Slugging what you need to know, before you do
Slugging has been around for a long time. When the weather changes in the cold months, we loose water a lot more easily due to the lack of water in the atmosphere. Cold wind, our heaters and the lack of moisture in the air can chap the skin leading to a lot of irritation and dry skin. If your hydrator and moisturizer don't feel like they're enough then maybe consider slugging. This practice is best for dry skin types but comes in handy for skiers , cyclist , swimmers and surfers.
So, what is slugging?
The French use Nivea is a blend of petrolatum (Vaseline), mineral oil, and glycerin. K-Beauty skincare tend to use petrolatum or Vaseline.
Slugging is known as a moisturizing technique of using an occlusive product like Vaseline. Vaseline's main ingredient is petrolatum and it is safe to use on acne skin. Applying this occlusive as the last step in your skincare routine, usually as part of the evening routine to lock moisture in the skin. The benefit is it will reduce water loss (Trans-epidermal Water Loss- TEWL). It is important to know that petrolatum does not moisturize the skin, it acts as a shield that doesn't let anything in or out once applied. It sits on top of the skin.
EVEN BETTER THAN VASELINE using our Dew. It. All. Serum follow by your moisturizer than layering our RECOVERY OINTMENT over top - because it has soothing CERAMIDES, ALOE, as well as petrolatum!
The Advantages of Slugging
Petrolatum acts as shield and skin protectant, helping prevent 99% of trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). By preventing water loss you're allowing your skin barrier to repair, leaving it better off once the petroleum is removed.
You can use it allover the face or only on the areas that get dry for you, like eyelids and around the mouth. The benefit is it will reduce Trans-epidermal Water Loss.
It won't clog pores since the molecule is too big to penetrate the skin and clog the hair follicles.
If you're heading to the ski slopes, you can practice some slugging on the mountains before you head out to lock in as much moisture as possible or the night before. Keep in mind this is not necessary for everyone but the cold air and the wind hitting your face while going down the hills can chap your skin and feel irritated by the end of the day.
Trans-epidermal Water Loss, (TEWL)- just as it reads- water loss. TEWL -water loss from the deep layers of the skin through the surface of the skin ( think sweating), we experience TEWL all the time -water escaping our skin. There are many factors that can increase water loss but the main thing is damage to the outer layer of the skin.
It’s important not to seal your skin completely for long periods of time hence the advantages of petrolatum over other occlusives that just form an impermeable barrier on top of the skin. You want some water loss as it acts as a signal that tells your skin to produce more intercellular lipids thereby repairing the skin barrier. If you fully block your skin, when you remove the occlusive, your skin reverts back. Petrolatum prevents most water loss while allowing your skin to repair its barrier, leaving it better off once the petrolatum is removed.
The Science Behind Slugging
One of the biggest barriers to using Vaseline has little to do with efficacy and actual safety and more to do with perceptions. Why does an ingredient dermatologists recommend for babies have such a bad wrap for being “toxic"? Clean beauty is partly to blame. The EWG or Environmental Working Group ranks petrolatum as a “1-4” due to contamination concerns and The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a post that, without context, would make you think that most petrolatum causes cancer. The TCFSC) claims that “petrolatum is often not fully refined in the US.” As we’ve established, this is not true.The U.S. has regulated and tested petrolatum since the '60s and been recognized as a skin protectant by the FDA since the '80s. TCFSC goes on to note ”it can be contaminated with toxic chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).” Upon further examining this study, it has nothing to do with petrolatum and more to do with kebabs concluding “grilled and smoked foods as well as cigarette smoking are reported as important sources of PAH.” In the sources provided by both sites, neither were able to showcase where they got their information that petrolatum is “often not fully refined in the U.S.” The Bottom Line The reality is, in the U.S. it’s illegal to sell unrefined petrolatum in skincare. The U.S. goes so far as to require formulations with over 30% petrolatum to register with the FDA and list on NDClist.com. Any over the counter drug like sunscreen, hand sanitizer are considered OTC drugs and must register with the FDA to receive a unique NDC code for consumers. As petrolatum is recognized by the FDA as a proven skin protectant, like colloidal oatmeal, any product with over 30% petrolatum must register. This unique code identifies your brand and the factory that produces it making it easy to find vetted products. Another way to make sure your petrolatum is safe? Ask the brand for their “USP”. If a brand is using “USP” petrolatum they meet or exceed the requirements set by the United States Pharmacopeia meaning it’s safe for food, drug, or medicinal use. However, the easiest way to determine the purity of your petrolatum is via NDC listings and NDClist.com. Worried about sustainability? The reality is we have a long way to go to make the skincare industry less reliant on fossil fuels. As long as farms and processing facilities use gasoline to harvest plants and power factories, using a byproduct of the petroleum industry isn’t what’s keeping big oil afloat. Not ACNE SAFE Shea butter, rosehip oil, and plant-based products all require OIL to make it to shelves.
Happy Slugging