“Slugging” Skincare is Going Viral- Dermatologists Explain Why

Having plump, glowing skin may seem like an impossible feat, particularly if you typically have dry skin. But if you suffer from dry winter skin or flakiness, you might be interested in the new skincare trend taking over both Reddit and TikTok — it’s called slugging, and it might be the secret weapon to that glazed donut skin you’ve been looking for. Don’t worry, it doesn’t involve any actual slugs — but it does involve using an occlusive to lock in moisture.

So what is slugging?

“Slugging is a recent K-beauty trend where one applies a petrolatum-based ointment to the face overnight to repair the skin,” says David Kim, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in California. Petrolatum, commonly known as petroleum jelly, is easy to find — just reach for a tub of Vaseline, or the GH Seal Star Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

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