According to skin experts, "skin sealing" does help to treat dry, flaky skin under the eyes. Photo: AFP
Nearly all of grandma's beauty tricks have now been replaced by newer beauty techniques that draw on innovation or at the very least creative approaches.
Tired of applying cucumber slices, frozen face masks and tea bags to their eye zone, TikTok users are touting a new so-called infallible approach to get rid of dark circles and undereye bags.
With the code name "skin sealing", this looks to be yet another variation on "slugging".
Moisture, acne, dull complexion or signs of skin aging: TikTok is full of a host of beauty tips that can help our skin get a new lease on life, or at least to minimise what our skin "imperfections".
However, the delicate skin around the eye is often neglected or overlooked.
As proof of that, the most popular tricks relating to this area are not new or innovative. There are the ubiquitous cucumber slices, smoothing patches, tea bags or frozen elements that reappear again and again.
But that may soon be set to change as "skin sealing" could rapidly steal the spotlight.
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A 'homemade' mask
Dr Shereene Idriss, a dermatologist based in New York, is responsible for this beauty technique. Her video has already been viewed nearly 100,000 times.
Called "skin sealing" by Refinery29, this method is said to allow the user to deeply moisturise the contour around the eyes in just 15 minutes and to reduce dark circles and bags.
In her video, Dr Idriss responds to a social media user Mikayla Nogueira who was looking for tips to get rid of the dry skin that regularly appears under her eyes, a very fragile area.
The young woman applies three products, and says she hopes it works. An approach the dermatologist casts away with a blink of an eye, revealing that in fact a simple face moisturising cream can be more than enough to treat the area concerned.
The health professional explains that all you need to do is apply a thicker layer of moisturizer under the eyes, and cover it – or seal it – with Saran wrap or cling film.
Then leave it on for 15 minutes. This allows the skin to absorb all of the active ingredients and to be deeply nourished.
An eco-responsible alternative is to exchange the cling film for reusable eye patches.
In any case, the dermatologist says that this method is sufficient to properly moisturise the area around the eyes in order to avoid any dryness.
Interviewed by Vogue India, Dr Batul Patel, dermatologist at the Bombay Skin Clinic, also validates this technique, explaining that it does allow to "treat dry, flaky skin under the eyes".
However, the expert reminds us that it is advisable to avoid certain active ingredients that can cause allergies or irritation, such as retinoids, glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids.
She also advises oily skin to opt for a light cream, or even not to use this technique, which could in some cases cause small white cysts.
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Slugging, nothing short of a phenomenon
"Skin sealing" is reminiscent of another beauty method that went viral in 2022: slugging. Straight from South Korea, this technique consists in coating the face with petroleum jelly and leaving it on all night.
The objective is to reduce redness, itching and dryness of the skin, particularly due to temperature changes.
A trend that quickly conquered the social networks (946 million views on TikTok), and that has spread to nails, hair, and lips, with specific videos on nail slugging, hair slugging, and lip basting, the last tip brought to the fore by none other than Dr Idriss.
"Skin sealing" is finally only an umpteenth variant of this phenomenon with its roots in South Korea that has definitely conquered the heart of TikTokers around the globe. – AFP Relaxnews
