Skin care TikTok is having a moment. From influencers sharing their regimens to DIY hacks to experts sharing their top picks, there’s something for everyone. But how effective are these skin care trends and should you really be doing them? We asked our Professional Skin Therapist Abby what she thought, and here are her answers.
Slugging
Slugging involves coating the skin in a mineral oil-based product and sleeping with it on overnight, in an attempt to relieve dryness. Slugging is a controversial trend but I see a few issues with it, and here’s why I wouldn’t do this on my own skin.
- Mineral Oil is an odourless, colourless ingredient which is derived from Petroleum Jelly. Petroleum Jelly is a mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum (a by-product of crude oil and not great for the skin!).
- Mineral Oil is a large molecule which coats the skin by sitting on the surface. It prevents essential moisture from evaporating and affects our skin’s ability to draw moisture from the air - which is the exact opposite of what you want to achieve when dealing with dryness.
- Slugging is a no-no if you have oily and/or acne-prone skin. The mineral oil blocks pores which can trap sebum, dirt and bacteria causing more breakouts to form.
Clear Start products have always been Mineral Oil free. If your skin is feeling dry or dehydrated, skip slugging and go for a moisturiser that’s going to nourish and hydrate the skin such as our Skin Soothing Hydrating Lotion. If you have active breakouts you may prefer a lightweight gel texture such as our Cooling Aqua Jelly.
Toothpaste
This trend has been around for years, many have used toothpaste directly onto breakouts as a spot treatment. Toothpaste contains a few ingredients that I would not recommend for use on the skin such as alcohol, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. These ingredients can be super irritating for the skin, especially if applied to an active breakout which could have some broken skin. Ouch!
Also, using a product that is going to over-dry the skin can make matters worse. Over-drying the skin causes the skin to go into overdrive by producing more oil, leading to more breakouts. Go for a spot treatment that contains active ingredients but won’t dry out or damage the skin whilst it's working such as Breakout Clearing Booster.
Gua Sha Stone
Now here is a trend I love!
Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese healing method where a smooth stone is used in long strokes across the skin to help increase circulation and stimulate our lymphatic system. This removes toxins from the skin which can help with breakouts and blackheads. It also has benefits with the overall look of the skin by increasing firmness and minimising the appearance of fine lines.
Using a Gua Sha is not something I would recommend doing every day, the use of a smooth stone on the skin is still causing some friction and will be providing a very slight exfoliation – you will still see benefits using Gua Sha 3 times per week.
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