Should I try slugging?Updated a year ago
Maybe! Slugging is always beneficial for dehydration, which can happen regardless of skin type. Dehydration is when the skin struggles to retain water (you can learn more about this in our guide to transepidermal water loss).
All skin types may benefit from slugging, but there are still a few things to keep in mind:
Slugging for dry or sensitive skin
If your skin is dry or sensitive it’s probably more prone to dehydration. In that case, you should definitely try slugging!
Your skin will benefit from the powerful moisture-binding ability of this practice. It can be wonderful in the winter, as the air becomes dry, or if your skin has become over-sensitized.
Slugging for oily skin or normal skin
If your skin is oily or normal but largely well-hydrated, slugging might not be necessary. A solid moisturizing skincare routine can be enough all on its own, especially if you don’t expose your skin to harsh cleansers or intense acne medications.
That said, slugging for oily skin can be useful when your skin is dehydrated and needs quick repair.
Slugging for acne-prone skin
In skincare, just because something seems heavy or greasy doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily clog your pores! For the most part, petrolatum-based products are considered non-comedogenic so they shouldn’t cause breakouts.
When you have acne-prone skin, your instinct might be to use very light products or even harsh cleansers that totally strip your skin of oil, but that does a lot of harm and zero good. There’s a real correlation between a damaged moisture barrier and an increase in acne lesions, likely due to just how hard it is for the skin to function optimally when it’s dehydrated.
That’s why slugging can be incredibly useful for acne-prone skin, especially if your skin also feels tight or looks flakey. It can also alleviate some of the dryness or irritation from prescription anti-acne treatments.
That said, what will or won’t break you out can be highly individual. It’s not easy to judge what will cause breakouts for who. If you have acne-prone skin, always try patch-testing new skincare. That means applying the product to a patch of skin for a few days to see if it’ll irritate or break you out before rubbing it all over your face.