WTF Is Slugging And Why Is It Suddenly In Everyone's Beauty Routine?

Should we be worried?

There are some beauty trends that sound immediately chic. Skin flooding. Glass skin. Cloud skin. Your mind immediately goes to the impossibly luminous complexions and minimalist bathroom shelves worthy of Pinterest. And then, there's the almost anti-aspirational term currently doing the round. Slugging.

In its most basic guise, slugging essentially involves applying a generous layer of an occlusive product, (think Vaseline) as the final step in your evening skincare routine. The aim isn't to hydrate your skin directly but to lock in everything you've already applied underneath, preventing moisture from escaping while you sleep.

In other words, you're going to bed looking kind of grotesquely shiny, and waking up looking significantly less so. Hence the deeply unfortunate name. Although we'd argue that glossing might have been an option..

Despite sounding like another TikTok invention designed to sell us superfluous products, slugging has actually been around for decades. Dermatologists have long recommended occlusive ointments for dry, compromised skin, and many people have been quietly applying petroleum jelly before bed long before social media gave it a memorable name.

Advocates of slugging (inc the likes of Tyra Banks, Jennifer Aniston and Kourtney Kardashian, btw), credit it as an antidote to increasingly harsh retinol and actives-based routines. A fast-tracked barrier repair solution, remedying irritation, tightness and redness. Rather than

asking your skin to work harder, slugging encourages it to hold on to the moisture it already has.

The theory tracks: by physically reinforcing the skin's barrier function, skin retains hydration, and blocks-out irritants and bacteria. Without that protective layer, some of the hydration you've carefully applied can evaporate overnight through a perfectly natural process known as transepidermal water loss. An occlusive product creates a barrier over the skin, helping to reduce that moisture loss while you sleep.

The result, for many people, is skin that feels softer, calmer and noticeably more comfortable by morning.

However - as with most things skincare-related, this is not a one size fits all solution: not everyone should immediately start coating their face in petroleum jelly every evening.

Slugging tends to work best for people with dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin, particularly during winter when central heating and cold weather leave complexions feeling stripped. It's also popular among people whose skin barrier has become compromised through over exfoliation or an over-zealous attitude toward active ingredients.

If your skin often feels tight after cleansing, becomes flaky around the nose or reacts easily to new products, slugging may be exactly the comforting reset your routine has been missing. Those with naturally oily or acne prone skin, however, may want to proceed more cautiously.

Because while petroleum jelly itself isn't generally considered comedogenic, meaning it doesn't usually clog pores, trapping everything underneath an occlusive layer can sometimes make existing congestion or breakouts feel worse for certain skin types.

The key is knowing your own skin rather than assuming every viral trend is universally beneficial.

One of the biggest misconceptions about slugging is that it's another skincare step to add to an already overwhelming routine. In reality,it's often about simplifying things. You don't need six serums underneath, and you certainly don't need every trending active ingredient.

In fact, slugging works particularly well after a gentle cleanser, a hydrating serum if you enjoy one and a nourishing moisturiser. The occlusive layer simply seals everything in place. Ironically, the less complicated your routine, the more likely slugging is to do its job well.

There's also no rule that says your entire face has to join in. Tyra and Jennifer reportedly favour just the under-eye area.

Many dermatologists recommend targeted slugging instead. If your cheeks become dry in winter but your forehead is naturally oilier, simply apply a small amount where your skin needs extra support. The same goes for lips, around the eyes, cuticles, elbows and any areas prone to dryness. Say it with us: beauty doesn't always have to be all or nothing.

Slugging isn't promising poreless skin by Friday or the complexion of a filtered celebrity. It isn't asking you to spend hundreds on complicated routines or miracle ingredients.

Instead, it's encouraging something surprisingly refreshing: protect what you already have. Support your skin rather than constantly trying to fix it.

After years of believing that better skin required stronger acids, more exfoliation and endless products, slugging reminds us that sometimes the most effective thing we can do is slow down.

Will everyone love waking up looking slightly glossy? Probably not.

Will slugging replace every other skincare trend? Almost certainly not.

But if your skin has been feeling dry, stressed or simply exhausted by modern skincare, this rather oddly named routine might just be one of the few beauty trends that's actually worth sleeping on.