Vaseline: A Tool, Not a Trend (Photo is an Actual Client)
You’ve probably seen it. Someone slathering Vaseline all over their face before bed, calling it “slugging,” swearing it saved their skin. The comments are always split — half of them say it worked, half say it wrecked them.
I’m going to tell you what I actually know about it — because estheticians specializing in acne or anti-aging, myself included, have been using this technique for a decade or more before it ever had a name on social media. What’s new isn’t the technique. What’s new is that millions of people are doing it without understanding when it’s right for their skin and when it isn’t.
What It Actually Does
Slugging means applying an occlusive as the last step in your nighttime routine. Vaseline is my recommendation.
When you put it on, it doesn’t sink into your skin. It can’t — the molecule is too large to enter the pore. Instead it sits on top and creates a seal. That seal locks everything in: moisture, the products underneath it, the work your skin is trying to do overnight. Nothing is evaporating. Nothing is being disturbed. Your skin gets to focus entirely on recovery. I sometimes say to clients you are giving yourself a treatment overnight until your skin has recovered.
And here’s the part most people don’t realize: it doesn’t speed things up by making products absorb faster. It speeds things up by holding everything in place so the ingredients in your products can do their job without interruption. What might otherwise take a month to turn around — dry, dehydrated, reactive, compromised skin — can shift in a few days or a week, possibly two. That’s not a small thing. It means I can move you to the more active products sooner, which means we get to your actual goal faster. Whether that’s clearing acne, rebuilding a damaged barrier, or getting your skin looking more vibrant and youthful — this technique shortens the road.
Why Vaseline and Not Something Else
There are other occlusives out there — certain oils, tallow, butters, Aquaphor, waxes. Some of them work. But many contain ingredients that are comedogenic, meaning they clog pores. Aquaphor or even Vaseline with a scent is a common example — people reach for it thinking it’s the same thing, but the added ingredients make it a problem for acne-prone skin.
Vaseline is basic petroleum jelly with a minimal ingredient list — and critically, nothing in it is comedogenic. That’s what separates it from the alternatives. For acne-prone skin, that distinction matters.
When It Works — and When to Hold Off
This is the part that matters most.
When your skin is dry, reactive, dehydrated, or barrier-compromised, the products you apply morning and night are helping. But all night, those ingredients are also hitting the air and dissipating — which means they can only do so much before they’re gone. Occlusion changes that entirely. Vaseline on top keeps everything locked in place, so your products work continuously through the night instead of evaporating. It’s the difference between a good routine and giving yourself an intensive healing treatment every single night.
The results reflect that. Skin that might take a month to turn around can shift in days or a week. And once the skin is healthier — barrier restored, reactivity calmed — that’s when I move forward with the next steps to address whatever the underlying issue is.
What happens in the morning — whether you cleanse as normal or temporarily skip cleansing to accelerate healing — depends on where your skin is and what we’re trying to accomplish. That’s not a one-size-fits-all answer, and it’s exactly why you reach out to me for instructions before you start.
Where to hold off, when to use it, and what to layer underneath — that’s exactly what a consultation is for. Reach out and we’ll figure out the right approach for where your skin is right now.
Take It With You
One more thing I love about this tool: it travels.
Airplane cabins are notoriously dehydrating — the recirculated air pulls moisture from your skin for hours. Same goes for long road trips, high-altitude environments, and extreme sports like skiing, where cold air, wind, and sun are working against your barrier all day. Applying Vaseline before you board, before you hit the slopes, or before an extended outdoor day creates a protective seal that keeps your skin from losing ground when the conditions are working against it.
And if you know you have something like this coming up — a trip, a ski vacation, a race — reach out beforehand. I can help you build a pre- and post-event regimen so your skin is prepared going in and recovers quickly coming out. That includes the right hydrating products and sunscreen for your specific conditions, so you’re protected before, during, and after. Your skin has a life. Your routine should keep up with it.
A Tool, Not a Trend
I’ve used this in my practice for years because it works. It’s not glamorous, it’s not expensive, and when it’s the right call for your skin it accelerates everything else we’re doing. That’s exactly why I reach for it — not as a nightly routine for everyone, but as a tool I pull out when the situation calls for it.
Whether it’s right for where your skin is right now, what to layer under it, and when to use it — that’s the conversation to have before you try it on your own.
The information in this post is educational and intended for general reference only. It is not a substitute for professional skin care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual results vary. If you have questions about your skin, reach out — or book a consultation for guidance tailored to you.
