Slugging: The TikTok Trend with Dermatologic Roots
You’ve just walked into one of the most talked-about skincare tricks of recent years: slugging. Slugging went viral during the height of TikTok’s beauty boom in 2022, earning millions of views and the title, “the viral TikTok trend.” But the technique isn’t new. Dermatologists have been recommending versions of it for decades to repair compromised skin barriers and accelerate healing after procedures.
As a dermatologist who treats skin all day and a skincare brand founder who makes products rooted in what works (not what trends), I have strong opinions about how to slug the RIGHT way to maximize benefits and limit pitfalls.
What Is Slugging?
Slugging is the practice of applying a thick, occlusive layer—typically an ointment—over your nighttime skincare to lock in moisture and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while you sleep. The name comes from the glossy, “slug-like” sheen your skin takes on afterward.
The ointment used for slugging is not a moisturizer itself. Ointments are oil-based and don’t contain water, meaning they don’t add hydration but rather trap water that’s already in your skin. That’s why dermatologists have long used occlusives for dry, cracked, or healing skin when the damaged skin barrier leads to significant water loss.
The trend resurfaced because of how dramatic the overnight results can look—especially on dry or compromised skin—but that dewy glow depends heavily on using the right product and technique.
Is Slugging Good or Bad for Your Skin?
Slugging is amazing for the skin when you do it the right way for the right reasons.
It is a treatment for dry, mature, irritated or healing skin. It prevents water loss and protects the skin from further irritation allowing for skin to increase its water content, heal and rebuild a healthy skin barrier.
You need to only use products that are loved by your skin.
Do not slug if you have oily skin and large pores or are prone to black heads.
Never slug on top of strong actives such as retinoids or acids, which can become more irritating under an occlusive layer.
Slugging by Skin Type
Very Dry, Compromised Skin
Excellent candidates for slugging. This skin type benefits most from a protective barrier that locks in moisture and allows healing and can slug every night.
Post-Procedure or Healing Skin
Slugging can aid recovery after in-office treatments or skin injuries when used with products that are safe to use on healing skin (like my Doctor Rogers Face Cream and Restore Healing Balm!).
Normal to Dry Skin
Slugging a few nights a week or during the winter months when dryness peaks.
Combination Skin
Focus on drier areas such as the cheeks or under the eyes while skipping oilier zones like the T-zone.
Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
Does not need slugging.
How to Slug Properly
Start with clean, slightly damp skin. After washing, don’t fully dry your face. The lingering water helps boost hydration when you apply your moisturizer.
Apply your usual hydrating products. Use a supportive moisturizer made with ingredients your skin will benefit from like squalane, shea butter, centellia asiaticia, niacinamide. Doctor Rogers Face Cream is a great option and was recently named ‘Best Moisturizer for Dry, Aging Skin’ by Forbes. This provides the “water” and “food” that slugging will trap. Try to avoid petroleum based ingredients that sit on top of your skin like dimethicone, mineral oil or petroleum.
Seal with an ointment. Smooth a thin, even layer of ointment over your face as the final step before bed. You only need a pea-sized amount for your whole face. I recommend trying Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm (more on this below) which is both a moisturizer and an occlusive.
Adjust for comfort. Slugging can feel greasy. Try it two or three nights a week, or just on dry areas like the cheeks, around the nose, or the eyes.
Protect your pillowcase. Ointments can transfer; a dedicated pillowcase for slugging nights helps.
A Dermatologist’s Take on Ointments for Slugging
This topic is personal for me. A decade ago, I was so disappointed by the ointments available that I decided to make a better one, Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm.
Here’s why: most ointments are petroleum-based. While petrolatum is highly effective at preventing water loss, it’s not absorbed by the skin and doesn’t replenish barrier lipids. Some products also include lanolin or fragrance, common causes of allergic reactions and NOT what fragile skin needs.
Below are a few examples of popular ointments and their key differences.
Vaseline
- Developed in 1870, distilled from a jelly-like precipitate found on oil rigs and wells
- 100% petrolatum
- Effective occlusive barrier but provides no nutritional benefit to the skin
Aquaphor
- Developed in 1925
- 41% petrolatum plus mineral oil, lanolin alcohol, bisabolol, and panthenol
- May cause irritation for those allergic to lanolin or chamomile-derived ingredients
*Note, if you want to learn more about the differences between these ointments, check out the blog: Dermatologist Explains: Neosporin vs Aquaphor vs Vaseline vs Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm
Bag Balm
- Developed for cows’ udders in 1899
- Contains petrolatum and lanolin plus antiseptic 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate—both known allergens
Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm
I wanted something that delivered the protective benefits of an ointment without the risks of irritation or the use of petroleum. So I created Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm, made from plant-based oils and glycerin that both nourish and protect the skin. In a third-party, comparative split-faced, clinical study, Restore Healing Balm outperformed Aquaphor in all measured outcomes of skin recovery, including redness, swelling, crusting and overall healing (PubMed).
JDD: A Comparative Split-Face Trial of Plant-Based Hypoallergenic Ointment vs Petroleum-Based Ointment Following Fractionated Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing of the Face
The Bottom Line
Slugging isn’t just a TikTok fad—it’s a time-tested dermatologic practice that can work wonders when done correctly and with the right product.
For extremely dry or irritated skin, slugging can make a difference overnight. For acne-prone or oily skin, it’s best to skip! And for everyone, the key is understanding that occlusion locks in what’s already there—it’s the final step, not the foundation. But when done safely, slugging can help you wake up with softer, smoother, and healthier-looking skin—and that’s a trend worth keeping.
Winter Slugging Set
Slug smarter with Doctor Rogers Winter Slugging Set. Doctor Rogers gives your skin everything it needs to stay healthy this winter. Start with our gentle, hydrating cleanser to remove the day. Leave skin damp and apply our award winning face cream formulated with squalane, niacinamide and centella asiatica to calm and heal dry skin. Finish with our Restore Healing Balm, the ultimate last step to seal in moisture and deeply hydrate. Unlike petroleum based occlusives, our balm is made from plant oils able to nourish your skin as you sleep.
Wake up to soft, smooth, dewy skin no matter the weather.
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