If you're a fan of TikTok or Kim Kardashian’s beauty regime then you've probably heard of the term ‘slugging.’ If you aren’t, then you're in for a skin-nourishing treat. Slugging isn't something that removes unwanted pests from the lettuces in the garden. Slugging is a deeply moisturizing, glow-giving skincare technique you can do at home. It’s not only our favorite overnight facial of choice but we also use it in-flight for a hydration-locking treatment.
In basic terms, slugging is simply coating your face in an occlusive moisturizer in order to lock in hydration and other ingredients. It creates a protective but shiny layer on the skin’s surface, a bit like a slug we guess (but hopefully a lot more pleasant to look at). Note: you aren’t meant to understand what the word ‘occlusive’ means either. Translated, it’s a physical barrier that locks in hydration and prevents water loss. In medicine, doctors sometimes use occlusives for wound healing after surgery or burns.
So how does slugging work on our skin? Firstly our skin is subject to an endless daily bombardment from skin stressors. Here at 35 Thousand we've identified 7 environmental factors prevalent in flying and day-to-day life that affect the quality of our skin. There’s circadian rhythm disruption, skin irritation, radiation, cortisol spikes, skin fatigue, exposure to bacteria and lack of energy. All of these factors can leave skin dull, irritated, sensitive, prone to breakouts and hugely dehydrated.
Slugging can help to restore the balance of your skin, lock in moisture and stop transdermal water loss which is especially beneficial if you suffer from dry skin or eczema. The optimal way to slug is to apply your moisturizer or serum followed by applying your occlusive layer over the top. You can also layer products under your moisturizer to supercharge the benefits. If, for example, you use Really Radiant Cream as a deeply hydrating mask and Clever Cleansing Balm over the top and leave overnight, the OTG-7 Complex benefits are sealed deeply into the skin. The result? Waking to a wonderfully luminous, deeply hydrated and plumped complexion.
One word of warning, however: the world of TikTok will recommend you use a petroleum-derived product as your occlusive layer. While this may prevent water from escaping from the skin, we don’t recommend using petroleum products on your face (our cars are a different story) as they sit in and clog pores and can cause breakouts. We're a petrochemical-free brand (as well as being synthetic fragrance, color, paraben and nanoparticle-free) and therefore when it comes to slugging we highly recommend you give our plant-based formulas a whirl instead. Because they're dermatologically-tested and non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) they shouldn’t disrupt even the most sensitive complexion.
Slugging how to:
For an at-home, inflight or hotel room slugging treatment:
Step 1: Clean face using nourishing Clever Cleansing Balm
Step 2: Spritz face with Refresh & Revive Mist. Packed with hyaluronic acid, fatty acids and marula oil this is an important step in our slugging routine
Step 3: Apply Really Radiant Cream which contains hyaluronic acid as well as ximenynic acid, a fast-working anti-inflammatory
Step 4: Finish with a thin layer of Clever Cleansing Balm which contains marula oil, squalane and camellia seed oil. This is the our plant-based occlusive layer that will lock in all of the above. Leave on overnight or when WFH for a radiant, plumped complexion.
