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Shark Sauce

Redness/IrritationSerum

Shark Sauce — Reddit Reviews

by Holy Snails

87nextscore9 verdicts

Updated October 10, 2026

Watery niacinamide serum for redness, hydration, and brightening; breaks some people out.

What the community says

Backed by 58 studies

A watery niacinamide serum with N-acetylglucosamine, licorice root, panthenol, and hyaluronic acid that people used for redness, hydration, and fading marks. Redditors loved it on dehydrated, sensitive, and eczema-prone skin; others got breakouts fast.

From Reddit

Backed by 9 threads from r/AsianBeauty and r/tretinoin.

Read the threads ↓

What people love

  • Watery niacinamide + NAG brightening
  • Redness and hydration support
  • No fragrance, layered well

Watch out for

  • Niacinamide can trigger breakouts
  • Not every sensitive-skin user got along with it
  • Discontinued, so finding a replacement is the whole game

Product details

Skin type data limited

Where to buy

Search on Amazon

What the science says

  • Acne

    Some evidence

    Niacinamide: 6 studies tested it on its own. See all 17 studies

    What the studies found
    • Most studies found niacinamide helped acne
    • It often cleared acne about as well as clindamycin when put on the skin
    • Some studies found it helped reduce red, sore spots and pimples
    • Some evidence is still uncertain because some studies found no clear difference
  • Hyperpigmentation

    Some evidence

    Niacinamide: 5 studies tested it on its own. See all 20 studies

    What the studies found
    • All 5 studies that tested it on its own found it helped fade dark spots
    • On its own, it reduced facial darkening and made skin look lighter than a placebo
    • It also improved dark spots linked with sun damage in one clinical trial
  • Anti-Aging

    Some evidence

    Niacinamide: 3 studies tested it on its own. See all 9 studies

    What the studies found
    • All 3 studies that tested it on its own found it helped with signs of aging
    • Studies found it improved the look of wrinkles and made skin seem firmer
    • Studies also found it helped dark spots and reduced redness and yellowing
    • One study found it helped skin hold more water and lowered water loss through the skin
    • Used with another ingredient, it improved dark spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and firmness more than niacinamide alone
  • Skin Barrier

    Not proven yet

    Few or mixed studies. This claim isn't established.

    Niacinamide: 1 study tested it on its own. See all 17 studies

    What the studies found
    • The one study that tested it on its own found it helped the skin barrier
    • It lowered water loss through the skin
    • It increased the thickness of the outer skin layer
  • Dullness

    Not proven yet

    Few or mixed studies. This claim isn't established.

    Niacinamide: 1 study tested it on its own. See all 4 studies

    What the studies found
    • The only study on niacinamide by itself found it helped dull skin
    • Niacinamide on its own improved dark spots in the study
    • Niacinamide on its own also improved fine lines, wrinkles, and firmness
    • Used with another ingredient, it helped more than niacinamide alone in that study
  • Texture/Pores

    Not proven yet

    Few or mixed studies. This claim isn't established.

    Niacinamide: No study tested it on its own. See all 4 studies

    What the studies found
    • Its own effect has not been measured because no study tested niacinamide on its own for texture or pores
    • Some studies found smoother skin when niacinamide was used together with other ingredients
    • Some studies found improved pores and oiliness in products that included niacinamide with other ingredients
    • Some studies also found more even-looking skin texture in products that included niacinamide with other ingredients

Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.

Real Reddit threads — 11 mentions across 9 threads

Holy Snails Shark Sauce on Reddit, in one place — 9 threads from r/AsianBeauty and r/tretinoin, summarized.

“Shark Sauce”

Mentioned

“Cosrx Snail 96”

Mentioned

“Cosrx Snail 92 AIO”

Mentioned

“I started breaking out almost as soon as I started using Shark Sauce back in the day”

Cautionary

“then I went through maybe 5 bottles of the stuff trying to fix the never-ending breakouts”

Cautionary

“Also maybe some serum like Holy Snails Shark Sauce”

Mentioned

“or Stratia Rewind, or something similar, to repair the skin.”

Mentioned

“I used to have a truckload of severe allergy issues until I started to take much better of my skin.”

Mentioned

“I also apply u/holysnails Shark Sauce either 30 min after C20 or on nights I don't take a full bath”

Positive

“I really saw a difference after starting to use this and it's helped my skin heal wonderfully!”

Positive

“I think the niacinamide is the biggest thing for me!”

Positive

“During the month of trying out Holy Snail's shark sauce and snow bang, my skin was the most well behaved thing.”

Positive

“I ran out a few days ago. And now this reaction happens.”

Positive

“Slathering on snails seems to help.”

Positive

“In that case, you'd want to a niacinamide/n-acetyl glucosamine product like Shark Sauce or Skinlex”

Mentioned

“a combination that is very effective for fading.”

Mentioned

“If you don't see improvement with that, nacinamide alone probably won't be sufficient.”

Mentioned

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