When I heard the term “slugging” in skincare, I thought, what the heck? It turns out it’s a thing. Kind of a crazy word, but I love the concept.
It turns out “slugging” has been around for decades. Think of your grandmother slathering vaseline on her face at night. Yep, that was slugging. Also, the practice has been used in other countries for generations. Thanks to the internet, we have upgraded the skincare slugging routine.
What does it actually do?
Slugging involves coating your face with an occlusive petrolatum-based product before going to sleep. We’re going to go with something I like better, but it gives the same great results!
The balm in the slugging technique provides a physical barrier, sitting on top of the last step in your nighttime routine, sealing in hydration, and preventing moisture loss.
When your skin is more hydrated your skin is more protected against irritations and allergens that can lead to breakouts and clogged pores.
The goal is to create a balance of exfoliation and hydration in the skin to let your glowing skin shine through.
What skin type is slugging for?
Dry skin, more mature, or if your skin gets much drier during colder seasons. If you are more oily or acne prone, you probably won’t be a fan of slugging.
Your evening slugging routine.
- Cleanse. Use a gentle cleanser or double cleanse if you have make-up on.
- Exfoliate. Remove those dead skin cells to get all the benefits out of this routine.
- Hydrate. A nice spritz of toner or freshener starts the hydration process.
- Serum. Hyaluronic acid or a product for extra hydration would be fantastic here.
- Moisturize. A lightweight moisturizer is fine at this point.
- Facial Oil. A few drops patted on top of the moisturizer will start to seal it all in.
- Slug time. Apply a small amount of your occlusive product such as a facial balm or organic shea butter is a wonderful option. This is my favorite! ) First, warm it up in your hands, and then apply it on top of your moisturizer. A thin coat is all you need. This is the last step to lock in hydration and for preventing moisture loss.
- Leave all this on while you sleep.
How often should you do this?
When it’s really cold outside, or if your skin is very dry, you can do this every other night or once or twice a week.
What results can you expect?
After one night, you will wake up with healthier-looking, deeply hydrated, super soft skin. The results are pretty long-lasting also.
If you have tried multiple products for your dry skin and they just seem to evaporate after a short while, slugging might be the answer you are looking for. Give it a try and target your dry skin in a new way!
Until next time,
~pat
