By Alison McGill
TikTok is where you’ll find today’s best beauty trends and one of the biggest of the past year is slugging. It started as a K-beauty inspired treatment to boost skin hydration by applying a pea size amount of petroleum jelly (CeraVe Healing Ointment and Vaseline Original Healing Jelly are TikTokers top picks) to cleansed skin before bedtime. This occlusive layer helps to repair you skin barrier and lock in moisture while you sleep to achieve ultra-plumped, hydrated skin. It’s a bit messy, but slugging does deliver amazing results—your skin will look super juicy.
Slugging isn’t just for skin though; hair is the latest frontier. If you are looking to give your locks a concentrated hit of moisture and a glass-like shine, it’s time to slug. Think of this as an intense conditioning process. Start with clean, dry hair and massage a light textured hair oil into your strands, being sure to really massage product into the shaft and ends of your hair. Pull your hair into a ponytail, put it inside a tube sock, then tie it with elastics or a scrunchie to keep in place while you sleep. Rinse hair in the morning with warm water to remove oil, and finish with a cold-water rinse to seal your hair cuticle and keep moisture locked in.
Marie-Michèle Deschesnes, chief of education for L’Oreal Professional says hair slugging has been a common practice for many generations, it’s just been rebranded in today’s modern media times. “This practice does deliver instant results like high shine, manageability and control of frizzy ends,” Deschesnes explains. “”The use of fuzzy socks helps to absorb any extra oil, but you do need to be careful of how you wrap your hair to ensure you don’t cause unwanted friction and stress on your strands.”
Deschesnes says the practice of slugging will give your hair a soft touch, but it fades quickly in just one or two shampoos. To avoid oil build up, don’t slug more than once a week, and always prep hair pre-treatment by using a detoxifying shampoo for a deep cleanse. If you love the effects of hair slugging but want a more long-term effect, Deschesnes recommends switching to a system of conditioning and masking using pro grade products packed with active ingredients to deliver lasting hydration and shine.
Here are our favourite hair slugging essentials:
L’Oreal Professional Mythic Oil
$27
lorealprofessionnel.ca
This is the star of your hair slugging show. Smooth this argan based oil on hair before bedtime and wake up with gloriously glossy locks.
Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo
$26
aveda.ca
This cult classic is still one of the best for cleansing and clarifying hair. It removes buildup and impurities and leaves hair smelling FRESH!
Ouai Hair Oil
$37
ouai.com
This light-weight hair oil melts into hair and is a favourite of those with fine naturally textured locks. It’s also great to use as a styling product to fight frizz.
K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
$36
k18hair.com
If you want a pro-calibre treatment that delivers long lasting results, this is it! Apply to freshly shampooed hair and you’ll instantly notice hair is shiny, strong, smooth, and bouncy!
Amika Soul Food Nourishing Hair Mask
$39
amika.com
Use this ultra-rich hydrating mask—formulated with jojoba seed oil and sea buckthorn—weekly to give your hair a concentrated moisture hit. Perfect to use in the summer when swimming and sun can leave your hair extra dry.
