What is Slugging for Skin?

In this article:
What is slugging in skin care?
What does slugging do for your skin?
Best skin types for slugging
Is slugging good for acne-prone skin?
When to slug skin
How to slug skin
Best product for slugging

If you follow skinfluencers or skin care accounts on social media, chances are you’ve heard of “slugging” - a trend that began to rise to fame a few years ago and is now firm in the current skin care zeitgeist.

Slugging has zero to do with snail mucin – despite having “slug” in its name. Instead, it’s a hydration-focused skin care technique that focuses on overnight results.

While slugging lovers credit it with restoring dry skin and improving the skin barrier, the practice’s naysayers disagree, saying it causes bumps and clogs. So, what’s the truth? Is this overnight hydrating technique all it’s cracked up to be?

We’re getting to the bottom of slugging using research and exploring the best skin types for it as well as perfect products for overnight hydration below.

What is slugging in skin care?

Slugging's the practice of slathering your face with a layer of an occlusive product or ointment, usually including petrolatum (AKA petroleum jelly), before bed. Popular products to slug with include Vaseline™ or Aquaphor™.

Although slugging doesn’t focus on snail mucin, it’s thought that the technique’s name comes from the shiny look it has on the face once applied- like that of a snail.

What does slugging do for your skin?

Its purpose is to intensely hydrate and soothe, forming an occlusive layer over skin to prevent water loss and in some cases, lock in active ingredients so they can work better (1). It’s a solid concept, especially since studies show petroleum jelly can reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by a whopping 50-99% (2)!

Outside of preventing moisture from escaping, slugging can also protect and help skin repair itself over night. By forming a barrier over skin, it can keep bad molecules from sinking into the upper layers of skin while we sleep and gives the skin a safe space for it to get to work and repair itself from all the damage its accrued throughout the day.

Best skin types for slugging

While slugging absolutely has benefits for skin, it is not for everyone.

It’s best suited to those with very dry, dehydrated or compromised skin – including skin that’s tight, flaky and reddened - who need to lock in super-powered hydration.

Slugging can also be beneficial for those experiencing seasonal dryness, especially during the winter months, when the air around us becomes arid.

Is slugging good for acne-prone skin?

Slugging for oily and acne-prone skin is generally not recommended because of the occlusive nature of petroleum jelly.

Applying an occlusive barrier over bumps and clogs traps the contents of your pores, well, in your pores. This isn’t exactly beneficial when you’re trying to get rid of breakouts, bumps and clogs. In fact, it might have the opposite effect.

Oily skin absolutely needs hydration, but covering skin with thick occlusive, emollients can exacerbate oiliness, meaning slugging is not good for acne-prone or oily skin (3, 4). Oily skin doesn’t need a superpowered, overnight hydrating technique.

Lightweight moisturisers are much better options for oily and acne-prone skin. They usually contain humectants, like hyaluronic acid, instead of thick emollients and occlusive agents. Humectants are much better hydrators for acne-prone or oily skin.

When to slug skin

So how should you incorporate slugging into your skin care routine? Think of slugging as applying a thicker version of an overnight mask – because of the greasy nature of petroleum jelly, it’s a skin care step best saved for the evening or right before bed. Take care just how much petroleum jelly you’re applying – removing it from your pillowcase later might be difficult!

Should you slug every night? Well, that’s a personal decision. Most find slugging 1-3 times a week satisfactory for their dehydrated, dry or normal skin. Of course, you can slug more often if that’s what your skin calls for.

Some only slug seasonally when the arid air associated with winter creeps up on skin and wrings it of all of its moisture.

How to slug skin

Slugging is quite easy to add to your nighttime routine. Follow the routine below to create the optimal slugging canvas:

1. Cleanse skin. Make sure you properly remove makeup with an oil-based cleanser and follow up with your favourite water-based gentle skin care cleanser. You don’t want to trap any makeup or dirt under the occlusive barrier you’re going to apply later.
2. Tone. Provide skin added nourishment with a soothing and hydrating face toner.
3. Exfoliate. Apply a leave-on chemical exfoliant to remove any dead, dull skin cells that are currently dimming your glow and preventing your hydrating products from doing the best job that they can. Apply BHA (beta hydroxy acid AKA salicylic acid) if you have clog-prone/oily skin and AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) if your concerns are more related to dryness and sun damage.
4. Apply serums and treatments. Go about your regular nighttime routine and use your favourite serums, treatments and boosters. However, if you are prone to sensitivity, you might want to skip your more active serums and treatments (those with vitamin C, niacinamide and retinoids) on nights you slug. Slugging traps these ingredients within, which is usually great, but can cause some irritation on sensitive skin.
5. Moisturise. Use your usual hydrating nighttime moisturiser. Apply a thin layer across the face and neck like you usually do.
6. Slug. After moisturising, apply a small amount of your preferred slugging product. Less is more here! You can apply over the entire face, focusing on drier areas, or skip out on full-face application and just apply on the drier areas that are in need of some TLC.

Best product for slugging

Now that we have the basics of slugging down – what should you use to slug? Most folks we see on social media are slugging with Vaseline™ or Aquaphor™, which are both petrolatum-based. Both Vaseline™ and Aquaphor™ are good for your face, providing that your skin type is suited to this type of use.

We must point out though that pure petroleum jelly is a one-note ingredient, meaning that it only has one function for skin. This ingredient sits atop skin, trapping moisture within.

Don’t limit yourself to a one-trick pony when considering slugging – a rich, creamy overnight moisturising mask loaded with antioxidants could serve the same purpose with some added benefits to boot! Simply apply a thick layer of these masks before bed, just like you would with any petrolatum-based product and wake up to more hydrated skin.

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References for this information:

1. Dermatology Times, January 2024, ePublication
2. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, April 2024, pages 807-813
3. JAAD International, September 2023, pages 101-102
4. Clinics in Dermatology, November-December 2022, pages 810-812