What is slugging skin, and does the petroleum jelly trend work?

The short answer: an overnight petroleum jelly routine

Slugging is an overnight routine where you coat your face, and sometimes your nails, in petroleum jelly as the last step of your evening skincare. Cleveland Clinic gives this as the working definition. The term is slang, and it has no clinical or regulatory definition behind it.

The idea rests on occlusion. Petrolatum forms a film that slows water from escaping the skin, which is why it gets credit for holding moisture in. A dermatologist quoted by Cleveland Clinic says it can keep moisture in the upper skin layer and make it more pliable, but that is an expert's explanation, not a measured result. For more on the trend, see our slugging guide.

Who it is for, and who should skip it

Bottom line: slugging is aimed mainly at dry or dehydrated skin. Cleveland Clinic advises people with oily, acne-prone or infected skin to skip it [1].

• Dry or dehydrated skin: the use case the trend is built around.
• Oily, acne-prone or infected skin: the clinic advises skipping it.
• AHAs, BHAs or retinoids: stop these before slugging, since trapped actives can irritate skin [1].

How people do it, and what the sources actually say

Bottom line: the method is described by experts, not tested in a trial. Cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize first. Then apply a small amount of petrolatum, focusing on the driest, thinnest areas like eyelids and lips. Wait about 30 minutes before bed, and wash it off in the morning [1].

Cleveland Clinic also applies the same method to hands and nails, describing it as a way to help other products sink in [5]. Mayo Clinic calls petroleum jelly a cheap and effective winter dry-skin remedy and suggests ointments mainly at night because they feel greasy [6][7]. Neither source gives a dose or a duration.

What the evidence says about petrolatum

Bottom line: the evidence supports petrolatum as a barrier, not slugging as a proven routine. A 2023 comprehensive review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology01107-6/abstract) covers petrolatum's uses, safety, flammability, allergenicity and comedogenicity, and it lists slugging as a keyword. We only accessed the abstract, so we could not pull its numbers [2].

The closest controlled human data is a 2025 randomized trial of 54 adults tested on the volar forearm, not the face. Extra-virgin olive oil and petrolatum both improved hydration and reduced redness. Petrolatum also reduced water loss and had stronger effects on flaking than olive oil did [8]. That is useful, but it does not test overnight facial use.

Petrolatum slows water loss by forming a surface barrier, and it is an approved over-the-counter skin protectant in the US [4]. That supports the concept. It does not prove a slugging-specific benefit.

Safety: when to stop

Bottom line: if you break out, stop or cut back. Cleveland Clinic says that if pimples develop on a slugging routine, you should stop or reduce use [3].

Petroleum jelly is a highly refined, cosmetic-grade material [4]. Large amounts can irritate the eyes or nasal tissues [9]. We found no reports of harm from topical facial use in the sources we reviewed, but that is an absence of reports, not proof of safety.