Why Slugging Isn’t a Trend- It’s the Real Deal. Here’s why It’s Staying in our Skincare Routines

Slugging is the new trending term for the decades-old practice of finishing off your evening skincare routine with a very thick oil/ petroleum/panthenol-based product.

The practice leaves your face as slimy as slug mucus (hence the name).

The name isn't entirely pleasant but trust me when I say that the way your skin will feel the morning after is.

Petroleum jelly-based products like Vaseline are the products most commonly used for slugging due to their occlusive properties.

An occlusive ingredient provides a protective seal over the top layers of the skin's surface to help prevent loss of hydration into the environment.

This barrier works both ways and will also help keep environmental irritants from entering the skin.

Slugging, therefore, helps keep all that moisture that you just applied in, and it creates the perfect environment for your skin to repair itself.

You only need to apply a pea-sized amount of product and you can get an even layer on your entire face.

Using a tretinoin cream made my skin a little more prone to dryness, especially during winter so I started slugging every night or every other night.

I also make sure to focus the product on the areas of my face that are a little more prone to dryness like my under eyes, eyelids, corners of the mouth and the folds around my nose.

Like with every skincare trend or generalised piece of advice, it’s important to decide if slugging is right for you before jumping straight in.

For those of us that can be acne prone, slugging or creating an occlusive barrier may lead to more build-up and clogged pores which would worsen acne.

In cases like this, non-comedogenic or non-petroleum-based options are recommended.

Additionally, whilst slugging can assist with repairing your skin from the effects of retinol, it shouldn’t be done in the same routine as that can increase the risk of irritation.

If we’re following the trend of skin cycling, slugging is to be done on recovery days 3 and 4 not during active days 1 and 2.

Products that would be appropriate for slugging include the following;

1. CeraVe Healing Ointment

This post was originally written for the all who wonder blog by Praise and has been shared with permission. Post links may contain commission codes which go towards fair pay for writers.

Praise Fadzai (She/Her)

Praise resides in the Sunshine State of Australia, QLD. She shares her perfume, skincare & makeup favourites regularly on her Instagram @praise.fadzai. A Pharmacist by trade, Praise’s knowledge of skincare runs deep, and she enjoys sharing about the Science behind the products she loves.

https://www.instagram.com/praise.fadzai/
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