If you have been on Tiktok for a while and are a skincare enthusiast, you have probably seen people using the term ‘Slugging’ quite often. This skincare hack started trending last year only, however, it has been there for a long time. Whether you are looking forward to ‘Slugging’ or just want to know what’s up with the beauty community these days, this article is for you. Keep on scrolling to know more about this viral hack.

What’s the deal with ‘Slugging’?

Slugging is the term used to describe the act of locking in the nighttime skincare routine with the help of an occlusive. This involves using any petroleum-based product such as Vaseline or Aquaphor as the last step in your skincare routine to create a barrier on top of your skin, prevent trans epidermal water loss (TEWL), and keep moisture in place. Although this technique is mainly used for the face, it can also be beneficial for the body, lips, knees, and other body parts.

Are there any benefits to Slugging your face?

The reason why this hack became immensely popular among people, irrespective of their age, is the instant results. When done correctly, people noticed they woke up with super hydrated and moisturized skin. Let’s take a look at what more benefits this technique can offer.

• It strengthens the skin barrier: Slugging involves using occlusives on the skin as a protectant. If you have over exfoliated your skin or damaged the skin, slugging can help you heal.
• It prevents water loss: Occlusives create a barrier on the skin and make it hard for any product to escape, even water (99%) for that matter.
• It locks in hydration: Slugging is the last step so it makes sure everything applied before is sealed. Those who suffer from dry, flaky skin can highly benefit from this method.
• It soothes and softens the skin: Petroleum provides intense moisturization and also relieves and soothes the skin from any sort of irritation or redness.

This seems intense, how to slug the right way to get the maximum results?

You must follow a proper skin care regime to get the most of Slugging. Here’s how to do it:

• Your first step should be cleansing your skin. Since the main goal of slugging is to provide intense moisture, make sure to use a gentle and hydrating cleanser like our Daily Duet Face Wash to wash off all the dirt and makeup.
• Apply a hydrating toner and follow it up with an antioxidant serum like our C For Yourself Vitamin C Serum. This will make sure to treat your skin as well as hydrate it.
• Next up is using a lightweight moisturizer like our Ceramide Supercream, a hydrating and barrier repair formula.
• Lastly, finish off by applying a thin layer of vaseline or any other petroleum-based ointment.

Things to note before you try this viral hack!

1. People who have super dry, dehydrated, flaky, mature, irritated skin with damaged skin barrier can try slugging whenever the skin demands it. Those with extreme blackheads, oily and acne-prone skin can avoid it.
2. Quite contrary to popular belief, occlusive based products, even petroleum, do not clog your pores. In fact, it can calm it down.
3. Ensure you have cleansed your skin well before because everything (even dirt, if any) is sealed in Slugging.
4. It is recommended not to slug on nights when you have used retinoids so as not to increase its potency.
5. Only slug on nights and areas of the face when you have to! Always listen to what your skin has to say.

After a long, tedious day at work, have you ever looked at yourself and said, “Ahh! What do I do to get rid of this dull skin?” Dull, lifeless skin is a common concern for people of all ages and gender. Not only does it impact our mood, but it also makes us lose confidence. So, to answer your most asked question, we have curated an easy routine that you can use anytime to revive dull skin. Check it out now.

Reasons you may experience dull skin

Before diving into how you can take care of dull skin, you must know what causes it in the first place. Here are some of the common reasons:

• Due to pollution, and dirt, the top layer of your skin, that you can see, can have too much build-up and that’s what results in dull skin.
• As you age, your skin’s cell regeneration process slows down and this results in loss of collagen production, which may make your skin look dull.
• If you have dehydrated skin that lacks moisture, it may appear dry, dull, and pale. Dehydrated skin could also be the result of excessive smoking.
• Frequent worrying about things can be a huge bummer for your skin as it reduces blood flow to your skin, making it look less lively.
• If you suffer from insomnia and skimp on sleep, its results can easily appear on your skin, making it look dry, dull and uneven.

The perfect 5 step routine to instantly revive dull skin

1. Make double cleansing your bestie

If you only cleanse your skin once at night and complain about having dull skin, then you have to try double cleansing! In double cleansing, you use a balm/oil cleanser as the first step and then a gel/foam cleanser as your second step.

Without proper cleansing, the pores remain blocked which further weighs down your skin and your complexion looks dull. Incorporate our Daily Duet Face Wash in your routine to eliminate all the toxins through your pores. It effectively cleanses your skin without stripping the natural oils off your face and is suitable for all skin types!

2. Use a face mask to wipe out the impurities

The easiest way to make your skin look brighter is by using a face mask! Everyone has that one face mask that they can rely on to take care of their dull skin. If you haven’t found one, just DIY it! Take some Fuller’s earth (Multani mitti), mix in some water and apply the paste for 10 mins.

Pro tip: If you have had an extremely frantic day, take nice and relaxing steam before and while you apply the face mask. It’s sure to calm your nerves!

3. Start your skincare routine with a hydrating serum

Dull skin can be the result of dehydrated and parched skin, so using a hydrating toner and a serum after cleansing can be game-changing. Use serums that comprise hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, Peptides, etc.

Incorporate a Vitamin C serum in your daily skincare routine to bring that dull skin back to life. Since this ingredient alone can fight free radicals and wrinkles, you won’t have to whine over dullness.

4. Make moisturization your mantra

No matter what skin type you have, you just cannot skip over moisturizer. In fact, no skincare routine is ever complete without it. Using a barrier repair moisturizer like our Ceramide Supercream twice, every day is like a Skin-vestment. It keeps your skin barrier healthy, which instantly makes your skin from dull to daisy!

5. Finish it up with SPF in daytime

Environmental pollutants can be very damaging for your skin, which can also lead to various skin conditions apart from dull skin. Hence, it is important to use sunscreen with an SPF of 50 every day. It can help you more than you can ever imagine!

Most skincare and beauty enthusiasts who keep up with the trends have heard of “glass skin”. It is the hydrating skincare technique introduced in K-Beauty. The method has inspired many different products available in the market today. Achieving glass-like reflective and radiant skin, irrespective of the skin tone is the new trend in the beauty world.

Unlike the Korean skin tone, Asians and Indians have more colour- golden and shades of brown are the normal skin tone in this part of the world. The pristine perfection of glass skin on women of colour appears like liquid gold and hence the name. Let us delve further into understanding the concept and how to achieve this perfection.

What is liquid gold skin exactly?

The glass skin trend lacks representation from various parts of the world. Thus, many often believe that reflective radiance is not suited for brown or yellow-toned skin. But on the contrary, the trend is suitable for all and among women of colour, the radiance is quite similar to liquid gold.

When you look for glass skin, the trend is usually portrayed through lighter skin tone hence, it may be difficult to understand how it may appear on women of colour. This is where the concept of liquid gold skin comes into play. It is much more attainable and alluring among women of colour.

Best way to achieve that 'liquid gold skin'

The glass skin trend is a result of an elaborate eight-step skincare routine. However, achieving liquid gold skin is a much more sustainable process. Though it is often said that a 45 to a 60-minute skincare routine is needed to achieve such radiance, there are ways to make the process simpler and more practical. Here are the steps you can follow to achieve that “liquid gold skin”:

1.Begin with Exfoliation

Exfoliation is the first step towards making your skin smooth and all prepped up for the next steps. Depending on your skin type, facial masking or chemical exfoliation are ideal ways to prep the skin. Face shaving also removes dead skin cells to some extent and also smooths the skin further.

We have shared some tips and benefits of Face shaving in this article here: Decoding Face Shaving & Dermaplaning: How are they different? be insightful to create a holistic skincare regime at home. 

2.Make way for antioxidants 

Antioxidants are food for the skin that keeps it hydrated and protected from free radicals. The darker skin tones are more prone to dryness thus including a product that has antioxidants give the perfect boost to your skin. Vitamin C is a good source of antioxidants for your skin. Include our oh so lovely C For Yourself Vitamin C serum and achieve the liquid gold perfection.

3.Go all-in with hydration

Layering hydrating products not only improves the overall health of the skin but also helps you achieve that liquid gold skin. Hence, follow a simple routine that includes hydrating toners, serums, and moisturizers one after the other.

A great choice to make sure skin stays hydrated for a long time is using our Ceramide Supercream twice, daily. It is a superb moisturizer for daily use that keeps your skin soft and supple and your skin barrier healthy! 

4.Focus on specific ingredients

It is important to consider your skincare ingredients when you are following a skincare routine. Understanding your skin type is the first step towards selecting products for skincare.

Hyaluronic acid is one of the most versatile ingredients that are very suitable for melanin-rich skin. It hydrates and helps to prevent aging. Similarly, Ceramides are the building blocks of your skin that help to retain the lustre and structure. Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 is also popular for melanin-rich skin as it prevents ehydration. Few more ingredients like olive oil, rosehip oil and peptides are elemental nutrition for the coloured skin. 

5.Healthy skin is happy skin

Apart from topical application, specific attention to diet and lifestyle can make a significant difference to your skin health. Drinking sufficient amounts of water and indulging in a healthy and balanced diet is the key to healthy and happy skin. Practice facial massage routines or use a Gua sha to retain the suppleness of your skin. 

Here is a detailed guide on Face tools like Gua sha and Jade rollers and how to use them the right way: Skin tools to help you de-puff and de-stress.

6.Make SPF your best buddy

Using a sunscreen or SPF-induced product is a must even for melanin-rich skin. Unlike the myth that brown people do not need SPF, it is an essential item for everyone irrespective of skin type or weather. A good quality sunscreen with high SPF is the best way to prevent external damage. Our CoverUp Sunscreen is your best bet when it comes to choosing an appropriate sunscreen. It not only protects your skin from sun damage but also from the harmful pollution and blue lights emitted from the skin.

If you are maintaining all these things daily, your skin will eventually recover and you can get that liquid gold glow that is so much coveted all over the world.

Can we all agree to the fact that lip care is not something that we all focus on and think about every day? Instead, we just use a regular lip balm, once in a while and get done with it. We only consider lip care if we’re facing issues such as chapped/dry/pigmented lips. Hence, to avoid having such concerns, it’s good to have a lip care routine beforehand. Keep on scrolling to learn a super quick, 4 step lip care routine.

Easy to follow lip-care guide

1. Exfoliation

Just like the rest of your face, your lips also go through a lot the entire day. Hence, it becomes necessary to wipe off the dead skin cells from your lips. Exfoliation furthermore helps in better penetration of products used later. You can either use a physical lip scrub (store-bought or DIY) or a chemical exfoliator. Make sure to use mild chemical exfoliators such as mandelic or lactic acid.

2. Hydration

Lip essences or lip oils are great to deliver subtle hydration to your lips. This also ensures that if you are applying heavy lip balms or masks, they glide on much better. If you don’t own lip oil, you can just use cold-pressed, single-ingredient oils such as rosehip, squalene, etc. Rosehip oils are great to target lip pigmentation as well, which is a bonus!

3. Moisturization

A non-negotiable step in any skincare routine (for face, or lips) is using a moisturizer. A lip balm not only provides nourishment to your lips but also repairs your lips and restores lost shine. Lip balms contain nourishing ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, etc that can trap moisture and heal chapped lips.

Apart from a lip balm, you can also use a lip mask if you face extremely dry and cracked lips. A lip mask will work instantly on your lips, making it all hydrated and plump without much effort!

4. Sun Protection

No matter how hard times get, you should never skip protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun! And the best way to do this is by applying sunscreen. Just like the rest of our body, our lips also need protection from the sun and they’ll benefit greatly from it. You can either use a lip balm that has SPF in it or you can just apply a little bit of our favourite CoverUp Sunscreen on your lips along with your face. This will help in maintaining the natural colour of your lips.

A few other things to keep in mind to care for your lips are:

• Don’t lick your lips too often
• Avoid picking on your lips
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
• If you can, avoid using very matte lipsticks
• Stop smoking
• Eat your antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables