The hyper-specific beauty company wants to save our skin barriers.
Courtesy of Futurewise
Can a hyper-specific skin-care brand based on one viral concept find success in the beauty industry? Futurewise, a new direct-to-consumer venture dedicated entirely to the practice of “slugging,” is betting on it. The entire three-piece range, which makes its debut on Wednesday, is centered on the trendy practice of layering one’s skin care strategically and relying on occlusives to trap moisture in the skin. While the technique behind slugging isn’t new, it’s one that has taken off on social media over the last few years, thanks to its more recent attention-grabbing moniker and “skinfluencers” like Charlotte Palermino popularizing it on TikTok.
“Slugging” has also had a moment in pop-culture vocabulary — inspired by a cameo in “Finding Nemo,” according to Insider — but the practice has in fact been around for centuries, and can be traced back to Indigenous communities in the 15th century. Futurewise’s take on the trend comes in the form of three layerable products (each priced between $22-$24) focused on strengthening the skin barrier, which in turn helps to maintain overall the health, moisture levels and natural functions of the skin.
Futurewise’s three-SKU launch includes Slug Boost, a hydrating face mist spiked with hyaluronic acid, squalane and glycerin; Slug Cream, a moisturizer that also relies on glycerin; and Slug Balm, the rich occlusive cream designed to serve as the final step in the slugging routine.
Photo: Courtesy of Futurewise
“At its core, [slugging is] applying an occlusive layer over the skin to help prevent water loss,” explains Futurewise co-founder Janet Park. “That really helps with hydration, and it creates this environment on your skin that helps it repair itself.” Futurewise’s mission is to make this moisturizing technique modern and fun for a Gen-Z audience, since many of the existing products that are used for slugging — from brands like Aquaphor, Vaseline and CeraVe — can’t necessarily be described that way.
Futurewise’s other co-founder is former beauty editor and serial skin-care entrepreneur Julie Schott, whose existing brands include Starface and Plus (both of which each have similarly specific purposes). She’s no stranger to reaching younger consumers with a strong point of view, an eye-catching aesthetic and an authentic brand purpose.
For Park, it’s about “bringing optimism and joy to areas where it may not always be present and doing that in a way that encourages self-expression,” she tells Fashionista. “With Futurewise, we saw an opportunity to do that in the context of the continued journey of the skin-care consumer as they get older and… start to see changes in your skin. Your relationship with your skin changes as you get older, and then on top of that, you’re experiencing all these things in your life.”
Futurewise is available exclusively via the brand’s own website, futurewise.world. The formulas are all vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, per the brand.
Get a first look at each of Futurewise’s debut products (along with pricing) in the gallery below.
View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article
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