From Our Family Snail Farm in Ireland to Thousands of Customers Across Europe
Every Bragan Skincare product begins its journey on our family snail farm in the drumlins of County Monaghan, Ireland. From there, our carefully harvested snail mucin travels to our specialist pharmaceutical manufacturing partner in Italy before returning home as the finished skincare products trusted by thousands of customers.
We believe great skincare starts with exceptional ingredients, careful manufacturing and complete transparency. That's why we're proud to show you exactly how our products are made, who makes them, and the people behind every step of the journey.
BRAGAN SKINCARE
Bragan Skincare began with a discovery rather than a business plan.
While running our family snail farm in the drumlins of County Monaghan, Ireland, our founder, Kieran Corley, noticed the remarkable effect that snail mucin had on his own skin. Curious to learn more, he spent years researching its potential and developing early formulations to see whether others might experience similar benefits.
What began as curiosity quickly became a mission. Family members, friends and local volunteers tried the early formulations, and their feedback shaped every step of the journey.
As more people shared their experiences, we realised we had a responsibility to continue developing gentle skincare that could genuinely help people living with dry, irritated and sensitive skin.
Today, we remain a family-run Irish business with the same philosophy we had from the beginning: create gentle, fragrance-free skincare designed to support the skin barrier, listen carefully to our customers, and continue improving every product based on real-world experience.
We're proud of where we've come from, but we're even more excited about where we're going. Every product we make is inspired by the people who trust us with their skin, and that responsibility continues to guide everything we do.
Our Story
If someone had told me years ago that I would one day be making skincare products, I probably wouldn't have believed them.
My original goal wasn't to create skincare at all. After learning about the growing demand and limited supply of snails for human consumption as escargot, I became fascinated by snail farming and decided to establish our family snail farm in the drumlins of County Monaghan, Ireland.
While working with the snails every day, I began noticing the remarkable effect that snail mucin was having on my own skin. That unexpected discovery sparked a curiosity that would eventually change the direction of my life.
The more I learned, the more fascinated I became. I spent countless hours researching snail mucin, reading scientific studies and exploring why it had been valued in skincare for generations. That curiosity gradually turned into a determination to see whether we could create products that were both gentle and genuinely effective for people with sensitive skin.
For almost two years, Marion and I worked together developing and refining our first formulations. We tested different ingredients, listened carefully to feedback from family, friends and local volunteers, and kept improving every product until we were confident it met the standards we had set ourselves.
One of the first people to try our cream was our daughter's boyfriend, Shane. In those early days, family and friends quickly discovered that visiting us often came with the possibility of being asked to test another formulation. Their honest feedback helped shape the products we make today.
Shane had been living with psoriasis for years and, like many people with visible skin conditions, often felt self-conscious about his skin. He regularly wore long sleeves, even during the summer, because he was embarrassed by how his arms looked.
Over the following weeks, we all watched his skin begin to improve.
Seeing that change first-hand was the moment we realised that what had started as a personal discovery had the potential to help many other people
As more people tried our products, something unexpected happened. Friends began telling friends. Families recommended us to one another. More and more people got in touch looking for help with dry, irritated and sensitive skin. We listened carefully to every conversation, and those conversations continue to shape the products we develop today.
Bragan Skincare has grown a great deal since those early days, but the way we work hasn't changed. We're still a family-run Irish business. We still listen to our customers. We still believe that the best ideas often come from the people using our products every day. Every cream, shampoo and skincare product we create is built on that same commitment to listening, learning and continually improving.
From Farm to Finished Product
Where Every Bragan Product Begins
Every Bragan product begins with snail mucin farmed on our family snail farm in County Monaghan, Ireland.
✓ Family-run snail farm in Ireland
✓ Snails raised in carefully controlled conditions
✓ Welfare always comes first
✓ Snail mucin farmed in Monaghan
✓ Expertly manufactured in Italy by a specialist pharmaceutical laboratory to strict European cosmetic standards
From Farm to Customer
From here, every batch travels to our specialist pharmaceutical laboratory in Italy, where it is carefully formulated into finished skincare products before returning to Ireland, ready for our customers.
How We Collect Our Snail Mucin
Our snail mucin is collected using specialist equipment designed to protect both the welfare of our snails and the quality of every batch we produce.
✓ Humane collection process
✓ Snails are never harmed during collection
✓ Welfare is our highest priority
✓ Collected using specialist equipment
✓ Every batch is carefully prepared before travelling to our specialist pharmaceutical laboratory in Italy
How does the process work?
The snails are gently placed inside the specialist collection chambers shown here. A carefully controlled environment encourages them to naturally release their mucin, which is then collected through a fine mesh beneath the chamber. Once the process is complete, the snails are returned to their normal environment.
Every step is designed to protect both the wellbeing of our snails and the quality of the natural ingredient that goes into every Bragan Skincare product.
Our Specialist Pharmaceutical Laboratory
Every batch of snail mucin is carefully transported from our family farm in County Monaghan to our specialist pharmaceutical manufacturing partner in Italy.
Here, the raw snail mucin is purified, tested and combined with carefully selected ingredients to create Bragan Skincare's finished products.
✓ Manufactured in a specialist pharmaceutical laboratory
✓ Produced to strict European cosmetic standards
✓ Every batch undergoes quality and safety testing
✓ Carefully blended with premium skincare ingredients
✓ Consistent quality in every jar and bottle
Why manufacture in Italy?
We chose to work with a specialist pharmaceutical laboratory because it offers the expertise, technology and quality controls needed to produce consistently high-quality skincare.
By combining Irish-farmed snail mucin with specialist European manufacturing, every Bragan product is produced to strict cosmetic standards before returning to Ireland for our customers.
From Laboratory to Finished Product
Every Bragan product is carefully manufactured, quality checked and prepared before returning to Ireland, where it is made available to customers across the country and beyond.
From the very beginning, our goal has been simple: to create gentle, effective skincare using premium snail mucin and high-quality ingredients, while never compromising on quality or our values.
✓ Every batch is carefully quality checked
✓ Manufactured to strict European cosmetic standards
✓ Made using premium snail mucin from our own Irish snail farm
✓ Carefully packaged and prepared for our customers
✓ Trusted by thousands of customers of all ages
From Our Family to Yours
From raising our snails in County Monaghan to working with our specialist pharmaceutical laboratory in Italy, every stage of the journey is designed with care.
We believe great skincare starts with great ingredients, careful manufacturing and complete transparency.
Thank you for supporting our Irish family business. We hope our products make a real difference to your skin, just as they have for thousands of customers over the years.
Trusted by Thousands of Customers
The greatest compliment we receive is hearing how our products have helped people regain confidence in their skin. Read genuine reviews, watch customer video testimonials and discover why so many families continue to choose Bragan Skincare.
How our customers shaped our product range
Every Bragan product has its own story. We don’t create products just to expand our range.
We listen to real people, understand their challenges and create solutions that truly help
The Discovery of Snail Mucin
The Discovery of Snail Mucin
People often ask me how Bragan Skincare began, and the truth is, it wasn't something I ever planned.
During the COVID lockdowns, I was listening to the radio one morning when there was a feature about snail farming. I'd never really thought about snails before, but something about it caught my attention. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became.
Before long, curiosity turned into action, and I decided to start farming snails here in County Monaghan.
At first, they were simply fascinating animals to work with. I genuinely fell in love with them. They're incredible little creatures, and anyone who has spent time around them will tell you they're far more interesting than most people realise.
As the months went by, I noticed something unexpected.
Working with the snails every day meant my hands were constantly coming into contact with snail mucin. Like many people who work outdoors, my hands were often dry, cracked and sore, but I began to notice they always seemed to recover remarkably well. Around the same time, I also noticed something unexpected. Scars on my arms from a misspent youth, which had been there for years, seemed to be fading far more than I would ever have expected.
Our snail farm in Co. Monaghan
The more I noticed it, the more curious I became.
I started researching snail mucin and discovered that scientists had been studying it for years. Its unique composition, including naturally occurring glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and other skin-supporting compounds, was attracting growing interest around the world.
That discovery sparked another question.
Could we create a skincare product that harnessed those naturally occurring properties in a gentle, effective way?
Working alongside cosmetic scientists, we developed what became our very first product: Bragan Atopic Cream.
Looking back now, it's amazing to think that a chance radio interview during lockdown eventually led to the creation of Bragan Skincare.
Sometimes life's biggest journeys begin when you simply follow your curiosity.
Why We Never Set Out to Build a Skincare Brand
When I created our first cream, I honestly thought that would be the end of the journey.
I wasn't trying to build a skincare brand. I wasn't writing business plans or thinking about creating a whole range of products. I simply wanted to see if we could develop a gentle moisturising cream using snail mucin that people with dry, irritated and sensitive skin would genuinely like to use.
Of course, before we could offer it to anyone else, we needed someone willing to try those early formulations.
Thankfully, my daughter Kerry's boyfriend, Shane, volunteered.
Shane has always had very dry skin, so he became our very first tester. Every time we adjusted the formulation, I'd hand him another sample and ask the same question:
"What do you think?"
He'd come back with honest feedback about how it felt, how easily it absorbed, whether it left his skin feeling comfortable and what he thought could be improved.
Looking back now, it's funny to think that some of those first conversations happened around the kitchen table, long before Bragan Skincare ever existed.
Eventually, we reached a formulation that we were genuinely proud of.
I still thought that might be where the story ended.
Instead, it was only just beginning.
A before and after photo of Shane's Arm
We tested the new formulation with a small group of local volunteers, and the early feedback was very positive. As people shared their experiences, word began to spread, and we started receiving calls from others hoping to try the formula for themselves.
As demand grew, we knew we needed to take the next step. We set out to find a reputable pharmaceutical manufacturing partner who could help us produce the formulation to the highest standards while ensuring full compliance with all applicable European regulations. It was important to us that the products remained true to our original vision while being manufactured with the quality, consistency and safety our customers deserved.
After three years of research, development and testing, we finally brought our first product to market in July 2022. That product was our Atopic Cream, created to support dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin. It was a proud milestone for our family and marked the beginning of Bragan Skincare.
People continued getting in touch to tell us about their own experiences. Some wanted to thank us. Others asked if we could create products for different skin concerns. Every conversation seemed to lead to another idea.
That's when I realised something important.
Instead of deciding what product we wanted to make next, we should listen to what our customers were asking for.
That simple idea has shaped Bragan Skincare ever since.
Listening to Customers: The Birth of Our Scalp Range
One of the things I've always enjoyed most about Bragan is hearing people's stories.
Not long after we launched our Atopic Cream, I received a message from a customer called Nicola.
Nicola worked in a local bookmakers, and she told me how embarrassed she was by the flakes that kept falling onto her dark work top throughout the day. She said she was constantly brushing them from her shoulders and worrying that customers and co-workers would notice.
Like many people, she'd tried countless shampoos over the years but still hadn't found something that worked for her.
Out of curiosity, she decided to try our Atopic Cream on her scalp.
A short time later, she got back in touch to tell me she'd noticed a real improvement.
I was delighted to hear that, but I also knew something wasn't quite right.
The Atopic Cream had been developed for the skin, not the scalp. While it seemed to help Nicola, it wasn't easy to apply through hair and it certainly wasn't the right formulation for regular scalp use.
That conversation stayed with me.
I remember thinking, "If Nicola is experiencing this, there must be so many other people looking for something designed specifically for the scalp."
So we went back to work.
Nicola shares her story, a story that inspired a product range
Working alongside our friends in the pharmaceutical company, we developed our first dedicated scalp product: Scalp Soothe. It was designed to deliver the same gentle, nourishing approach as our Atopic Cream but in a formulation that was much easier to apply directly to the scalp. To make application even simpler, we chose a precision nozzle that helps deliver the product directly where it's needed, without having to work it through the hair first.
As more customers began using Scalp Soothe, many also asked if we could create a shampoo that was just as gentle on sensitive scalps.
That feedback led to the development of our Sensitive Scalp Shampoo, followed later by our Sensitive Scalp Conditioner, completing the range.
Looking back, it's incredible to think that our entire scalp range began because one customer shared a problem she faced every day at work.
Nicola wasn't asking us to create a new product.
She was simply telling us her story.
And once again, one conversation helped shape the future of Bragan Skincare.
The Phone Call That Inspired Our Restless Legs Cream
Some conversations stay with you forever.
One Monday morning, I answered the phone to a customer called Elaine.
She told me she'd been away for the weekend when, in the middle of the night, she was woken by an attack of restless legs. Looking for something, anything, that might help, she searched through her belongings. The only thing she could find to hand was a tub of our Atopic Cream.
She decided to apply a small amount to her legs before trying to get back to sleep. Within 5 to 10 minutes the uncomfortable restless legs sensation had eased and she was able to get back to sleep.
She rang me to tell me about her experience. She was so surprised with the results that she simply had to let us know.
To be completely honest, until that phone call, I knew very little about restless legs. It wasn't a condition we'd ever considered when developing our products.
But Elaine's story sparked my curiosity.
Elaine inspired us to create a cream to soothe restless legs and feet.
I began researching Restless Legs Syndrome, reading about the symptoms people experience and the impact it can have on sleep and everyday life. The more I learned, the more I realised how many people were looking for products that could help soothe and comfort tired, restless legs as part of their evening routine.
Working alongside our friends in the pharmaceutical industry, we set about developing a cream designed specifically for this purpose.
The result was our Relieving Cream for Restless Legs and Feet.
Unlike our Atopic Cream, this new formulation was created specifically for tired, sore and jumpy legs. Alongside our signature snail mucin, we incorporated carefully selected warming ingredients to provide a comforting sensation while helping to soothe and moisturise the skin.
Today, it's one of the products I'm most proud of, not just because of what it became, but because of how it began.
If Elaine hadn't picked up the phone to share her story, there's every chance this cream would never have existed.
It's another reminder that some of the best ideas don't start in a meeting room.
They start with someone simply saying, "I thought you'd like to know what happened."
How a Hard Working Hands Helped Create Our Hand Cream
By this stage, I was beginning to notice a pattern.
Almost every new product idea seemed to start with a conversation.
This time, it was Gary.
Gary was doing some work on the farm when we got talking about the problems he was having with his hands. As an industrial cleaner, years of working with cleaning chemicals, detergents, repeated hand washing and wearing protective gloves had left them dry, cracked and painfully sore.
Like so many people in his profession, his hands were his livelihood. Every day they were exposed to substances that most of us rarely come into contact with, making it difficult for the skin to recover.
During our conversation, it became clear that people like Gary needed something developed specifically for hardworking hands.
Hands are different.
They're washed more often, exposed to more irritants and have to withstand constant wear and tear. They need a cream that's rich enough to nourish dry, damaged skin while absorbing quickly enough that you can get straight back to work.
So once again, we went back to our pharmaceutical team to develop a formulation specifically for hardworking hands.
Gary's story inspired us to create our Hand Cream
Working together, we developed our Hand Cream using our signature snail mucin formulation alongside carefully selected ingredients to help moisturise, protect and support the skin barrier. We wanted a cream that people could keep in their pocket, toolbox or work van and use throughout the day without leaving their hands feeling greasy.
Today, our Hand Cream is used by builders, mechanics, farmers, nurses, cleaners, hairdressers, gardeners and anyone whose hands work as hard as they do.
When I think about where it all began, I always come back to that conversation with Gary.
He wasn't asking us to launch another product.
He was simply telling us about a problem he faced every single day.
That's what I love most about Bragan.
We don't create products because they're fashionable.
We create them because real people trust us enough to share their stories—and together, those stories continue to shape the future of Bragan Skincare.
Why We Created Our Beauty Range
By now, we'd spent years travelling around Ireland, attending agricultural shows, exhibitions and events, meeting customers face to face.
Those conversations became one of my favourite parts of the job.
People would stop by our stand to tell me how they'd been getting on with our products, ask questions and share their own skincare stories. Over time, I started to notice something different.
Not everyone visiting us had eczema, psoriasis or another specific skin condition.
Many people simply wanted to look after their skin.
They'd heard about snail mucin and wanted to know if it could help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, keep their skin feeling hydrated or improve overall skin texture. Others were looking for a gentle daily skincare routine that supported healthy looking skin without using harsh ingredients.
The same question kept coming up:
"Do you have anything I can use on my face every day?"
After hearing that question time and time again, I realised there was another group of customers we could help.
So, once again, we went back to work.
The Bragan Skincare range
Working alongside our pharmaceutical friends, we developed a collection of everyday skincare products using the same signature snail mucin that had become the foundation of Bragan Skincare.
That journey led to the creation of our Beauty Range, including our Face Serum, Revitalising Face Cream and Body Cream.
Although these products were created for different reasons, our philosophy never changed.
We wanted to create skincare that was gentle, nourishing and enjoyable to use every day, while making the most of the naturally occurring compounds found in snail mucin.
Looking back, our Beauty Range wasn't created because we wanted to follow the latest skincare trend.
It was created because hundreds of conversations at shows and events told us that people loved the idea of snail mucin, even if they didn't have a particular skin condition.
Once again, our customers showed us the way.
And once again, we listened.
What's Next for Bragan Skincare?
People often ask me what's next for Bragan Skincare.
The honest answer is that I don't have a clue! I am waiting for the next customer to tell me what they need.
If you've read our story, you'll know that some of our most successful products began with a single conversation. Nicola inspired our Scalp Range. Elaine inspired our Restless Legs Cream. Gary helped shape our Hand Cream. None of those products would exist without customers taking the time to share their experiences.
That's why one of the things I enjoy most is hearing from the people who use our products.
Whether it's to tell us how you're getting on, share your skincare journey, ask a question or suggest an idea for a future product, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.
Every conversation helps us learn.
Every piece of feedback helps us improve.
And every suggestion is an opportunity to make Bragan Skincare even better.
As we continue to grow, our commitment will always remain the same: to create gentle, high-quality skincare inspired by nature, guided by science and shaped by the people who use it every day.
So, if there's something you'd like to ask, a skin concern you'd like to discuss or a product you'd love to see us develop in the future, please get in touch.
Who knows?
Your conversation could inspire the next chapter of the Bragan story.
