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.

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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.

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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 Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life. What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin? Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition. Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider. What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin? Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity. Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C. Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post. Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster. This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster. While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin. It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning? Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance. You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather. Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.

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