Benefits of slugging
“By sealing the skin with an ointment, we can help prevent and minimize this water loss.” Locking in this moisture is what keeps your skin hydrated, which makes for a plump and more youthful appearance, explains King.
Yes, it is better to avoid slugging if you have acne-prone skin. Should you wash your face after slugging? No, go to sleep right after slugging and wash your face in the morning.
For best results, Dr. Que recommends using the slug life routine at night to ensure that your skin is as clean as possible before putting on your moisturizer. And Dr. Sisto says you can do it as frequently as every night if you wish.
The practice of “slugging” involves spreading a layer of an occlusive (typically a petroleum jelly like Vaseline, or a healing ointment like the popular ones made by Aquaphor or CeraVe) over the entire face while sleeping at night.
“Keep in mind that slugging shouldn't be used in those with oily or acne prone skin,” she says. “While Vaseline petroleum jelly is noncomedogenic—and I love using it for chapped, dry skin all over the body—I would not recommend applying to the entire face if you are acne-prone or very oily as it may clog pores.
You can start with a serum containing humectants and add a face oil with emollients," she said. "The last step would be slugging petrolatum as the occlusive.
Many people have used slugging to obtain plump skin at home, because it only requires one product. All you need is a thick, ointment-based moisturizer like Vaseline, Aquaphor, CeraVe Healing Ointment or Cetaphil Healing Ointment.
"Slugging itself is not comedogenic (acne-causing), but if you have clogged pores or retained makeup, you could create an infection or outbreak by trapping these particles under the occlusive. Make sure your skin is SUPER clean before sealing it.
Dr. Mariwalla says coating your skin with Vaseline after applying retinoids or AHA acids would increase penetration of these ingredients, potentially leading to irritation. Instead, live the "slug life" on nights where your routine is focused on moisturization. Dr.
Simply put, no. Dr. Marchbein says slugging all over your face is a hard no on very oily or acne-prone skin because it can cause more irritation. “If you're trapping things and occluding the skin, there is definitely a potential for breakouts," Dr.
You can also slug using plant-based oils and butters. Possible ingredients to look for include Jojoba oil, squalane, coconut oil and shea butter. I would not recommend 100% oil for slugging since the oil will run off your skin, and instead the aforementioned oils should be an ingredient to form a thick cream or butter.
“Slugging is a good adjunct technique to help deliver skin-care ingredients into the skin, maintain water content, and achieve a plump, firm skin surface,” Hartman says.
Slugging is also a great option for those dealing with age-related skin issues, says Dr. Gohara (who says that's why she does it, personally). "With aging comes decreased barrier repair, decreased hydration, saggy skin, and more obvious wrinkles," she explains.
“Glass skin is when your skin is at its very healthiest,” explains Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily. “In order for skin to appear poreless, luminous, and translucent, so many things have to happen. You can't just be hydrated and look that way. Your skin really needs to be its healthiest in all aspects.
Slugging is the act of slathering your face in a layer of petroleum jelly as the last step of your nighttime skin care routine.
1. Dry skin. Slugging will help to hold moisture trapping in hydration. It is best to pair it with other hydrating or healing ingredients that include emollients and humectants such as Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera or moisturising creams.
Slugging should be the last step in your night-time skincare routine, so save it for after cleansing, using treatments like serums and applying your usual moisturizer. Once you've applied the other products in your skincare routine, "apply a thin layer of petrolatum-based ointment like Vaseline or Aquaphor," Dr.
Don't mix in the slug life when using a retinoid. Slugging while using retinoids could increase irritation. If you want to use a petroleum-based product to soothe irritation caused by a retinoid, that is fair game. But it's not a good idea to do both at the same time.
The term “slugging” comes from the idea that after you coat your skin in Vaseline, your face ends up looking shiny and ~slimy~, kinda like a slug.
"Slugging could prevent that water loss from happening, helping your skin kick-start the process of repairing your skin barrier," says Yoon. Of course, slugging is not for everybody—and even if it works for you, you might not want to "slug" on the daily.
However, you don't have to use Vaseline to slug – any petroleum-based product can do. So if you're not a fan of Vaseline, you could use Aquaphor, CeraVe, or Cetaphil to slug your skin.
“I think there is some merit in slugging due to the fact that petroleum jelly is an occlusive, which is known to prevent water loss from the skin's barrier,” explains Maree Kinder, founder of Beauty & Seoul. “However, I would always opt for other products containing occlusives such as shea butter or facial oils.
Never slug when using active ingredients such at retinoids, salicylic, glycolic or lactic acids.