Everything You Need To Know About Slugging

Guys slugging is a skincare technique, not a weird sex thing…

Yesterday I sent the following text to a friend, “I tried slugging last night!” and to put it mildly, she did not know what I was talking about. She thought I was putting slugs on my face and since I have used snail serum in the past, it wasn’t a terrible guess.

Since one of my most skincare savvy friends didn’t know what slugging was, I figured a lot of you might not know either, and it is my duty to share knowledge. Let’s go!

What is slugging exactly?

Slugging is a “TikTok approved” (whatever that means) beauty trend. You simply add an extra step to your evening skincare routine, and that step is a face full of Vaseline. Ok it doesn’t have to be Vaseline, it can be Aquaphor, either way you’re applying an occlusive agent over your skincare and going to bed.

What does it do?

The occlusive agent prevents transdermal hydration loss and keeps moisture in your skin.

Should I do it?

Maybe! In general slugging is recommended only for dry or mature (hi that’s me) skin. If you have oily or acne prone skin you probably want to skip it.

But does it work?

It can! Everyone is different, what works for Sally might not work for Suzy, or however that saying goes. The skin science behind it is solid enough. I’m just starting my own personal slugging journey (that sounds disgusting), but of course I’ll keep you informed.

Anything else?

If you’re going to slug, make sure you wash your face. I’m talking CLEAN CLEAN. Like double cleansing, micellar water clean. You don’t want any makeup, dirt, or germies sealed into your face overnight.