Of all the trends to escape the beauty internet, slugging may have the least appealing name and the most sensible core. The practice: apply a thin layer of an occlusive balm, classically plain petroleum jelly, as the final step of your evening routine, and wake up disconcertingly dewy.
Why it works
Overnight, skin loses water through evaporation, a process called transepidermal water loss. Occlusives like petrolatum sit on the surface and physically block that evaporation; petrolatum is the most effective occlusive known, reducing water loss by up to ninety-eight per cent. Everything underneath it, your serums, your moisturiser, your skin's own hydration, stays put.
Dermatologists have recommended exactly this for decades for compromised, eczema-prone and post-procedure skin. The internet did not invent slugging; it invented the name and the audience.
Who it suits
Dry, flaky, barrier-damaged and mature skin types tend to love it, especially in winter or in centrally heated bedrooms. If your skin stings when you apply basic moisturiser, a few nights of slugging is one of the cheapest repair strategies available.
Oily and acne-prone readers should proceed carefully. Petrolatum itself is non-comedogenic, but sealing an entire day's sebum and whatever actives you have layered underneath can end badly. If you are breakout-prone, slug selectively: cheeks and around the eyes, not the T-zone.
One warning: do not slug over retinoids or exfoliating acids. Occlusion intensifies whatever sits beneath it, and a sealed-in acid is a chemical burn with extra steps.
Cheap, unglamorous and effective. The best trends usually are.
