Can slugging cause acne? Check out if this beauty trend is acne-friendly or not

Slugging is a beauty trend that many women seem to swear by. But is slugging good for acne? Let's find out if slugging should be included in your skin care routine.
Slugging for skin care
Slugging on skin may not be a good idea if you have acne. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock
Natalia Ningthoujam Published: 19 Apr 2023, 13:15 pm IST
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Social media has become a place where young women can get beauty tips and advice on skin and hair care. Some might be helpful, but others not so much. Slugging is one beauty trend that young women have been talking about for months now. It seems like a good way to get rid of dryness and giving baby soft skin. But do women with oily skin or acne issues really need slugging? Read on to find out what an expert has to say about slugging and acne.

Health Shots connected with Dr Banani Choudhury, Consultant Dermatologist, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research centre, Mumbai, to understand if slugging should be included in a skin care regime while fighting acne.

slugging and acne
Women with acne issues should avoid slugging. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock

What is slugging?

Right from cleaning face with a facewash to protecting skin with the right sunscreen, our skin care routine can get a little exhaustive. Now, some are rooting for slugging, which Dr Choudhury says is the application of a thick occlusive product at the end of a skin care routine. It’s basically sealing in all of the products that you applied before the occlusive product. They are the ones which form a layer on skin without actually penetrating through it. It just forms a barrier at the top layer of skin so that any active products under it can penetrate deeper.

Petroleum jelly is an occlusive product that many women rely on to get rid of dry skin. The expert says that it is also used for some skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis or xerosis where there is severe dry skin where. In these cases, it helps to retain the moisture in skin.

Slugging and acne

Slugging seems to be beneficial for women with dry skin. Those who have skin barrier defect where even after applying a moisturiser, the skin feels dry in some time, can also enjoy its benefits. But Dr Choudhury says that women with very sensitive skin and acne-prone skin should avoid slugging. Any product that stays long on skin can cause more absorption through skin. This can in turn cause irritation and allergic reaction in people with sensitive skin. In these cases, the occlusive products can cause redness, itching and inflammation.

Acne-prone skin can get comedones after using occlusive products. So, be it petroleum jelly, glycerine or any thick skin care product, it can cause clogging in skin by blocking the skin opening. Also, slugging on dirty skin, whether it is acne-prone or not, is not a good idea as it can lead to acne breakouts. So, clean your face properly before slugging.

slugging and acne
Slugging should not be done on dirty skin. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock

Skin care routine for acne-prone skin

Just because slugging is trending, doesn’t mean that you need to squeeze it in your skin care routine. Women with acne-prone skin can try the following skin care routine:

• Use an acne-friendly face wash
• Use a light gel-based moisturiser and sunscreen
• Make-up products should be removed properly so that make-up particles does not clog your skin
• Stay away from occlusive products
• Go for a very light serum or gel consistency which does not make skin greasy and at the same time gives the desired effect of brightening and skin hydration

So, if you are planning to slather on a layer of petroleum jelly onto your skin as the last step in your skin care routine before going to bed, think again.

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About the Author

Natalia Ningthoujam has written on various subjects - from music to films and fashion to lifestyle - as a journalist in her career that started in 2010. After getting stories from the crime scene, police headquarters, and conducting interviews with celebrities, she is now writing on health and wellness which has become her focus area. ...Read More

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