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Beauty

10th Aug 2023

The ‘Slugging’ trend is back – what is it and do dermatologists approve?

Sophie Collins

slugging

The Slugging skincare trend is back with a bang, saturating TikTok feeds across the globe.

It’s no secret that people are paying much more attention to their skincare regime in recent years – with brands noticing a boom in sales across the board.

While lots of people opt for the botox route to prevent ageing of the skin, others are trying more natural ways to keep the skin youthful – like slugging.

Slugging is the method of lathering your face in a thick petroleum jelly-like cream in order to lock in moisture, treat dry skin conditions and ensure ultimate hydration.

You likely haven’t used vaseline on your face in a long time, but according to Dr. Alexis Parcells, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon, slugging is a simple technique “of slathering on a heavy-duty occlusive like petroleum jelly as the last step of a nighttime routine.”

She told Elle that it has been proven to lock in moisture and the other products you’ve used in your nighttime routine.

“The slimy film resembles a slug. Hence the name “slugging,” she quipped.

It is a practice most experts have recommended for quickly healing dryness and eczema and trapping in your skin’s moisture.

Dermatologist, Dr. Shari Marchbein, M.D. told Teen Vogue: “In truth, dermatologists have been ‘slugging’ for years. We just didn’t come up with a cute name for it.

“I don’t go to bed without it.”

A step-by-step guide to slugging

According to curology.com, slugging should be done as follows:

Step 1: Cleanse your skin using a gentle hydrating cleanser.

Step 2: Apply a thin layer of Vaseline over your face and neck while your skin is still damp.

Step 3: Leave it overnight.

Last step: Wash your face with plain water in the morning.

If the idea of getting your pillowcases all greasy freaks you out, you can slug during the day – like wearing a hydrating mask.

However, you may want to leave daytime slugging to a day where you can chill at home, because there is no way your makeup will stay in place.

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