The Skin Nerd: From 'slugging' to 'nipples up' - everything you need to keep your skin hydrated

The Skin Nerd: Skin softening ingredients you can feel working

WITH intense bursts of rain, fleeting hints of sunshine, and sudden storms, it’s no surprise that many of us feel like we have caught the rough end of summer this year, but it doesn’t mean your skin has to suffer. 

Flaky patches, dehydration, and dry spots are common bugbears post-summer, but they can be easy to remedy when armed with the right ingredients. 

Whilst many products are labelled “softening” it helps to have a little “skinside” knowledge on how the most potent of these work, and so this week, I present to you a guide to the three most-hydrating ingredients skincare has to offer.

• Ceramides: A true winter skin hero but to be honest, if you have parched skin, there is never really a bad time to include ceramide in your regime. Ceramides are lipids that occur naturally in the skin, but these levels become depleted as we age. This then weakens our skin barrier and leaves us more vulnerable to damage from external aggressors and can lead to issues such as dryness and irritation. Applying a topical product containing ceramides can be a solution to this and bring a feeling of comfort to tight skin. Ceramide NP is an example of a lipidic ingredient which helps to mend and strengthen the skin barrier, allowing it to recover from transepidermal water loss (TEWL) more quickly. Ceramide NP has also been proven to provide hydration up to six days after the last application, making it even more useful for long-term hydration. You can find this hero ingredient within Skingredients Skin Good Fats (€42, skingredients.com) which also contains shea butter glycerides — a moisturising ingredient derived from shea butter fatty acids to quench and nourish the thirstiest of skins.
• Humectants: Humectants attract and retain moisture for plump, hydrated skin. The most-publicised humectants are glycerin and hyaluronic acid, with hyaluronic acid becoming a bit of a buzzword of late — and rightly so! Binding to water particles, hyaluronic acid draws moisture from the air into the skin to keep it supple. Humectants can also become more effective when paired with vitamin A, as the potent duo work together to improve our skin’s hydration retention levels. For the ultimate injection of moisture, apply a humectant-based serum such as Skin Formulas Hydra Hyaluronic Acid Serum (€53, skinformulas.ie) to damp skin before applying a vitamin A formula over the top to fortify the skin barrier and lock in moisture.
• Emollients: Moisturising agents, and emollients such as jojoba oil and squalane create a protective barrier between your skin and the environment to help reduce flaking, dryness, and irritation. The emollient category is broad and includes both natural types such as shea butter and those derived synthetically in the case of mineral oil. Emollients are categorised into lotions, creams, ointments, and sprays, with each type differentiating due to the oil-to-water ratio. Whilst emollients are great for healing red, itchy skin, preventing chafing and calming the effects of eczema and psoriasis, you should avoid applying thick emollients on your face, particularly if you have acne-prone skin as this can clog the pores and lead to congestion.

Top tips

• Apply your products to damp (but not soaking wet) skin. This will increase the permeability of products, with studies revealing that the skin can become more accessible to hydrophilic molecules (i.e., molecules attracted to water such as hyaluronic acid) when it has had time to absorb water into the stratum corneum.
• Post-summer feet may require some work to look and feel on top form again. Exfoliate with acids to remove any dead skin build-up and keep your feet super smooth with regular moisturisation. For touchably soft, smoother feet, invest in a rich body cream like Pestle & Mortar Nimbu Body Butter (€36, theskinnerd.com), pop on some comfy socks and let your tootsies soak up the nourishing blend of avocado oil and shea butter overnight.
• One of my key phrases is “nipples up”, which highlights the importance of caring for the neck and décolletage. The neck and décolletage are thinner areas of skin than the rest of the body and likely to be regularly exposed to the sun and therefore this delicate area requires a gentle but attentive approach. This means that these areas also require regular cleansing, moisturising and protection with SPF. Many products are safe for use in these areas, but always check the manufacturers’ guidelines before use.

Dryness v dehydration — do you know the difference?

Dehydrated and dry skin are terms that often get used to describe flaky, tight or thirsty-feeling skin but there is a difference between the two terms and knowing this can help you address the root of the problem more effectively.

What is the difference then, I hear you ask? Put simply, dry skin is a skin type you are born with (and means you’re lacking sebum, our skin’s natural moisturiser), whilst dehydrated skin is a condition that can happen to anyone, despite your skin type and occurs when you are lacking water content.

If you suspect you have dehydrated skin, ensure you are drinking plenty of water and apply a humectant ingredient such as hyaluronic acid to satisfy your skin’s thirst. Dry skin is likely to feel rough in texture and can be uncomfortable, itchy and flaky. As dry skin is caused by a lack of oil, the use of emollients and moisturising lotions is recommended to soften and care for your skin.

Moisture boosting a la TikTok: Slugging

Slugging is a technique that derived from South Korea and requires you to coat your face with an occlusive agent such as Vaseline to seal moisture into the skin.

Should I do it?

Many skin professionals are skeptical about the advantages of slugging. Benefits are said to include helping to lock in moisture and treat transepidermal moisture loss (aka TEWL) however, research also suggests that slugging can damage the skin barrier and cause irritation.

How do I do it?

Slugging is typically carried out as part of a night-time routine. Whilst petroleum jelly is typically the key ingredient, you could also try using oils or an emollient-based moisturiser for this technique.

 I don’t recommend using this technique every single night, but it can offer some benefits post-exfoliation and on top of serums for deeper penetration. 

Word of caution though — slugging can cause congestion and/or irritation if carried out frequently and so I recommend only using it when skin needs a major hydration boost.

What results can I expect?

Slugging is said to deliver plump, hydrated skin with a dewy finish.