What is slugging? I tried the Kourtney Kardashian-approved skincare trend
Yahoo Lifestyle Canada is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
When it comes to beauty, Kourtney Kardashian has never shied away from testing out weird and wacky trends.
The latest beauty trend to hit our Instagram feeds care of Kourt? Slugging. In a recent Instagram Story, the 43-year-old shared a makeup-free selfie where she posed with a "crazy face mask" on.
"Me right now in the bath with a crazy face mask," she captioned the photo.
The heavy layer of product on her face appears to follow the viral "slugging" skincare trend, which involves lathering your face in Vaseline or a petroleum-based product to help hydrate your skin and lock in moisture overnight.
It’s the latest viral skincare trend to take over beauty TikTok — so I decided to put it to the test to see if it’s actually worth the hype.
What is slugging?
Slugging is an intensely moisturizing K-Beauty skincare process that originated in South Korea. It’s called slugging because it refers to the concept of going to sleep slug-style — where your skin is ultra-slick, shiny and slimy.
Slugging is supposed to be the last step in your P.M. skincare routine, as demonstrated by TikToker @_rakhstarbeauty. With cold and dry weather on the horizon, some of the benefits of slugging include promoting a dewy glow and combating seasonal dryness. Keeping all of the above in mind, I was officially intrigued and decided to put this trend to the test with good ol’ Vaseline.
First impressions
Vaseline is always a product I seem to have on hand, so I dug out the tried and true tub from the depths of my drawers and started my evening skincare routine. I began by removing my makeup with a MakeUp Eraser, then cleansed my skin with Cetaphil face wash. Afterward, I toned my face with a cotton pad soaked in the Vanilla Milk toner from Kylie Skin and moisturized with the Summer Fridays Cloud Dew gel cream.
That would typically be the end of my nighttime skincare routine, but slugging is considered to be the final step before hitting the pillow. Using my fingers, I dipped into the tub of Vaseline and applied a generous coat of the product all over my face. After the application, my skin felt tacky to the touch but looked super hydrated and dewy. I decided to place a soft towel over my pillow to sleep on, since my face felt slick and sticky, then dozed off.
When I woke up the next morning, I was excited to see that this skincare method did not disappoint. After gently cleansing my face to rinse off the remaining product, my skin felt super soft and hydrated — not to mention it also had an unmistakable glow.
Since I have combination skin, it felt as if the Vaseline helped my skin retain moisture throughout the night, and, as a result, I woke up to a face that felt ultra-soft and well-nourished. It even made a great base for me to apply makeup afterward, allowing my products to blend seamlessly into the skin.
Is slugging dermatologist-approved?
Although slugging seemingly worked for me, according to Dr. Joyce Park, board-certified dermatologist, and creator of TeawithMD, using Vaseline is “a safe process, but it is not suitable for everyone.”
“Vaseline is composed of petrolatum, which acts as an occlusive layer at the very end of your skincare routine to seal in all of the moisture," Pack says. "This can help hydrate your skin and also help your other skincare products function better as well.”
This explains why my skin felt more hydrated and nourished after waking up the next morning, since the Vaseline acted as a sealant, helping to lock in moisture from the night before.
However, slugging can be an intense process for some skin types, Park notes.
“If you have acne-prone, oily, or milia-prone skin, slugging may exacerbate your skin problems," she explains. "In general, I recommend using a very thin layer of Vaseline or other occlusive product like Aquaphor over the areas of your face that are the most dry.”
Vaseline
Verdict
If you’ve been on the fence about testing out slugging or incorporating Vaseline into your beauty routine, it’s definitely worth a try if your skin type leans more towards the combination/dry side of the spectrum.
Petrolatum is a super underrated ingredient that most dermatologists have been using and recommending for years, making it safe to incorporate into your skincare regimen. Just be sure to use a thin layer of Vaseline over the areas of your face that are the driest if you are looking to introduce this step into your skincare routine.
All in all, this new trend offers a ton of great skincare benefits because using petrolatum-based products, such as Vaseline, acts as a skin protectant to help prevent water loss while simultaneously repairing your skin’s barrier. Essentially, when in doubt, slug it out!
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.
