If you usually wash your face come morning, go ahead and do so, but it's not necessary to wash off your slugging product from the night before, she says. Either way, be sure to admire your gorgeously glowy new skin.
Apply A Layer Of Petroleum Jelly
Once you are done with your skin care routine, you can go to sleep and wake up to glowing, glass-like skin after slugging from the previous night!
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.
In order to notice results, you need to slug consistently for four to six weeks. Slugging cannot repair your skin or your skin's appearance overnight.
Slugging is simply the process of applying a thick layer of an occlusive ointment like petroleum jelly as the last step in your nightly skincare routine, leaving it on overnight.
Wake up and wash off the Vaseline® Jelly with a gentle cleanser the next morning. Voila – enjoy beautiful, healthy skin! Slugging isn't a newly discovered phenomenon. It has been around for years.
It consists of applying Vaseline petroleum jelly as an occlusive moisturizer to hydrate the skin and seal in moisture and your skin-care products overnight, and then washing it off with a gentle cleanser the next day.”
Yeah, it's kind of like that — and it's actually what gives slugging its name. Slugging is basically the process of slathering your face (or, in some cases, your nails) with petroleum jelly overnight. Social media skin care gurus claim it has given them a gorgeous glow.
If you're going to be slugging, I would recommend applying your skincare and slug at least an hour before bed so your petroleum jelly has time to absorb before laying on a pillow. I know many people do their skincare right before bedtime, but I actually prefer to do it earlier and wash away the dirt of the day.
Dr. Parcells advises against using active ingredients, such as alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), or retinoids when slugging at night. “When trapped, these [actives] can increase their strength beyond what was concentrated by a chemist, leading to unpredictable results on your skin,” she explains.
Essentially, the concern is that when petroleum jelly coats the skin it blocks the skin's natural ability to breathe and absorb nutrients. This can slow the cell renewal process and cause the skin to pull the necessary moisture and nutrients from within, leading to collagen breakdown over time (aka wrinkles!).
Finally, once your moisturiser is almost absorbed, take a small amount of your occlusive balm and apply it to your face (or target the areas that need it most). In the morning, double cleanse your skin to ensure all traces of the balm are removed.
“Use a moisturizer or hydrating serum prior to applying your slugging product of choice,” says Clay. They'll get sealed into your skin nicely thanks to the Vaseline or other product you decide to use.
As far as frequency goes, it's completely dependent on your skin type and concerns. If you have dry, you may benefit from slugging several times per week or even daily for a period of time. Those that have oily skin, however, may find they want to take part less or only during the winter months.
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.
〰️ How to slug overnight 〰️
Your skin works hardest to repair itself while you sleep, so slugging right before bed is the preferred and most popular method.
Follow with moisturizer: Slugging is really just a last addition to your everyday skin care routine, so you perform all your previous steps as normal. That said, massage in your daily moisturizer—you'll then top it with your occlusive.
As well as preventing water loss and sealing the skin's barrier, slugging can also cause more acne, trap dead skin and increase oil too.”
Vaseline is typically used for slugging, and according to Dr. Michele, it's a great product because it's safe to use on sensitive skin and is "noncomedogenic." That means it shouldn't clog your pores. However, slugging is typically recommended for those with dry skin.
Finally, slugging can help the skin repair itself if it's damaged and dehydrated. As we age, our skin barrier can no longer repair itself, leading to fine lines, saggy skin, or wrinkles. While slugging can't prevent these conditions, it may help reduce their appearance.
Vaseline® Jelly has a thick texture that is actually a benefit – it provides a good barrier between your skin and the elements without damaging the health or appearance of your skin while also keeping its moisture in. So, does Vaseline® Jelly clog pores? Absolutely not.
If the area is not cleaned properly prior to applying petroleum jelly, existing bacteria and fungal spores can easily proliferate and cause secondary infections.
"The jelly traps the moisture in the upper layers of the skin surface and prevents it from evaporating," explains Dr. Krant. "It also makes dry wrinkles plump up and appear smoother." Because of Vaseline's ability to retain moisture, it's widely used in skin care across the market.
And what it does is it keeps water from being able to evaporate out [of the skin] as quickly," she says. By applying a hydrating cream to your under-eye area and then following it with Vaseline, you're adding moisture to the area and then locking it in, she said — essentially, it's a targeted slugging treatment.