TikTok slugging trend: Vaseline drives protecting and healing skincare markets

15 Mar 2022 --- Unilever brand Vaseline reports increasing popularity for skin healing and protection claims with the viral TikTok trend slugging. The trend involves applying a thin layer of Vaseline as the last step of a skincare routine to lock the moisture into the skin. 

Kathleen Dunlop, global VP Vaseline, speaks with PersonalCareInsights with the brand sharing information on slugging statistics. 

“When Vaseline jelly first launched, it became a must-have product and is still just as relevant today, with creators on TikTok who are inventing and sharing beauty hacks using it,” says Dunlop.Notable names who used Vaseline include Marilyn Monroe, Tyra Banks, and Regina King. 

Slugging experienced its first peak the first week of February 2021 and again even higher in December 2021, shares Vaseline. The continual rise was seen in January 2022, where the conversation volume around Vaseline was three times greater than in February 2021. 

During the first week of February 2021, mentions of Vaseline went up by 327% compared to the previous year, says the brand. It adds that the trend initially gained traction in September 2020. 

The brand notes that the US led the “social conversation” about slugging at 55%, with the UK at 15%. 

Vaseline shares that it has been leading “branded searches” in the past 12 months, with 68% of the branded search terms owned by Vaseline. 

“Vaseline is the original, and it never goes out of style,” comments Dunlop. 

Pro Derma technology for strong skin barrier
The brand shares that Unilever scientists have been developing Pro Derma technology for years – described as a “once in a lifetime innovation.” The technology allows for deeper penetration into the epidermis, which functions by rebuilding and restoring ceramides. 

Ceramides are the “glue” that regulates the skin’s natural barrier, which is essential to good skin health, explains the brand. It also adds that the Pro Derma technology is already used in various Vaseline products.Vaseline was part of the first successful expedition to the North Pole, helped protect wounds in WWI, and helped heal the skin of 5M people through the Vaseline Healing Projection.

Unilever reports that Pro Derma technology gives over three times more ceramides than competitor topical creams. Additionally, the technology is evidenced to double the skin’s strength from its first use. 

“Vaseline has a long history of creating efficacious products which actively heal and protect the skin. It has been part of skincare routines for over a century and is often passed down from generation to generation,” says Dunlop. 

Vaseline provides an example of the efficacy of the ProDerma technology with its ProDerma premium body care range, first launched in 2020. The launch brought consumers that “appear to be fans too.” The range was also sold in China and currently accounts for 20% of Vaseline’s business in China within two years.

Healing benefits
Vaseline Original Healing Jelly is described to provide relief, moisturize and heal dry skin with regular use. It is non-comedogenic, hypo-allergenic and non-irritating.

Dermatologists recommend that the product aids minor cuts, scrapes and burns and reduces the appearance of fine and dry lines. 

“Innovation keeps this brand young, and we aren’t afraid to evolve our product range to address specific consumer needs and skin types,” says Dunlop. 

By Venya Patel