Do you Slug?!.

“Slugging” Skincare has gone viral. The question is, does it work and is it good?

Slugging is a trend where you apply a petrolatum-based ointment to the face and more recently the cuticles of your fingernails overnight to repair the skin. Slugging acts as an occlusive or protective barrier on the skin.  It works by keeping the skin barrier intact and minimizing the trans-epidermal water loss. So, is it good? That really depends on the type of skin you have.

Slugging is ideal for Colorado in our dry climate where water loss and dryness are bound to happen. However, this is certainly not for anyone with oily skin, acne prone skin, or combination skin. The ideal candidate for slugging would be anyone with mature dry skin. Here we are strictly talking about slugging of the face. Feel free to go nuts on your dry cuticles! If you want to try slugging on your face, we recommend slowly introducing this into your skincare routine and only 1-2 times a week.

The very thin layer of petrolatum-based product you use (Vaseline or Aquaphor) would be the last step in your nighttime skincare routine. Not on a night you are using retinol or active products. Also keep in mind the time of year. Slugging can help in those winter months but may be too much in the summer months. Listen to your skins needs. Our thoughts on slugging, proceed with caution. It can be beneficial but also cause irritation/acne if you don’t have the right skin type. If you have the skin types that don’t jive with slugging, our HydraFacial is a great option to improve your skins moisture.