The Science Behind Skin Slugging and How to Do It Right

How Does Skin Slugging Work?

Skin slugging is the latest skincare trend on social media. Many of my patients in my dermatology practice in Miami have been asking if skin slugging really works.

Whether skin slugging is good for the skin really depends upon what you are using to slug and what your Baumann Skin Type is. After reading this, you will understand what skin slugging is, whether it’s OK for acne-prone or oily skin, and what products are safe to use when skin slugging. I will even discuss how to skin slug using natural products!

Slugging is actually not a new concept – it’s just a new word for something that dermatologists have used for years. We call it occlusion or occluding the skin. It is often used to speed wound healing. Occlusion means blocking and is used in medicine to describe covering something in a way that prevents evaporation of water and puts a downward pressure against a surface. Saran wraps on the skin to increase penetration of moisturizers or medication, or using Vaseline/Aquaphor are examples of ways you can occlude the skin.

What Is Skin Slugging?

The meaning of skin slug as used on social media is putting Aquaphor or Vaseline on top of skincare products at night. Slugging is not a scientific definition but is more of a trend. Slugging using Vaseline, Aquaphor, or other petroleum-containing ointments is meant to speed and increase penetration of the skincare products that are applied before the Aquaphor or Vaseline. In this case, the word slug means pushing hard as in pushing cosmeceutical ingredients into the skin.

How To Skin Slug

Skin slugging only improves your skin when you are pushing the correct ingredients into your skin. Follow these steps for the best skin slugging results:

Identify your Baumann Skin Type®. You can diagnose your skin type here. Using the wrong slugging technique can cause acne breakouts if you are acne-prone, so take 3 quick minutes to take the quiz before you follow my dermatologist’s recommended tips and advice on skin slugging.

Wash your face using warm water with a cleanser for your skin type that helps increase absorption of the products that follow. Depending upon your Baumann Skin Type, this may be a low pH cleanser, a foaming cleanser, a soothing cleanser, or a nonfoaming cleanser.

Apply the correct skincare treatment product found in step 3 of your PM skincare regimen that we suggest for you after you take our Skin Type Solutions skin type quiz. This PM Step 3 “treatment product” is the product that you’ll want to push into the skin.

Apply a skincare product with occlusive ingredients. On Tik Tok, people suggest Vaseline or Aquaphor but these are petrochemicals, so they are not a great option. We suggest a barrier repair moisturizer instead.

Apply a soothing occlusive oil like Argan Oil

Leave on for at least one hour.

undefined

What Is The Best Skin Care Product To Slug The Skin?

For most skin types, using slugging to push in alpha-hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, and retinoid is not a good idea and can lead to irritation. Because you are increasing penetration of cosmetic ingredients into the skin, this is a good time to use natural or clean products to avoid chemical ingredients such as ethanolamines from getting into deeper layers of the skin and entering the bloodstream. Examples of treatment products you could use are skin lightening products, antiaging products, and soothing products. Our favorite products for skin slugging are Zerafite Barrier Repair Moisturizer and PAORR 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil.

[[M03]]

Slugging With Vaseline or Aquaphor

Patients often ask me, “Is Vaseline Or Aquaphor Better For Skin Slugging?” My answer as a dermatologist and someone who cares about the environment is “neither”. Vaseline is made from petrolatum – a petrochemical that comes from crude oil. Yuck! Aquaphor contains petrolatum and mineral oil. Mineral oil is made in the process of refining crude oil. Icky and Gross! I personally would not want to have crude oil by-products all over my face- especially when there are natural, occlusive products with benefits that you can use instead.

Slugging With Natural Oils

Natural oils are great occlusive options to use instead of petrolatum and mineral oil to slug the skin. Put these on top of a barrier repair moisturizer. Choose an organic oil that has the fatty acids that are best for your Baumann Skin Type. For example, if you have dehydration or inflammation on your skin, the best oil to use for skin slugging is Argan Oil because it contains these fatty acids:

Oleic acid- Increases penetration of other ingredients

Linoleic acid- Anti-inflammatory

Palmitic acid- Hydrating

Stearic acid- Hydrating

However, these fatty acids may decrease the effectiveness of skincare products used to treat dark spots. This is why you need to know your Baumann Skin Type before doing a skin slug. The bottom line in choosing a natural product is to choose an oil based on your Baumann Skin Type. Do not choose an essential oil- these do not have fatty acids. Instead, choose an extra virgin or first press organic oil Like PAORR Organic Argan Oil.

Below is a fatty acid chart you can use to find the best natural oils for skin slugging:

Best Products For Skin Slugging By Skin Type

Slugging For Dry Skin

Choose products with stearic acids, such as Argan Oil or Borage oil (see the table above). The best way to hydrate very dry skin is to apply a barrier repair moisturizer followed by an oil, like argan oil.

Slugging For Sensitive Skin

There are 4 types of sensitive skin: acne-prone, rosacea-prone, stinging, and allergic. Which skin products are best to slug skin depends upon the type or types of sensitivities your skin has. If you have sensitive skin, look for an oil with linoleic acid (see the table above).

Slugging For Acne-Prone Skin

Slugging skin is not a great idea if you are on acne medications because most acne medications are very irritating if too much of the acne medication gets in the deep layers of the skin. If you are acne-prone but not on acne medications, here is advice on how to slug your skin without getting pimples. To remain zit free while slugging skin, follow these tips:

Wash skin thoroughly before slugging. If you had on makeup or sunscreen, either double cleanse (wash your face 2 times) or use a makeup remover and then cleanse the skin. You do not want any silicones from SPF or makeup on your skin since they can cause pimples when covered by oils and other occlusive ingredients.

Apply your normal PM skincare routine except for benzoyl peroxide, retinol, or any retinoids.

Make sure you choose a non-comedogenic oil or barrier repair moisturizer if you are planning to slug acne-prone skin. Avoid the comedogenic ingredients found at this link so you don’t cause an acne break-out, and avoid coconut oil since it is comedogenic.

Slugging For Rosacea Prone Skin

Slugging is a nice idea for rosacea-prone skin that is red, flushed, and inflamed. Tips for slugging skin that is red and irritated are:

Wash with a soothing cleanser.

Apply toner with soothing ingredients, such as Coenzyme Q10, which give cells energy. We love the Medature Energizing Q Toner

Use a soothing barrier repair cream like the Zerafite Soothing and Calming Moisturizer

Follow with a soothing antioxidant oil like argan oil

Slugging For Oily Skin

Oily skin types don’t need to slug. The sebum or oil on the skin is already helping push ingredients into the skin. However, if you really want to slug oily skin, here are the tips you need to follow:

Wash with a salicylic acid cleanser to clean pores. If you have makeup or sunscreen on, cleanse the face twice.

Apply the product you want to get into the skin. This will depend upon your Baumann Skin Type. Take the quiz if you don’t know your skin type.

Cover with a hyaluronic acid serum

Cover with a barrier repair cream

Follow with an oil such as Argan.

How Often Should You Slug Your Face?

If you have dry skin, you can slug your face every night. Be sure to use the skincare routine for your Dry Baumann Skin Type after you remove the slugging products. If you have oily skin, we recommend slugging your skin once a week.

Slugging your skin boosts the penetration of skincare ingredients but it is not a replacement for a correct and consistent daily skincare routine. To find the best skincare routine for your skin type, start by taking the quiz. Once you have the recommended products based on your skin’s unique issues, take a close look at step 3 in your PM skincare routine. This is the product you’ll want to slug!

To learn more- Follow us on social media @SkinTypeSolutions or browse our library written by dermatologists.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

Related Articles

Ad Blocker Detected