Don't do what you see the influencers doing on TikTok. Some

influencers slather their face with a layer of occlusive. Yuck.

a pea-sized amount is sufficient. While slugging is great to

help skin heal, it's a bad idea to force your skin to

deal with active ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C serums, and

chemical exfoliants. Simply stick to- If you have dry skin, slugging

might be a good way to keep your skin moisturized. But if

you have acne-prone or oily skin, using an occlusive ointment

on your face overnight can trap facial oil and cause

breakouts. I would recommend instead of Vaseline, use

Welcome to The Holistic Skin Guru, where what's on the surface is

just as important as what's underneath. I'm your host, Aamena.

Let's dive deep into the world of holistic skincare. Have

you heard of slugging? What is it and why you should

understand these trends before you jump into them? Slugging

is layering a layer of an occlusive ointment

on the skin before bedtime over your nighttime facial

products. Usually people are using Vaseline to

do this. Ideally, you just need a kind of barrier cream. So

theoretically, nappy cream could work just as

well. For those watching from the US, nappy cream is

what we use on a baby's bottom when they have a rash from

the nappy, or as you would call it, a diaper. The

theory behind slugging is that it creates a layer around the

moisturizer that you have already applied to the skin and

gives the skin time to take in the product applied under

the Vaseline. So in a way, it's creating like a barrier over

the skin. It can be a great way to hydrate the skin

or help protect an irritated skin. If

you've scrolled through skincare hacks on social media in the last few

years, you've probably seen influences. who

will say their dewy baby soft skin is from

daily slugging. This hashtag has gotten nearly 900 million

views on TikTok alone, which means people are actually

watching it and possibly following. Now,

I'm not one for trends because most of the time the thing that

is trending is already known in our world of skin. And

I'm a firm believer in doing what is right for your skin and trends

will come and go, but what is right for your skin will

always work. So let's investigate what it can

do to other skin types that don't necessarily need excessive hydration.

So let's unpack this trend and see what you are

in for if you want to try it. As the

name suggests, slugging can leave the face feeling sticky or

slimy. Some influencers slather their face with a

layer of occlusive. And it's thick and

goopy and it's visible. Yuck. Who wants to

go to bed with all of that stuff on your face? Think of the mess

on your pillowcase and sheets. So don't do what

you see the influencers doing on TikTok. They

need to be excessive so that the camera can do justice to

what they are doing. A pea-sized amount is sufficient. Overly

excessively applying the barrier cream will also make your hair greasy,

which means be ready to wash your hair in the morning. I've

seen so many clients come in telling me they've tried slugging

only to break out after a few days. While many

swear by this, If you've already had an oily

complexion or have been prone to breakout in the past, then this may

not be for you. Sometimes the greasiness is

uncomfortable and some may not

be bothered by this, but it's worth being aware of this if

you want to try it. So the way slugging works is

that it serves as a physical barrier to protect the

skin from the environment and it keeps moisture close

to the skin. So it's kind of like putting a blanket or a screen over

the skin. In addition to petroleum jelly, mineral

oil, silicons, and vegetable oils are all occlusive ingredients.

And if you followed me for a while, you will know some

on that list that I simply am not a fan of.

The slug layer itself doesn't hydrate the skin.

Cleaning your face and misting it with water before adding a

high quality moisturizer and a thin layer of occlusive product to

seal in the hydrating ingredients. While slugging

is great to help skin heal, It's a bad idea to

use it to force your skin to deal with active ingredients like

retinoids, vitamin C serums and chemical exfoliants. Doing

that is like forcing someone who isn't hungry to eat a six-course

meal. You just wouldn't do that. Simply stick to

high quality healing products and give your skin a break from active

ingredients. A vitamin B or hyaluronic acid would

be great for this. Think of slugging as a way to

baby the skin back to health, and only if

your skin is suited to it. There is no one skincare

fix for everyone. Every skin is different. It's

all about finding what's right for each person, so slugging

may or may not be right for you. When one's skin is

balanced and healthy, slugging may not be necessary at all.

It could be great to slug your face daily to combat the cold

and dry weather during the winter months. You definitely will

not want to do this in the summer months when it's 38 degree heat

in Australia. During a normal week, you

may slug only around your eyes to add moisture to

the delicate skin there. People with dry skin may

benefit from frequent slugging, especially in the wintertime, but

those who have oily skin or an acne-prone skin should

steer clear as the occlusive can trap facial oil

and cause breakouts. There are many different ointments that

you can use for slugging, from cheap drugstore Vaseline to

fancier healing balms. While I'm not a fan of

Vaseline because I am a holistic practitioner, I would rather

not use a byproduct of petroleum refinery on my face

and skin. Your skin should not be experimented on.

These TikTok videos are viral things and they're

funny and they're entertaining, but rarely are they good for our

skin. So what is my final thoughts on this? If

you have dry skin, slugging might be a

good way to keep your skin moisturized, especially during

the winter months. But if you have acne prone or

oily skin, using an occlusive ointment on your face

overnight can trap facial oil and cause breakouts. I

would recommend instead of Vaseline, use organic African

shea butter or even castor oil. Make sure it's

organic and hexane free as an alternative to

hydrate all year round and simply apply

sea buckthorn oil to your skin and watch your skin transform.

If you've tried slugging and it's worked for you, I'd love to know. Comment

below. If you've tried slugging and you've had a breakout, please

tell us what happened. See you on the next episode. Thank you

for joining me on Holistic Skin Guru. If this episode

has helped you get one step closer to achieving your skin

goals, I'd love your support with a five-star review

on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. And don't forget

to subscribe on your favorite platform too. If you've

got any questions about your skin, I'd love to hear from

you. Connect with me at Holistic Skin Guru on

all platforms. Don't forget, as a listener, you can get 10% off

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Brisbane. Simply pop the word podcast in

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