TikTok is a factory for fun beauty trends, consistently teaching us new ways to spice up our skin care routines. Whilst the Korean skin care technique, slugging, has been a skin-tok obsession for months now, the viral trend is set to re-emerge, except this time, it’s for our nails.
Slugging, in essence, is a skincare technique fostered to hydrate dry skin. After applying moisturiser and facial serum at nighttime, a penny-sized amount of a thick moisturising product is used to coat the entirety of the face, often twice weekly. Overnight, the protective layer then sinks and locks into the skin, leaving a texture that’s baby smooth and set to combat dry spots, flaky skin, black heads, and even fine lines.
Lately, slugging has re-emerged, reviving its presence on our TikTok For You pages to remind its advocates of its versatility. As a methodology that does not have to be exclusive to the face, slugging is proving a fan-favourite for both our nails and our cuticles.
Whilst those who attempt the technique are free to use the products of their choice, the TikToker who went viral for her take on nail slugging, @lovefreshpaint, chooses to massage CND’s Vinylux Solar Essential Nail & Cuticle Conditioner into her nails and cuticles. She then adds a dab of Eucerin’s Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm every night before bed.
Not only is slugging easy to execute, but it’s affordable too. From Vaseline’s Original Petroleum Jelly to Eucerin’s signature products, just about any thick moisturiser is set to do the trick, just so long as the product is occlusive and locks in moisture. What’s more, the simplicity of this technique ensures that everyone can take part. If you’re a lover of planet-friendly products and looking for a plant based oil, for example, TikTok’s self-proclaimed skincare fairy godmother Charlotte Parlermino recommends Dr. Paw Paw’s Original Balm.
Whether the summer heatwave has left your skin peeling and particularly dry, or those holiday acrylics have left you with weakened, dry nails, slugging is a healing technique that proves perfect all year round. After all, as autumn gets ready to roll into motion, we need all the hydration we can get!
Words By Gracie Eastwood & Julia Bastos
Photo Credit: Aquaphor US Instagram
