Slugging – It’s not about snails

Slugging originated in South Korea and involves sealing in your juicy skincare with an occlusive layer to prevent transepidermal water loss.
It basically helps your skin to stay hydrated and avoid it from drying out, especially in times when your skin might feel dryer. South Korea always sets great examples in tackling an issue by the root rather than trying to treat the symptom, dry skin that is in this case.

How to do it

Thankfully you don’t need a lot but your regular nighttime skincare regime. It is best to be applied at night or during a time of home officing without appointments as you will be looking like a glazed doughnut when done right.
• Double Cleanse
You want all the gunk off your skin that collected throughout the day
• Tone if you must or swear by it
• Hyaluronic Acid as an extra hydrating boost
• Go in with your serums
Slugging can catalyze the potency of your active ingredients, so test it out on a small patch of your
skin before you try it on your entire face
• Take your favourite Moisturiser
Probably the most important part of slugging as your moisturiser will work way more efficiently when
you apply the occlusive layer on top to retain the moisture
• Finish with Facial Exercises & Massages
The induced blood circulation and lymphatic drainage will help your skin to absorb your
skincare even better
• Apply your slugging ingredient to ‘seal the deal’
• Get your beauty sleep
Overnight your body and skin will be in repair mode to make the best out of your skincare and diet
to rebuild skin cells and so much more

Slug it on your face

Don’t worry, you won’t need to be collecting slugs for this to work. You will simply need to look for an occlusive layer that will lock everything in to start your slugging journey.
Petrolatum which is to be found in Aquaphor and Vaseline is widely available and tolerable by most skin types as it traps the moisture you just put on your skin. Of course, there can be other alternatives like balms or ointments that are not as heavy as Vaseline – The choice is what your skin tolerates best.
In most cases, you won’t need a lot of it though. A pea-size amount warmed up between your fingertips will be plenty to cover your face. Your body heat will make the product more emollient and easier to spread across your entire face or on patches that tend to be drier. You want to lightly pad it into your skin, rather than rubbing it to keep your skincare in place.

Get the glow

After you have been slugging the night before you will notice how lush and hydrated your skin is. All the moisture was allowed to do its magic overnight and will leave your skin like a happy camper.
It’s important though to double cleanse in the morning to take the occlusive layer off which will allow your morning skincare routine to work better on clean pores.

It’s not for everyone

Acne-prone or oily skin won’t necessarily benefit from slugging. If your skin produces a lot of sebum ( your natural facial oil) then you are already slugging. If you are currently inflamed in a certain area it is best to avoid it as breakouts need to breathe and slugging does the opposite, it traps everything in. So best to leave it on drier patches, if you have combination skin or stick to a light facial oil suiting your skin type.