What Is ‘Slugging,’ and Should You Try It for Moisturized Skin?

Dry, dull, and patchy skin is a common complaint, especially in the colder months. Now a TikTok trend with a catchy name promises to provide an overnight solution to transform your compromised complexion and give it that summer glow, using just a tub of petroleum, or petrolatum, jelly.

“Slugging” is the fancy new term for the practice of applying a layer of ointment, often Vaseline, to the skin before sleeping, and keeping that layer on overnight. “This practice has been going viral through social media, and people do it to wake up with soft, buttery skin with no or fewer wrinkles,” says Christine Ko, MD, a Yale Medicine dermatologist and dermatopathologist and a professor at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

The hashtag #slugging has been viewed 148.6 million times. A video posted on January 16, 2022, by a user named Abbey Yung demonstrating slugging has amassed more than 1.4 million pairs of eyeballs.

But is slugging really anything new, and should you try it? Here is what experts want you to know.

What Is Slugging?

Slugging is a skin-care technique used with the intent of "sealing" the skin to lock in the moisturizing properties of skin-care products, says Corey L. Hartman, MD, the founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama. “The sealing is most often done with a petroleum-based product like Vaseline,” says Dr. Hartman, adding that this is often done overnight. While the trend is currently experiencing major TikTok fame, it has actually been around for a while. “It has origins in Korean-beauty,” Hartman says.

What Dermatologists Say About Slugging

“Slugging is a good adjunct technique to help deliver skin-care ingredients into the skin, maintain water content, and achieve a plump, firm skin surface,” Hartman says.

Dr. Ko herself has been slugging for years, long before TikTokers began touting its perks. She uses it to treat chapped lips, irritated hands, and dry skin overall, including on her face.

To try slugging on your hands, Ko recommends Burt’s Bees Hand Salve ($9.99, BurtsBees.com).

As for your face, try slugging at night, Ko recommends, because the products involved are gloppy and can leave an oily residue. While a dewy look may be in style right now, this level of dewiness likely isn’t the look you’re going for during the day.

Who Should Try (and Avoid) Slugging

Slugging works best for people with normal to dry skin that gets noticeably drier in the winter, Hartman says. It works not only on the face but elsewhere, too: "If you have dry patches on your knees, elbows, ankles, or anywhere else on the body, use your favorite moisturizer and then seal it with the petroleum-based product,” Hartman explains.

The downside is that slugging can trap dead skin cells, oil, and debris, encouraging bacterial overgrowth, and it may worsen acne breakouts. “If you have acne-prone or oily skin, you may want to skip this trend,” Hartman says. “There are more pressing skin issues to deal with first, and this practice can be detrimental to success in a regimen aimed at controlling acne and breakouts, which lead to scarring and hyperpigmentation,” Hartman says.

“Otherwise,” he adds, “petrolatum is a safe and effective skin-care staple that has been around for decades and stands the test of time.”

The Bottom Line: Should You Try Slugging?

If you have normal to dry skin and aren’t prone to acne, there is no reason you shouldn’t try slugging. Still, Ko suggests starting with a thin layer in a small area of the skin or testing it out on your hands first. “Avoid areas that are prone to clogged pores, at least at first,” she says. “Everyone’s skin is different, and everyone may not react the same way to this practice.”