“Slugging” has been round for years (and should even be one thing your mother nonetheless does), however it just lately exploded on TikTok because of Okay-Magnificence. With virtually 280 million mentions of slugging on TikTok, it might be the web’s favourite viral skincare hack, however is that this much-loved remedy for everybody? Let’s examine the slugging skincare development collectively.
What Is Slugging? | Outcomes From Slugging | Who Ought to Do Slugging & How Usually? | How To Slug | My Expertise | Different Issues
What Is Slugging?
Slugging includes coating your face in a petrolatum-based product like Aquaphor, or Vaseline or, for a ‘cleaner’ different, a thick (petrolatum-free) lipid balm equivalent to our Rosehip & Lemongrass Restore Balm, earlier than going to sleep.
The rationale for slugging is that the balm (in skincare phrases: an occlusive) acts as a bodily barrier, sitting on prime of your nighttime skincare routine, sealing in any hydration and stopping moisture loss.
In line with the Mayo Clinic, lipid balms like petroleum jelly, act like a greenhouse and insulate the pores and skin “in order that it would not lose warmth and would not lose moisture.” Any hydration you’ve utilized throughout your skincare routine will probably be absolutely absorbed into the pores and skin slightly than evaporating in a single day.
Slugging additionally helps the pores and skin’s moisture barrier. Elevated hydration means your pores and skin is best ready to defend towards irritations or allergens that may trigger blocked pores or breakouts. A wholesome barrier additionally means sooner restoration from any breakouts that do happen.
Slugging shouldn’t be one thing we advocate to everybody. It’s an awesome step for these with a dry pores and skin sort and dehydrated pores and skin. Nonetheless, for many who are extra breakout susceptible or have an oily pores and skin sort, we’d counsel the occasional slugging remedy (each couple of months if wanted) or under no circumstances, as slugging might enhance breakouts for shiny pores and skin sorts.
Slugging isn’t a miracle remedy for everybody. The AAD recommends avoiding petroleum jelly or thick occlusives if you happen to’re vulnerable to zits or breakouts. Though petroleum jelly is non-comedogenic, such a thick layer can entice useless pores and skin cells and dust, the right situations for breakouts.
Whereas these with dry pores and skin might love the marginally oily residue that slugging can go away you with, oilier pores and skin sorts might need to keep away from trapping any further oil. In case your pores and skin is zits susceptible or on the oilier aspect, contemplate an alternative choice to slugging. Layering a hyaluronic acid-based serum with a thicker face masks is a hydrating choice that received’t clog your pores.
Though the identify slugging is new — the follow shouldn’t be. Korean, Afro-Caribbean and European magnificence practices have used variations of pores and skin slugging for generations — slugging the pores and skin on the face, fingers, toes, eyelids and lips to scale back dryness and encourage product absorption. It’s additionally widespread to see the follow utilized by professionals after micro-needling or chemical peel remedies, or as a relieving salve for these with eczema or psoriasis.
Outcomes From Slugging
After a nighttime routine of slugging your pores and skin, you need to get up with wholesome, smooth-looking pores and skin that has been hydrated via the night time and is much less more likely to wrinkle or develop high-quality strains. The method works to forestall transepidermal water loss, to maintain moisture in your pores and skin and improve the results of the skincare merchandise you’ve utilized to your face.
Who Ought to Do Slugging and How Usually?
Slugging is finest for drier pores and skin sorts, mature pores and skin, or those that really feel dryness via the cooler seasons. The follow is very helpful although winter when temperatures drop and the pores and skin barrier is compromised or in danger.
Every individual ought to slug in keeping with their desire of product thickness. Begin with a cleansed face and observe as many steps of your skincare routine as you need. End up by including a number of dabs of yoasur slugging product and construct as much as a blueberry-sized quantity. Apply a couple of times per week (and even every day) relying on how dry your pores and skin feels and the way your pores and skin reacts. However, all the time patch check earlier than making use of to the entire face. We’ve a extra thorough routine clarification beneath. Now, let’s transfer on to a slugging routine (anticipate the ultimate step for the slugging half!).
How To Slug: Sleep Hydration Centered Nighttime Routine
Begin about 30 minutes earlier than heading to mattress.
1. Cleanse your pores and skin. Gently cleanse with the Agency Pores and skin Acai Cleanser, an ultra-hydrating approach to take away impurities from the pores and skin.
2. Exfoliate for further smoothness. The Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant incorporates plant extracts to {smooth} the looks of the pores and skin with out stripping any moisture.
3. Hydrate with a spritz. Take pleasure in a number of spritzes of our Neroli Age Corrective Hydrating Mist for a refreshing elevate.
4. Deal with with a serum or essence. We love the Birch Water Purifying Essence for a lift of hydration, or contemplate making use of our Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum for further moisture – or, strive each!
5. Apply a moisturizer. The light-weight hydration in our Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Hydrator is an ideal increase of hyaluronic acid.
6. Apply a face oil. We love the Camellia Glow Strong Face Oil — heat up a small dab in your palm and {smooth} over the whole face.
7. Time to slug! Take a blueberry-sized quantity of the Rosehip & Lemongrass Restore Balm, melting it first in your fingers, and evenly rolling it over the face. Containing shea butter and beeswax, the balm will act as a coating to lock in hydration and stop moisture evaporation from the pores and skin. Depart the product on when you sleep.
8. Within the morning, use your cleanser to take away any morning-after residue, or just rinse the face with water to start out with a clear base for the day forward.
My Expertise
As somebody with year-round dry pores and skin who actually feels the dry air via the cooler months, slugging performed a giant position in my skincare routine this winter, and I fortunately jumped on the development. Each second night time, I utilized my serum, moisturizer and facial oil earlier than smoothing out a blueberry-sized little bit of Rosehip & Lemongrass Restore Balm throughout my nostril, brow and cheeks.
I cruised via winter with glowy, moisturized pores and skin — which I most well-liked over the dry, flakey and typically peeling winter pores and skin I am used to experiencing. Because the climate will get hotter although, the necessity to slug has decreased, and I’m now slugging a couple of times per week max.
Different Issues
1. Potential For Pillow Staining
If you happen to sleep with a silk pillow case, contemplate switching again to your cotton pillow case on a slugging night time, or sleep with a delicate towel over your pillow.
2. Strategize Your Pores and skin Care Routine
Including slugging into your routine might require some planning as you’ll want to keep away from utilizing any actives, equivalent to AHAs or BHAs, or retinoids on a slugging night time. As a result of glasshouse impact we point out above, sealing in merchandise intensifies the results of some skincare merchandise, particularly chemical exfoliants. Nonetheless, layering light moisturizers or hydrating serums whereas slugging is okay.
3. Cleaning Beforehand Is A Should
Eradicating make-up and dust is a vital step earlier than you begin layering and sealing — you don’t need to entice any particles or nasties that you simply accrued all through the day.
4. Hair Up!
Until tomorrow is hair wash day, we’d advocate tying up lengthy hair and pinning again your fringe to keep away from waking up with oily hair caught in your face.
Have you ever tried slugging or do you swear by one other viral development? We’d love to listen to about it! Tell us on our social media, or within the feedback beneath.
