This winter was the primary time I skilled eczema in nearly 20 years. I had horrible eczema throughout my eyes and mouth. I took to the web whereas I waited to listen to again from my physician and that is once I realized about slugging. No, it has nothing to do with slugs (anymore). It isn’t a brand new skincare pattern, nevertheless it has grown in reputation over the past yr, attributable to social media. So, what is slugging, precisely? It is a easy step you can add on the finish of your skincare routine to lock in additional moisture in your pores and skin.
For this text, I spoke with Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of Entière Dermatology in New York.
What is slugging?
If you’re trying up slugging proper now, chances are high you’ve seen it trending on social media lately, nevertheless it is not something new. Before it was trending on TikTook and Reddit, this skincare fad began years in the past, courting way back to the ‘60s and ‘70s.
According to Dr. Levin, “Slugging initially was a Ok-beauty pattern that principally was making use of snail enzymes in your face as a result of the snail mucin has moisturizing advantages. Now, slugging is executed extra generally with an occlusive agent, reminiscent of petroleum-based ointments like Vaseline, Aquaphor, or CeraVe to assist lock in additional hydration.”
The precise time period slugging has to do with how shiny your pores and skin is after making use of your slugging merchandise. This look is much like what it seems to be like when a slug leaves behind mucus. It additionally stems from the very fact this was initially executed with the mucin of a snail (not precisely a slug, however they’re each soft-bodied animals known as mollusks). People truly used to place slugs on their face, or used merchandise with snail mucin. Now, folks simply use petroleum-based merchandise.
How to slug
Dr. Levin says that dermatologists have beneficial slugging for his or her sufferers, with out realizing it is slugging, for many years. Slugging is a quite simple course of the place you apply a petroleum-based ointment throughout your pores and skin on the finish of your skincare routine. This has occlusive advantages, as petroleum may help forestall trans-epidermal water loss (AKA water evaporating out of your pores and skin).
If you’re all in favour of slugging, one of the best time of day can be at night time. Dr. Levin says, “The nighttime is the simplest, as a result of your hydration ranges are the bottom in a single day, so it makes essentially the most sense to moisturize in a single day.”
On prime of that, there is perhaps occasions of yr which might be higher to slug. Your pores and skin dryness is totally different within the winter than it is in the summertime. Dr. Levin recommends slugging within the winter since your pores and skin is dryer within the colder months than it is in the summertime. Your pores and skin round your eyes and lips is perhaps particularly dry as a result of climate and would profit from slugging. Even Dr. Levin makes use of this technique on her pores and skin within the winter.
If you’re utilizing a retinoid and have acne-prone pores and skin, Dr. Levin recommends utilizing the retinoid sandwich approach. That is when you apply a light-weight layer of moisturizer, then a retinoid, then extra moisturizer. To use this technique when slugging, Dr. Levin suggests:
Washing with a delicate cleanser
Using a hydrating serum
Followed by a humectant-based moisturizer
Then making use of a skinny layer of a retinoid
And lastly, you can use then Vaseline or occlusive moisturizer on prime for shiny or acne-prone pores and skin (her favourite is CeraVe)
The finest merchandise for slugging
If you’re trying to get began on slugging, you’ll wish to discover a petroleum-based product. There are many available on the market, so I’ve rounded up 5 top-sellers that vary in worth from $4 to $26. You may also use Aquaphor, however that is made with lanolin, which might clog pores in your face and wouldn’t be beneficial for folks with acne-prone pores and skin.
CeraVe Healing Ointment
CeraVe Healing Ointment | 3 Ounce
$9.25
This is Dr. Levin’s favourite model for slugging (it is additionally the precise product at present going viral on TikTook). CeraVe is a beloved model by many as their merchandise after formulated to assist with defending and restoring your pores and skin barrier. CeraVe’s Healing Ointment has hyaluronic acid, is lanolin-free, and has a non-greasy really feel.
Vaseline
Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly Original 100ml
$3.75
Vaseline is going to be essentially the most budget-friendly product on this checklist. You can get a bathtub for below $5 and it does precisely what all of those different merchandise do. It would possibly really feel a little bit greasy, it is pure petroleum jelly in spite of everything, nevertheless it may also be used throughout your physique to revive and lock in moisture. You can use it out of your cracked heels to your face.
SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm
SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm
SkinCeuticals
dermstore.com
$23.00
This Hydra Balm is a hydrating occlusive ointment for traumatized or severely dry pores and skin. It has pure petroleum to kind a protecting barrier over weak pores and skin and to assist seal in moisture. It is additionally made with aloe and bisabolol, that are botanicals that may assist present reduction to very dry pores and skin.
Skinfix Remedy+ 911 Ointment
Remedy+ 911 Ointment
$26.00
This Skinfix formulation was designed for cuticles, cracked heels, minor cuts & scrapes, nevertheless it may also be used in your face. It is made with Allantoin, which helps and briefly protects chapped or cracked pores and skin. The subsequent lively ingredient is petroleum, comply with by Cupuaçu butter, which might deeply penetrate the pores and skin to supply added moisture.
Cetaphil Healing Ointment
CETAPHIL Healing Ointment
$15.97
Cetaphil’s ointment is designed to create a semi-occlusive pores and skin barrier to advertise therapeutic and forestall moisture loss. It has petroleum jelly, shea butter, and vitamin E. This is formulated to guard and heal delicate pores and skin with out inflicting additional irritation because it doesn’t include lanolin, parabens, or perfume.
Pros and Cons of pores and skin slugging
When making an attempt any new skincare pattern, you must weigh the professionals and cons earlier than hauling over your complete routine. Dr. Levin says, “Slugging won’t be for you relying in your pores and skin sort. It is not for everybody, identical to all skincare tendencies and merchandise usually are not for everybody, apart from sunscreen. Everyone ought to use sunscreen.”
Pros of slugging
Slugging has many moisturizing advantages. It can particularly be useful for many who endure from pores and skin circumstances like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and continual dryness. The slugging technique may help attract moisture and restore the pores and skin barrier.
Restoring the pores and skin barrier isn’t only a skincare buzzword. It refers back to the dermis, which is your skinny outer layer of pores and skin. Your pores and skin barrier is meant to guard you from air pollution, ultraviolet rays, irritation, irritation, an infection, dehydration, and toxins. If this layer of pores and skin is broken, your physique could be at nice threat.
On prime of dry pores and skin, irritation, and itchiness, pores and skin barrier injury can result in wrinkles and lack of pores and skin elasticity. Moisturizing is one in all your finest defenses for age-related pores and skin points and slugging is an additional moisturizing step. This isn’t to say slugging will completely forestall wrinkles (nothing can absolutely forestall wrinkles), nevertheless it actually may help along with your pores and skin elasticity and masking indicators of getting older.
Cons of slugging
Depending in your pores and skin sort, you can slug throughout your face, or you would possibly wish to solely slug choose elements of your face, like dryer patches round your eyes and mouth. If you have acne-prone pores and skin, you would possibly wish to check patches to start out.
Dr. Levin says, “If you have acne-prone pores and skin, it may possibly truly worsen pimples as a result of although petroleum is non-condemic, I’ve discovered some sufferers do get away from merchandise with petroleum.”
If you’re acne-prone and you wish to attempt slugging however are frightened about breaking out, you can go for utilizing a creamy moisturizer. Dr. Levin recommends on the lookout for substances like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to attract in water. You can attempt Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Moisturizer or Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream.
https://www.sfgate.com/procuring/article/what-is-slugging-17011581.php
