The “for you” page on my phone always has skincare articles because I look up products for the Amazon posts. If you read our shopping posts you’ll know that I only started learning about skincare about three and a half years ago. Luckily I’ve used sunblock since I was a teenager, but my skin needed more moisture and some resurfacing. I was able to make my skin somewhat younger and smoother-looking with serums and creams. Retinols have helped, although I could probably benefit from a little Botox. Currently I’m dealing with dry skin and am moisturizing a lot. Apparently there’s this practice called “slugging,” which I assumed was about using snail mucin but it’s simply applying a petroleum-based product, like Vaseline or Aquafor, as the final step in your night time routine. Yahoo! interviewed a dermatologist who said it does work, but that you have to have dry skin without active breakouts and use it sparingly. You also have to be careful what products you use before it.
In The Know spoke with Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky, a board-certified dermatologist, to find out if slugging is really all it’s cracked up to be.
“Slugging is using an occlusive, like petroleum jelly or petrolatum, as the final step in your nighttime skin care routine to really lock in hydration and prevent water loss so that you have super dewy, moisturized skin in the morning,” Dr. Zubritsky tells In the Know.
Products that contain petrolatum, like Vaseline, Aquaphor and CeraVe Healing Ointment, tend to be popular options for slugging. And while this may be the latest trend amongst Gen Z, Dr. Zubritsky says it has actually been around for decades.
“It’s something that not just the younger generation can get behind, but it’s something dermatologists can get behind as well. So it’s effective. It’s affordable,” she says. “And it actually works.”
While she doesn’t recommend the method for acne-prone or oily skin types, it can be beneficial for those with normal to dry skin.
“I typically don’t recommend slathering it on in a thick layer. Really, you just need a super thin layer to reap the benefits,” the doctor says.
Dr. Zubritsky’s slugging routine entails cleansing, applying serums, moisturizing, then finally putting on a thin layer of petrolatum. She recommends only slugging a few nights a week so that the skin can still breathe…
“Vaseline or petroleum jelly in and of itself is non-comedogenic.”
This article came up at the right time for me because I was with my mother last weekend and tried her Aquafor. It’s very thick and made my dry hands feel so nice! I bought some and tried it on my face last night. First I used a gel-based cleanser, then followed with Mario Badescu rosewater spray. I then used some Cos de Baha niacinamide serum (I swear by this stuff) and DHC Urumai Cream. (My mom got that for me as a gift, here’s a less pricey alternative.) I used a just small amount of Aquafor on my face as recommended. While I woke up with skin that was a little softer than normal, it wasn’t amazing or noticeably dewy. I’ll keep using it occasionally when my skin feels particularly dry.
As Dr. Zubritsky mentioned, I always assumed that Vaseline would clog pores and didn’t realize it was non-comedogenic. She did warn not to use it before cleansing because it can trap dirt. Plus it may make retinols and acids irritate the skin. It’s good to know that it’s not harmful at all. I used to use Vaseline to take off eye makeup in the 80s and 90s. A lot of women used Vaseline on their face back in the day and it looks like it’s making a comeback.
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I travel a lot & always bring Aquafor or Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour cream. After slathering it on my hands before bed I use the residue for my face. Works quite nicely since travel is so very drying to the skin, what with all that recirculated air on the planes & in hotels & airports.
Black folks have been doing this for goodness know how long. When cold weather or snow starts, first thing parents do is a layer of Vaseline on face before kids go out.
THIS !!!
My first thought when I saw this on Al Gore’s internet was, ‘This ain’t new’.
heheh first thing I was thinking. I don’t use vaseline but I use straight up thick shea butter on my face, and I learned that from black ladies.
Vaseline for the win. My aunt is in her mid eighties and has maybe 3 wrinkles…Thanks Vaseline. (Also -“Black don’t crack”) – but she’s been using Vaseline at night since she was young. No Botox, no fillers, face lifts etc…
Yup! I’ve long been convinced that THIS is why black don’t crack. Since infancy black folks lather put on the shine and the practice reaps so much benefit later on in life. Just my opinion though.🤷🏾♀️
This was the comment I was looking for. I have school pictures where my face was shiny from Vaseline. 😂
Right? I read this and was like, my momma was on it 35 years (and more) ago. Lol.
Although I don’t put it all over my face, I often slather it all over my lips at bed time after a shower or face wash. You wake up with really smooth lips! It’s best to get lots of warm water into your skin first. The Vaseline doesn’t “add” moisture but does lock it in.
Apparently also prevents moisture from evaporating out of your skin while you’re sleeping.
I use Alaffia Pure Unrefined Shea Butter as moisturizer on my face. It’s especially helpful during the winter months. Does not clog my pores and lotion-based moisturizers do NOTHING, ABSOLUTE NOTHING for my face. My face still gets dry and, on top of that, I have sensitive skin. So, shea butter has worked for me.
Love how they come up with a new term for something I’ve been doing my entire life living in VT with dry skin 😂😂😂
I grew up near BTV! Where are you?
Right down the road in Montpelier
@nerdygirl17 Hi! What do you do for work in Montpelier/VT?
I work in healthcare, not exciting but I know the ins and outs of health insurance which is handy
This is not new lol.
My mom has been doing this for my whole life. I put aquaphor or Vaseline all over my feet and hands when my nails are looking rough due to gel and it fixes the issue over night.
I’ve been using vaseline for years. I have chronic dry eyes and they water a lot to compensate and at times I find that the very gentle skin around my eyes gets red and irritated so I go to bed with vaseline slathered around the area and it heals the dry patches so well.
Two questions — do you wash it off in the morning? And, if vaseline is non-comedogenic, then what is actually comedogenic?
I definitely wash it off in the morning (I wash my face every morning) and I know Coconut Oil and Argon Oil are comedogenic
Thank you, Elvie!
Like everyone says, it is not new. Just be warned that if you are using Aquaphor, it may permanently stain your sheets. I used to put it on my daughter’s eczema and it stains badly.
You can try treating and soaking the sheets in Dawn dish detergent, then washing them. I’ve used it to remove greasy stains from fabric in the past and it has worked. Sometimes I’ve had to do it more than once, but it got the stains out eventually.
Dawn is awesome for removing greasy or food based stains. I have almost stopped using other stain removers.
If the fabric can tolerate it, isolating grease or stain spot with embroidery hoop and pouring hot water (just off the boil) through will solve problem. Works on cottons, cotton blends and most synthetics. Would not use on nylon or wool. Use my Krups tea kettle I bought at beginning of pandemic after HotPot died.
The beauty industry is hilarious sometimes. Obviously this has been a thing for decades, but it wasn’t so long ago that anything petroleum based was seen as the devil in the skincare world in terms of advertising – now it’s come back.
Vaseline is a bit too heavy for my skin but it’s great for my feet, for rashes, and taking off eye makeup.
I do the same thing with plain vegetable glycerin—it’s the only thing I use at night, even in my 40s, and it holds the moisture in my skin unbelievably. After cleansing my skin any time (after shower, at night before bed, etc.), a few drops of glycerin and a few drops of water rubbed together with my finger tips and applied to my face, neck, chest and upper back. I’ve been doing this for two years—ever since COVID shortages and store closures forced me to turn to whatever else I had in my house—and my super sensitive skin has never been better, more moisturized, or less broken out.
Vaseline in an emergency? Yes, but more than once every once in a while is guaranteed breakouts for me. Glycerin, ladies—plain, unscented, inexpensive vegetable glycerin (it’s what’s in your micellar water anyway at much greater cost…).
Yes! I’ve never heard of it referred to as “slugging,” but I started doing this with Aquafor a few years ago when I had to travel a lot for work and found my skin feeling extra dried out. I would *slather* a ton of it on at night, and it really did make a big difference. I could feel that my skin was a lot softer in the morning when I did this, and my makeup would go on much more smoothly the next day.
I’ll still do it occasionally, I just make sure to have one old, ratty pillowcase that I don’t care about to use those nights. But I noticed a difference *immediately* and that’s so unusual since so many beauty products require weeks before you see results (and I’m impatient, lol).
ETA: after putting it on my face, I use what’s left of it on my hands to put it on my elbows and knees. Two birds, one stone
Both of my grandmothers (white and black) did this and they both had almost no wrinkles in their 80’s. I’m in my thirties and started doing this at 25. I don’t have any wrinkles so far. Not that wrinkles ate “bad” I just want to look like I’m aging gracefully. Lol No need for fancy expensive stuff. Just sunscreen and moisture.
My dermatologist recommended that I stop using lip gloss and just use Vaseline. I was really happy with the results at first but after a while it irritated my lips so bad. I don’t know why I had the reaction I did, but I’ve had to steer clear of Vaseline type products on my face since. Outside of that, I would 100% recommend this.
Vasoline or any mineral oil products are incredibly irritating for me. My skin is crawling just thinking about it!
I am a white lady in my late 40s. One of my Black high school classmates started her own skincare line called Gypsy Root and I bought a skin balm from her a year back. It’s made from beef tallow, which i believe is an old African American remedy. And I promise it doesn’t smell like beef! When I tell you I have never loved a product so much, it is NOT hyperbole! My colleagues even noticed on Zoom calls that my skin looked dewy. I do sometimes end up looking like a glazed donut if I go too hard. But I lurrrrrve it and also love supporting my old friend – who quit being a lawyer to do this!
I just placed an order for the balm and the serum. Thanks for the recommendation!
Yay! You will love them!
Omg I follow her on insta but haven’t bought the tallow! Might have to get some next time I’m in the US.
She is a stunner – has been since 7th grade. A smartie too!
That looks amazing I am going to try it also! Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for the recommendation, I’m going to order the tallow. I remember when tallow was a common ingredient in a lot of moisturizers and cosmetics, and even into the 90’s it was still used in lipsticks. I wish manufacturers would go back to using it.
Who on this planet doesn’t own a vat of Vaseline? Slugging my ass lol. Why does everything have to have a name…so it can sound new? Trendy? Excuse me while I swarden (swallow my garden vitamins).
I have vaseline but it has never occurred to me to put it on my face. I want to try it but I’m a little scared. so I just wash my face at night and then use this? Do I still need to use my retinol serum? Moisturizer? or just this?
Petroleum seals in things, so you’d use it as the last step in your night time regime. I wouldn’t advise using retinols or acids with it though.
Okay, I tried it last night. I skipped the retinol serum and just used my moisturizer and then put a very thin layer on top. I do think my skin feels softer this morning, I washed it off which is going to be the biggest change for me (I usually just splash my face with warm water when I wake up and don’t actually wash it until I work out and shower, usually closer to lunch time.) But anyway, like I said my skin feels softer but who knows how much of that is mental lol. I’ll give it a try for a while though and see how it goes.
@Mabs….This!! Why does everything need a label? Isn’t it all just ‘moisturizing?’
FYI…the concept for Vaseline came from Titusville, Pennsylvania, where they drilled the first oil well in the U.S. Robert Chesebrough saw oil rig workers using a substance called, ‘rod wax’ to heal cuts and burns. He took a sample with him, and Vaseline was born. A little bit of my hometown history.
I always learn the most interesting things from the commenters on here!!
I used Vaseline as a child on my afro hair and it it give a short term shine.
But when I discovered conditioners with ingredients like shea butter, that provided durable moisture, I discarded it entirely.
To me, Vaseline is bad news. I don’t understand why it’s still being used by anyone.
It’s just smelly grease harmful to us and the environment. Why oh why is it still around?
Always used Vaseline so makes more sense to me than, say, olive oil.
A thin layer of aquafor around my poor chapped nose during cold/allergy season is a lifesaver.
“Slugging”….that sounds so dumb.
One of my aunts who would have been in her early 80’s had she not passed away 10 years ago, avoided the sun and slathered her face with Vaseline at bedtime probably starting in the late 1950s. The woman had the most beautiful skin. I love how everything old is new again.
Folks on the skincare reddits have been recommending this for years.
My mother smoothed Vasoline on her face every night for 75 years. When she passed at 89 she looked 70.
It’s important to note that Vaseline and Aquafor don’t moisturize skin on their own. They are barriers. But they will trap any moisture that you put on your skin first before applying them. So they work well with other things, but not so much on their own (for moisturizing).
Good point. Moisturizing is absolutely key before “slugging.” Vaseline can’t repair a damaged skin barrier on it’s own because it doesn’t have necessary lipids. It’s like a band-aid for a damaged skin barrier, but doesn’t address any of the underlying issues that created the damage. Certainly, for appropriate skin types, it’s great to seal all the steps before in. Or to occasionally protect from aggressive climates(although it can interfere with sunscreen use).
They Mayo Clinic website has a video on Vaseline, explaining why it’s safe and how it’s even used in hospitals on wounds during surgeries. I was so glad I found that video because the ‘clean’ beauty people and articles online were calling it toxic. I was so confused until I found that vid! So if anyone’s wondering, go check it out and be careful of the fear mongering in the ‘natural’ and ‘clean’ beauty stuff you read online.
They think it’s toxic because it comes from petroleum… There are so many things that are pure poison and they use it… This probably isn’t one of them…
Yep. My derm has for at least a decade recommended vaseline or aquaphor for use on suture lines (I’m forever having things excised- so far, so good) rather than an antibiotic ointment. No risk of allergic reaction complicating wound healing. As a result, I learned how fantastic it is for winter hands… no cracked fingers anymore! Even though I’m 56, I’m still breakout-prone, so I will not use this on my face… vitamin c and Paula’s Choice clinical strength niacinamide work well for me. I tried Vaseline on my lashes at night and got a plugged lash follicle😡, so I stick with NIOD FECC (am/pm) and then Shiseido Beneficence (nights) and St. Jane bright repair cream (day). A very effective combo for my skin. If I could, I would definitely use aquaphor on my face, but I’d look like a broken out teenager if I did, I suspect.
Marilyn Monroe used to do this.
This! I use it as a primer sometimes, which she did. Lightly, of course, but it gives a beautiful sheen in pictures.
I have combo/oily skin so I can’t do slugging on my entire face. Instead I use Aquaphor over my eye cream because my undereyes are DRY. I’ve been using Aquaphor on my lips for like ever too
Mine too and sensitive – Aquafor to the rescue.
I love aquaphor for my winter hands.
I saw an article with Lucy Lu once where she said, “AquaFor Everything” and now that’s what I think whenever I use it.
I use a cleanser then tretinoin (retinoid) gel then a petroleum jelly based moisturizer and I’ve found it soothes what the tretinoin gel would do on it’s own. My skin type has larger pores and more oily than dry so maybe that helps balance and reduce irritation.
The results are shrinking of pores with tighter and dryer skin. The moisturizer adds the “dewy” look, but it never stays without reapplying.
WW, which ones do you use? Wanting to try something different and I too have same issues you do with my skin.
Did not work for me. I have oily skin. I stick to my Ordinary moisturizer and slather it on.
Forgot to add my country is also very humid so yeah it’s an oil slick if I do this.
I LOVE Aquafor. When My oldest was a baby it came recommended for his skin irritations. And recently when I hit 45 my eyes have become very sensitive to eye creams and the dermatologist recommended, yet again, Aquafor. Love me some Aquafor.
I was a Shiseido-trained makeup artist and skincare person. Many, many years ago, plastic surgeons recommended petroleum jelly after surgery and a certain Shiseido cream that I’m not sure is made anymore. Petroleum jelly is messy, it gets everywhere, and nobody ought to get in bed with that melty stuff.
I loooooove my Benefience!
There are skincare products on the market that are formulated with petroleum jelly that don’t get on everything. I always recommend CeraVe healing ointment. It’s a thinner consistency and has the added benefit of ceramides. But the main ingredient is Petroleum Jelly.
The Cereve healing ointment is fantastic for irritated dry skin. You are spot on, it has the benefit of the petroleum jelly but applies like an ointment and isn’t as thick. I live for that stuff in the winter.
I’ve used Vaseline for years, never knew I was “slugging”. In the winter I put it over my hyaluronic acid moisturizer on my dry spots even during the day. In the summer I don’t use it as often on my skin, just my lips, because it seems to hold heat in my face and make it red. And that’s with washing it off in the morning.
I’ve always used it on my lips and I’ve never had chapped lips.
Old school La Mer, the stuff that costs $350 a jar, is petroleum based. Save your money and buy a jar of Vaseline.
I started using it years ago. My pores are smaller, I get only the very rare blemish, old blemishes faded, and my skins elasticity seems much better. I wash with cetaphil or cerave (knockoffs), moisurize with the cetaphil cream knockoff, and then put the thinnest layer of vaseline over it all. Rinse in the morning and put ctaphil cream knockoff on, and then the cetaphil spf over the top of that if I’m going outside. It’s really wonderful. I don’t need the vaseline in the summer though. It’s so humid here.
Elta MD has a product called “Intense Hydration” if you are prone to break out. I have to alternate with that and Vaseline.
I dab Vaseline on my lashes and brows too.
I use Vaseline on my hands like a lotion and then use a wash cloth to get it off my palms. It’s the only thing that keeps my hands from cracking and bleeding in the winter. Works great on my cuticles too.
Petroleum jelly is what they call occlusive and so it’s going to block moisture from leaving your facial skin and air from entering. I would not recommend it for any skin type as part of a normal facial skin care routine, daily or once in a while. I’d stick with something oil based for dry skin that is also not acne prone. Otherwise, if you need something like petroleum jelly on your skin it’s probably not your face and/or for a medical reason where you need to keep moisture in and air out like burns.
Occlusives don’t block moisture. They SEAL in moisture. They are not meant to be used as one and done step. They should be used as a final step. The same way people use face oils.
I did this as a kid but I’m not using Vaseline on my face now, my skin is oily, I’m just going to be a glow worm. No thanks.
I’ve been using Vaseline on my face for years. Most eye creams work for a while for me, and then I react. But I’ve found that a thin layer of Vaseline works. A couple of times a week I’ll use it over all my face, I’ll do a massage at the same time too. With a bit of practice you get to know how much to use so it’s all absorbed by morning. Considering my age and the fact I spent most of my childhood outside in the sun I think it’s held back the wrinkles. To anyone who is curious I suggest you give it a try?
Using a petroleum based product on my skin makes me nervous 😬. I live in the desert and use argon oil from Trader Joe’s and homemade body butter (put it on my face too) of shea butter, coconut and almond oil.
Interestingly, Mr. Jaded had a large spot of eczema on his hand and his doctor recommended rubbing vaseline on it several times a day. It’s almost gone now. I can’t use it on my face, I have somewhat oily skin, but vegetable glycerin works a treat — it’s a humectant therefore it attracts moisture to the skin.
I’m in my 60s. I didn’t start slathering vaseline on my face/body until I entered my 50s. It is a great feeling, waking up to skin that feels moisturized, I usually apply at night then gently wipe off with a towel before getting into bed. However, nobody has mentioned Bag Balm! I first heard about it from farmers, who recommended it after my daughter lightly burned her fingers. It was invented in Vermont over 100 years ago to keep cow teats from getting chapped. Contains a mild antiseptic. It does smell, so you’d want to shower it off but if you suffer from dry skin on the feet or calves or, due to aging, you cut easier, nothing will make your skin feel better. I put it on my feet at night in the winter and wear socks over it.
Palmers Coco Butter. The one in the white jar. Also Aquaphor. I have tubes in every room. Love those products!!
Not new – i don’t use it on my face as it can cause breakouts for me but I have used it on my body (esp hands and feet).
I would also highly recommend Sudocrem – I use it on my face when my skin is a bit dry, sometimes i use it as a face mask. Also great to treat rashes and sunburn.
LOL, yes, that’s how oil based emollients work, Instagram beauty gurus. You moisturize the skin, let it set, and the oily product placed over it serves as a protective layer for the skin because it’s a hydrophobic filter. That’s why we use it in a lot of wound care in hospitals. Love it when influencers repackage basic medical knowledge to pretend they’re adding something new to the conversation. 😂
Black women have been doing this for generations. My grandmother did it, my Mom…We use it on our faces, elbows, knees, etc. I use it on my eyes in the winter to help with dryness from my eczema. Vaseline is a skincare staple in black households.
My dad was a boxer/trainer, so we used Vaseline for wounds all the time growing up, and to this day I still use it for wounds. I also use it on my feet during the dry winter months.
I have to say as much as I love the good skin care products available now, when my skin is super dry good old Vaseline cannot be beaten for a deep skin moisture treatment. We have had it o. Our house since I was a kid. Not just for your face, it has saved my feet and hands a lot. My hands were in horrible shape at the beginning of Covid when we were washing everything and Purell was almost a religious icon. Send in my Vaseline please. You can get it in Rose scent and cocoa butter scents now so I expect this “new” revelation is actually not that new lol also a big jar of it last forever. And now they sell the little lip balms in tiny jars which makes me laugh
I’d love to not have many wrinkles as I age but I’m still prone to acne on my chin so I can’t do this? Wonder what else is recommended if you still get acne?
I’d try using glycerin products – it doesn’t add oil to your skin or clog pores, but it acts as a humectant, attracting moisture to your skin.
Would glycerin work in dry climates? I know some people love hyaluronic acid because it attracts moisture, but it doesn’t work in areas with low humidity. Does glycerin work in a similar way?
Once or twice a week I do a similar thing where as my last step at night (over my serums), I will put a mixture of Egyptian Magic cream and a couple of drops of Bio-Oil mixed together all over my face before bed. Egyptian Magic is comprised of olive oil, beeswax, royal jelly and a couple of other things I can’t remember. It has never made my skin break out and I wake up with the softest skin. It is, however, pretty greasy when mixed with the Bio-Oil so I like to put it on an hour or two before bed when I’m watching tv. Gives it some time to absorb before I get into bed and put my face on a pillow. I highly recommend it.
Oh my God, my mom has been doing this for as long as I can remember. She puts vaseline on her face at night and would put it all over our faces when we went out in the cold. I put it on my own kids’ faces now when they need moisturizing at night (mainly for dried/cracked skin). This is cracking me up that it’s suddenly a new “it” thing.
I use bag balm on my face every night and it is a miracle worker!!
I had long used Vaseline, despite comments about my giant tub of bedside “lube” In college (hand/foot “lube” but sure) but it is definitionally petroleum right? In the ‘80s, my parents would douse their heads in olive oil once a week – they would put old towels/pillow cases on the bed that night. Now…as a 38yr old woman I see how that might sound like something other than skin care…but I gotta say, I’ve been using California ranch olive oil as moisturizer almost every day and it’s the only thing that makes a difference!
I’m hesitant to put this all over my face as I’m SURE I would break out, but I wonder if it would work on my 11’s, sparingly? I use Vaseline on my lips every single night.
My mum would do this, but with pure lanoline in a tube.
I formulate all natural body care and a customer recently sent me this article and asked me about slugging. Think I’m going to do a blog post about it when I get some free time but thought I’d just lay out a few things to consider. I’m a Black woman and grew up with a mama who slathered vaseline all up and down my lips, face, elbows, ankles, etc. especially during the cold winters in Boston. I would never hate on it or look down on what is working for others when it’s different from what I choose for myself. That said, this is what I do know – people are drawn to Vaseline for its occlusive properties. This just means it creates a barrier that prevents moisture loss. The issue is that it’s not a very breathable barrier and it offers up nothing more than its occlusive properties. You can find plant and animal fats that are occlusive and also nourishing, vitamin rich and that actually repair, revitalize, and heal the skin. I actually formulate a lot with grass fed tallow (which is rendered beef fat). Tallow is amazingly nutrient dense, protects against moisture loss (so occlusive), is full of vitamins, and is easily absorbed b/c it is very similar to the sebum in human skin. Beeswax is also an occlusive and when combined with tallow really enhances moisture retention. If you’re interested in learning more about tallow, I wrote a bit here on my site – https://www.gypsyroot.com/pages/faqs
My husband and his siblings are shiny AF in all of their childhood pictures because their grandma would slather them with Vaseline as they walked out the door. I can’t wait to let them know she was just slugging ahead of her time. 🤣