I Tried the "Slugging" Trend That's All Over TikTok — and Got the Dewiest Skin of My Life

Published on 11/27/2020 at 12:50 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Felbin

Pexels | Shiny Diamond

By now, I'm no stranger to all things K-beauty. From "glass" skin to "cream" skin, there is no end to the Korean beauty and skin-care secrets I'm willing to try. So when I read about the moisturizing trend called "skin slugging," I had to see what all the excitement was about.

For anyone unfamiliar, slugging is a technique that originated in Korea. Unlike those 10-step K-beauty routines that took the beauty world by storm years ago, slugging only requires one product and one step. Every night, after your skin care, you apply a thin layer of Vaseline or petroleum-based balm all over your face to lock in moisture and seal in your skin-care products. Then, the next morning, you wash it off with your regular cleanser and enjoy your newly hydrated, glowing skin.

As a person with oily skin and occasional breakouts, I was skeptical about slugging at first. But my lightweight moisturizer simply wasn't cutting it – the colder fall weather was making my skin dry and dull. My skin-care routine is pretty pared down to begin with, so I figured adding one extra step wouldn't be too much of a challenge. I bought myself some Vaseline, slathered it on, and hoped for the best.

Keep reading to see my results.

Before Skin "Slugging"

Going into the experiment, I hoped that slugging would hydrate my skin and maybe give me a little bit of a glow. I was nervous that it might lead to more breakouts, but I decided to stay positive and see what happened. I cycled through my normal skin-care routine and then applied Vaseline every night for a week.

Mid-Week

Already by day three, I could tell that the Vaseline was giving me a glow. This picture was taken right after I washed the petroleum jelly off, and I didn't feel sticky, but I could tell that my skin felt a little more moisturized.

By the time I washed my face again that night, I was ready for round four.

Final Thoughts

I was stunned by the difference slugging made. By the end of the week, I was waking up with plump, dewy skin that was bouncy and soft to the touch. The results were so satisfying and the Vaseline worked better than any other moisturizer I've ever used. (Plus, it's about half the price, which was an added bonus.)

While going to bed feeling sticky and slimy wasn't fun, it was totally worth it for me in the end. In the future, I'll definitely keep slugging – probably not every night, but at least once or twice a week when I feel like my skin needs a pick-me-up. Who needs an expensive facial when you can get a glow-up at home?