Snail Slime and Gold Could Make Powerful Sunscreen

By Christina P. Hooton

Imagine reading the ingredients label on your bottle of sunscreen and seeing snail slime or gold. That may one day be a reality thanks to Italian researchers who tested the light-reflecting and absorbing power of gold nanoparticles combined with snail slime. Together, they may create a powerful, eco-friendly substance that is more effective than current sunscreens on the market.

A Slimy Substance

Scientists started their experiment by harvesting slime from the brown garden snail using an ozone-filled chamber that encourages slime production. They then mixed that slime with gold atoms dissolved in water. As a reduction agent, the snail slime gives electrons to gold, changing it from Au³⁺ to AU⁰,the metal form of gold. This form of gold doesn’t dissolve in water. Its individual atoms form nanoparticles.

Reflecting Light

Traditional sunscreens work by reflecting sunlight with ingredients like zinc or titanium. Alone, gold reflects more light than these ingredients. When combined with snail slime, its sun-protecting power is boosted. That’s because snail slime absorbs light while gold reflects it. Slime-coated gold won when the team compared its light-reflecting ability with plain gold nanoparticles. This proves the mixture could result in a higher SPF sunscreen.

Better for Skin and the Planet

Gold nanoparticles are traditionally made using chemicals that release pollutants. Snail slime presents a greener way to do this.

Additionally, snail slime is good for skin. It can hydrate and lighten age spots. Combined with gold nanoparticles, it can help remove oxygen radicals from the skin. Oxygen radicals are produced by the body normally, but too many can be harmful. They can also make sunscreen less effective. Antioxidants are added to sunscreen to fight radicals. The gold nanoparticles being studied by Italian researchers can also serve this purpose.

Challenges Remain

Not all gold nanoparticles are created equal, though. The shape and size of a nanoparticle can give it different traits and control which chemicals it reacts with. This doesn’t work for commercial products, which need to perform consistently. Snail slime may be disrupting the nanoparticles’ perfect harmony. It contains a variety of molecules, including peptides, carbohydrates, and proteins, that could be causing different reactions.

Scientists could solve these issues using a centrifuge, which separates different-sized particles, or by changing the thickness of the mixture by adding sugar.

No matter how it shakes out, snail slime and gold sunscreen is oozing with potential.