WHEN IT’S GET COLD, SLUGGING TO THE RESCUE
DENIZ AKKAYA
As a trend, slugging’s rising popularity can be traced back to the K-beauty world before hitting forums like Reddit’s Skincare Addiction and later TikTok.
Slugging gets its name from, well, slugs. You may be familiar with the facial that involves actual slugs sliding across your face, but this isn’t the same. By definition, slugging is a K-Beauty skincare trend which includes coating your face in petrolatum or Vaseline. So, no real slugs are in motion here. This is meant to prevent transepidermal water loss and keep moisture in your skin. It’s best for dry skin types.
Like so many of the best skin care breakthroughs and trends, slugging originated in K-Beauty before catching fire on the internet (collective knowledge forums like Reddit and Twitter in particular). Now, slugging is full-on mainstream.
As far as the benefits of this trend go, there is one ultimate goal of slugging: hydration. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), petroleum jelly can help relieve dry skin by providing moisture. This, in turn, leads to a plethora of other benefits, like more youthful-looking, glowy, and bouncy skin. It’s thought to be especially beneficial during the cold, less humid winter months that tend to leave your skin feeling dry and tight.
As far as the benefits of this trend go, there is one ultimate goal of slugging: hydration. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), petroleum jelly can help relieve dry skin by providing moisture. This, in turn, leads to a plethora of other benefits, like more youthful-looking, glowy, and bouncy skin. It’s thought to be especially beneficial during the cold, less humid winter months that tend to leave your skin feeling dry and tight.
As far as frequency goes, it’s best to listen to your skin. If you have skin that tends to be dry, you may benefit from slugging on the daily. Those that have oily skin, however, may find they want to take part less or only during the winter months. Listen to your complexion to determine what makes sense for you.
