separating the weird from the workable in skincare.

Snail mucin has real humectant and glycoprotein content, but the marketing outpaces the evidence for anti-ageing claims.

In South Africa, ingestible beauty products sit under food supplement rules, which changes what brands may legally claim.

Our takeaway: novelty is fine, but your core routine should stay cleanser, moisturiser, and SPF.

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Listener discussion

ThaboV
Been trying to explain this exact point about unusual skincare trends to friends for ages, going to just send them this episode instead.
2026/05/02
GideonD_MitchellsPlain
Good episode overall, though I think the take on unusual skincare trends glossed over a few of the counterarguments.
2026/05/08
KirstenT
Can you do a follow-up on sunscreen reformulation next? Would pair well with this one.
2026/05/26
DrYusufN
As someone working in skincare, I appreciated that this stayed evidence-led rather than chasing the trend angle on unusual skincare trends.
2026/07/12
ClaireP_Paarl
Really enjoyed this episode — the section on unusual skincare trends was more balanced than most of what I see online.
2026/08/14