Has the cooler weather got your skin begging for more moisture? You’re likely already upping the ante with your serums, moisturizing creams, and hydrating toners. While these are the perfect skincare products for dehydrated skin, a new trend taking over TikTok– known as “skin flooding”– may offer a more effective approach to application. Let’s dive in!
What is Skin Flooding?
Skin flooding is the process of layering moisturizing skincare products in a specific order so they can “flood” the skin and be most effective. It consists of four steps and centers around hyaluronic acid. By following these skin flooding steps, you can expect longer lasting hydration for healthy and dewy skin all winter long.
Our Favorite Skin Flooding Products for Dewy Skin
Hyaluronic is a must when it comes to skin flooding. This polysaccharide is naturally found in our skin and can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water.
[pull quote “Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000x its weight in water.”
A hyaluronic acid serum is dewy skin’s best friend, as it helps maintain skin elasticity and hydration when applied to damp skin. The other must-have products for skin flooding include:
- Gentle face wash
- Look for something that cleans your pores, removes makeup, and removes dead skin, but won’t strip your skin of natural oils.
- Toner spray
- If you typically skip toners or mists, now’s the time to include them. Bonus points if yours features hyaluronic acid.
- Hyaluronic acid & niacinamide face oil
- Niacinamide adds a potent boost of hydrating and anti-inflammatory benefits for your most radiant complexion.
- Barrier restoring face cream
- And finally, what’s a dewy skin routine without a thick moisturizer to lock in all that hydration.
How Do I Skin Flood?
Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to learn how to skin flood.
Step 1: Wash Your Face
Using your gentle face wash, remove any dirt, makeup and excess oil. You don’t want to feel dry and stripped— but instead, soft and balanced.
Step 2: Mist Your Skin
Similar to hyaluronic acid, moisturizers absorb water more effectively when they have a source of water to draw from. After washing your face, use your favorite calming face mist to add a little moisture back to the skin.
Step 3: Apply Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Apply a few drops of your hyaluronic acid serum to your damp skin and gently massage the product in with your fingertips. Feel free to bring any excess product down your neck and across your chest for the ultimate dewy skin routine.
Step 4: Apply Barrier Cream
Apply Bloom Cream as the final step to lock in all that dewy moisture and prevent water loss.
Remember, this skin flooding routine can be done day or night– just be sure to always follow with an SPF during your morning routine.
Skin Flooding vs. Traditional Skincare
While the term “skin flooding” has taken over social media, it’s not a new skincare concept. Increasing the absorption of your traditional skincare products and protecting your skin barrier is always relevant—this trend just gave it a catchy name that’s helped spread awareness.
Skin Flooding Benefits
Skin flooding offers hydration for glowing skin all winter long. You never have to wonder how to maintain dewy skin in the summer, but when the weather turns crisp, a skin flooding routine can be your skin’s hydration hero. Not to mention, a toning mist and niacinamide can help calm sensitive skin that flares up during winter.
At a glance, the skin flooding benefits include:
- Intense hydration
- Better efficacy of your skincare products
- Dewy skin
- Enhanced skin elasticity
Skin Flooding Dewy Skin Routine
If you prioritize having a dewy skin routine, you need to incorporate skin flooding into your application method. You likely already have hydrating products, now you just need to be sure you’re putting them on in the right order, the right way.
What to Avoid When Skin Flooding
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may see skin flooding routines and panic. “How would all those products not break me out?” We understand the hesitancy, but if you’re using microbiome-friendly products, you can benefit from skin flooding, too. Plus, if you begin to see breakouts, you can simply reduce how often you skin flood in a week.