Lip Slugging is the Secret to Luscious Lips

Whether you’ve heard of it from TikTok or a friend, slugging is the biggest beauty trend of the year— and one worth bringing home. This K-beauty technique involves applying an occlusive skincare product (usually petroleum jelly) over another moisturizer to strengthen the skin barrier, seal in moisture, and prevent transepidermal water loss for long-lasting hydration.

Most recently, skin slugging and nail slugging have been the most popular beauty trends. But there’s no reason why we can’t extend this trend to the lips. After all, the cooler months are coming and that means dry, chapped lips will become an everyday issue. Until you start slugging, at least.

Lip slugging might just be exactly what you need to fix your dry, flaky pout this fall — and get those juicy luscious lips of your dreams.

WHAT IS LIP SLUGGING?

In the summer, you might have got away with simply swiping on your daily lip balm. Now that fall is nearly here, your pout needs a little more nourishment to protect the delicate skin that makes up your lips. Since the lips are much thinner than the rest of your skin, they need even more moisture and protection to shield them against environmental effects like UV rays, cold temperatures, and pollution.

That’s where lip slugging comes in. Lip slugging is the process of applying humectants and emollients to attract water into the lips and seal it in. It involves applying a moisturizer formulated with a humectant (hyaluronic acid, glycerin) followed by an emollient-based product (coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum).

The best time to slug your lips is in the evening before going to bed. This way, you don’t need to deal with the stickiness throughout the day. Overnight lip slugging gives your lips chance to fully absorb the product so that you can wake up the next morning with softer, smoother kissers.

BENEFITS OF LIP SLUGGING

There are so many benefits of lip slugging. Here are all the reasons you should try it at home.

• Intensely hydrates lips. Lip slugging attracts and locks in moisture for lips that feel irresistibly smooth.
• Diminishes dryness and flaking. By increasing moisture in the lips, you’re less likely to experience dry, flaky lips.
• Prevents chapped lips. Slugging supports the skin barrier, keeping lips satiny soft.
• Preps skin for AM lipstick application. By the morning, your lips will be ready for effortless lipstick, lip liner, or lip gloss All your lip products will glide on better!

HOW TO SLUG YOUR LIPS

To get the best effects from lip slugging, follow this step-by-step lip slugging routine to achieve your smoothest pout. In addition to the slugging technique itself, this tutorial offers handy hacks to push the slug one step further.

Step #1: Exfoliate Your Lips

Lip exfoliation usually isn’t included in most lip slugging tutorials. However, it’s an important step for prepping lips and maximizing the effects. Using a gentle lip scrub, lightly buff away the buildup of dead skin cells on the lip’s surface to soften and smooth lips. Not only will it improve the texture of your lips, but it will allow your other lip products to absorb deeper into the skin.

When there’s a buildup of dead cells on the skin, products can’t penetrate as effectively. That’s why prepping with a lip scrub can work wonders for enhancing the effects of your lip slugging routine. It’s one of the best kept beauty secrets that ALWAYS delivers.

Step #2: Apply a Humectant

After buffing away the buildup of dead cells, apply a lip balm infused with a humectant such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin (or both!). Humectants work by pulling water into the lips. Hyaluronic acid is one of the best ingredients as it holds over 1,000 times its weight in water, making it a powerhouse moisturizer.

We recommend slathering on our HYDRATE Serum, a treatment that harnesses the moisture-attracting powers of hyaluronic acid and plumping powers of vitamin B5 to keep lips smooth and supple. Let it absorb for a couple of minutes before applying anything else.

Step #3: Apply an Emollient

Next, slather on a lip butter or balm infused with an emollient such as shea butter, cocoa butter, or coconut oil (or all three!). Emollients work by trapping moisture in so that the lips stay soft and hydrated for as long as possible. Usually, emollient-based moisturizers tend to be richer and thicker, which is why they’re best used at night. If you’re experiencing dryness, flakiness, or chapping on your lips, a good emollient can work wonders for your pout.

We recommend slathering on our PLUMP Lip Butter. It’s chock full of nourishing emollients such as coconut oil, almond oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter to lock in moisture, while naturally plumping peppermint stimulates circulation to bring you bouncier, fuller lips. It’s the best lip plumper for volumizing and softening your pout without needing to take the filler route. Okay, so you’re probably not going to get Kylie Jenner-worthy plumpness, but you will see a noticeable difference.

Step #4: Leave it on for as Long as Possible

For best results, perform your lip slugging routine directly before going to bed — after brushing your teeth and completing your skincare routine. This way, your lips won’t be disturbed, meaning they’ll better absorb all those nourishing ingredients.

Step #5: Rinse, Dry, and Apply Your Makeup Products

By the next morning, your pout should be feeling significantly smoother. If you have any residue, gently rinse it away, pat your lips dry, and continue with your morning makeup routine. We recommend starting with an antioxidant-rich, SPF-infused lip balm or sunscreen followed your fave makeup products to protect your lips from collagen-destroying UV rays.

Going for a no-makeup makeup look? Simply swipe on your fave lip tint or gloss, and you’re done! Alternatively, just leave your pout as it is. It should be much more juicy, luscious, and plump than it was yesterday!