Hey tret girls (and boys),
I slugged every night on tretinoin. Glossy at night. Peeling by noon. Tight, irritated skin that never really calmed down.
If slugging works for you, keep doing it. It's just not for the kind of peeling I experienced on tretinoin.
Here's the science:
1. There are two kinds of peeling. Slugging only fixes one.
Type 1: Dryness-related peeling.
Your stratum corneum is intact, but you're losing water because of low humidity, cold weather, harsh cleansers, or over-exfoliation. Petrolatum reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by up to 98%. You wake up soft. In that context, slugging is incredible.
Type 2: Retinoid-induced peeling.
This isn't just about water loss. Tretinoin accelerates desquamation (the natural shedding of dead skin cells), so corneocytes separate and shed more quickly while your skin adapts. At the same time, tretinoin can temporarily disrupt the skin barrier, leaving it lower in key barrier lipids like ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids.
Petrolatum is a hydrocarbon. It's one of the best ingredients available for reducing water loss, but it contains no ceramides, cholesterol, or free fatty acids. It doesn't directly address the biological processes driving retinoid-induced shedding or replace depleted barrier lipids.
So you can dramatically reduce water loss and still peel, because your skin is still adapting to tretinoin and your barrier is still recovering. You just have hydrated flakes instead of dry flakes.
2. Why slugging wasn't enough for me
Much of tretinoin irritation is related to temporary skin barrier disruption and the inflammation that accompanies it.
For some people, full-face petrolatum doesn't completely solve that problem because its main job is reducing water loss. If your barrier also needs replenishment with lipids, humectants, and soothing ingredients, occlusion alone may not be enough.
That's what I experienced.
I would wake up feeling comfortable, wash my face, and by midday the tightness and peeling were back. For me, slugging reduced dryness, but it didn't stop the cycle of irritation.
3. What finally stopped my peeling - why I made Formula 32
I didn't feel like I needed more occlusion. I wanted a formula that focused on supporting my skin barrier while it recovered from tretinoin.
I made Formula 32 to support the skin during the recovery period after a tretinoin night.
It's not a petrolatum slugging balm. It's a triglyceride-based barrier balm.
Kokum + Shea Butter: Rich in triglycerides and skin-conditioning fatty acids that help soften skin, support the barrier, and provide lighter occlusion than petrolatum.
Glycerin: A humectant that draws water into the outer skin layer, improves hydration, and supports normal barrier recovery.
Colloidal Oatmeal: Contains avenanthramides with soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that help calm irritated skin.
Zinc Oxide: Helps soothe irritated skin while providing a breathable protective barrier.
My routine now is simple: after tret, I apply a pea-sized amount of Formula 32. No full-face petrolatum. No seven-step routine.
For me, flakes went from visible sheets to almost invisible shedding within days because my skin finally had the hydration, emollients, and barrier support it needed, not just another layer of occlusion.
If slugging works for you, keep doing it. But if you're slugging every night on tretinoin and you're still peeling and feeling tight every morning, reducing water loss alone may not be enough.
Sometimes your skin needs more than occlusion, it needs barrier support.