The Best Moisturizers For Slugging Your Face

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When it comes to beauty and beauty trends, Koreans have a much more holistic approach to taking care of the skin as a part of their overall wellbeing. Peach & Lily founder, Alicia Yoon, told The Zoe Report, "Korean skin care is a wellness practice, and considers how skin is related to the whole body as well as considering how the skin works as an ecosystem." Korean beauty introduced us to the hydrating benefits of snail mucin — what is accumulated after they crawl over a mesh material, per Allure. Now, we have slugging, which is incredibly popular on TikTok, and no, you don't need to find yourself a slug from your backyard. If you're wondering what is slugging, Rebecca Marcus, a board-certified dermatologist, told Pure Wow, "Slugging is just a trendy term to describe the age-old practice of occluding the skin to allow for maximum absorption of products applied to the skin, while preventing water evaporation to increase hydration." 

According to Byrdie, the term "slugging" was first mentioned in a 2014 Reddit post, and K-pop celebs have been practicing it for years. It is not a new trend, per se. Robyn Autry, a sociology professor at Wesleyan University, who teaches about racial identity and Blackness, even shared how she grew up with her mother "slathering" Vaseline on her as a child, per The New York Times. Slugging with Vaseline helps prevent 99% transepidermal water loss by protecting your skin barrier. If you are not a fan of Vaseline, you can try slugging with these moisturizers.

The idea of greasing up your face might not seem as appealing for those with oily or acne-prone skin. So for those people, Cosmopolitan recommends Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Cream. According to Missha, this super-hydrating cream is made with 70% snail slime that has the power to repair damaged skin and improve the skin barrier. At the same time, this snail cream can brighten your skin and provide anti-aging benefits. 

They boast an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars in their reviews as well, with one reviewer saying, "The Super Aqua Snail Cream is literally the answer to all of my dreams because it hydrates without breaking me out or making my skin oily. I have used this cream for years and I don't plan on stopping."

An interesting fact on where the name comes from: Board-certified dermatologist and KP Away founder Dr. Anar Mikailov told Insider, "The name 'slugging' comes from the shell-less mollusc slug, which produces a slime-like layer of water, salt, and mucus that resembles petroleum jelly." Insider's pick for the best moisturizer for slugging is the beloved Aquaphor Healing Ointment because it still lets your skin breathe while creating a protective barrier over it, unlike Vaseline. 

According to Aquaphor, it has hydrating ingredients like panthenol and glycerin, so it is more than just an occlusive. Not only is it great for everyone to use, but the Aquaphor Healing Ointment is also a great go-to for irritated skin, like chapped lips and minor cuts and burns. When used for slugging, though, this multi-purpose ointment gives you the softest skin.