Last week, I posted a blog all about slugging – what it is, what the benefits are, and who it’s good for. In the post, I mentioned that if you have oily skin, slugging may be a skincare technique you want to skip. Today, we’re going into a little more detail about why someone with oily skin may want to pass on slugging but also explore some slugging alternatives for oily skin. Because having oily skin doesn’t mean we don’t want to enrich our skin with good hydration.
A Refresh – Why might someone want to try slugging?
To recap: slugging is a skincare technique in which you create an occlusive barrier (with Vaseline or another petrolatum based product) over your skin and skincare products & ideally used to increase hydration in the skin.
The benefit is that the occlusive layer helps your hydrating skincare products penetrate deeper into your skin, increasing hydration, leaving your skin quenched and looking plump and bright.
Slugging & Oily Skin – Why not?
There are all kinds of skin type combinations. And having oily skin doesn’t necessarily mean your skin isn’t dehydrated, for example. After all, hydration and moisture are different.
So, if slugging locks in hydration and pure petrolatum is non-comedogenic, why is it a no-go for oily skin?
True – Vaseline and petrolatum isn’t considered comedogenic, or pore clogging. However, the barrier it creates on the skin creates the problem.
The Slugging Problem for Oily Skin:
While Vaseline isn’t going to break you out and while your skincare might not break you out, the other stuff on your face might.
Oily skin is oily because the sebaceous glands under the skin overproduce sebum. It’s not all bad – sebum helps protect and moisturize the skin and keep your hair shiny. And I am low-key jealous. But producing too much sebum or oil can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.
If you were to slug the skin regularly, it’s true you’d be trapping all of the delicious skincare under an occlusive layer to soak into the skin. But you would also be trapping all of that oil your skin might produce.
And because it has no where to go under the occlusive layer, it’s going to bury into your pores and potentially lead to breakouts and irritation.
Slugging Alternatives for Oily Skin
Having oily skin doesn’t mean you won’t want to use a heavier, moisturizing product to trap in moisture every now and again. And while traditional slugging might not be for you, some of these non-petrolatum based options might be!
REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm*: This immediately came to mind when brainstorming this post and is one of my favorite skincare products of the year.
It’s very similar in texture to some of the slugging products I mentioned last week, but it’s full of a lot of rich, plant-based oils instead of petrolatum.
It melts into a really thin, lightweight oil that helps moisturize the skin, has an exquisite scent, and a little goes a very long way.
REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm, $52, sephora.com*
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume*: I personally love this product as someone with dry but acne prone skin, I think those with oily, acne prone skin will love it, too.
It’s a thicker product, but it actually contains anti-bacterial agents including zinc gluconate, which is known for helping wound healing. It also contains soothing and hydrating ingredients as well.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume, $16, ulta.com*
Weleda Skin Food*: This post reminded me how much I love the Weleda Skin Food*. It’s one of those cult-favorite skincare products.
It’s an ultra-rich cream that works to moisturize the skin. I love this on my lips and on dry patches. But because it doesn’t contain petrolatum, oily skin can benefit without worrying about clogging pores.
Weleda Skin Food, $19 , target.com*
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask*: And the last recommendation is the Cica Sleeping Mask* from Laneige. And I love this stuff!
It’s a hypoallergenic overnight mask that helps soothe red and irritated skin and help strengthen the moisture barrier.
It feels lightweight on the skin and has a delicate scent. In the summer months, I like to pop this one in the fridge, and use this on my skin if I get a little too much sun.
Laneige Cica Overnight Mask, $34, sephora.com*
Just because a skincare trend or technique doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean you can’t give your skin the same TLC. Hopefully you can benefit from some of these slugging alternatives for oily skin, and if you do, make sure to let us know in the comments.
And if you don’t have oily skin, these are still amazing, effective, and hydrating products.
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