Donut skin, glass skin, dolphin skin—oh, my! From slugging, glazing, and cycling, to flooding? That's right. We're back to break down yet another TikTok trend taking over the skincare narrative.
Skin Flooding is a newly coined technique to help combat dry, flaky skin. The idea is to "flood" the top layer of your skin with as much moisture as is humanly possible. Its focus is on layering moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and niacinamide then locking it all in with an occlusive moisturizer.
It actually sounds pretty nice, doesn't it? It also sounds familiar, too...
That's because improving your skin's moisture content is a key component in every skincare routine, whether you're aware of it or not. In fact, that's literally the point of a moisturizer. In that case, what makes this trend so unique? It would be the aggressive nature of keeping the skin consistently damp while applying all of the toners, serums you have in your home before locking it all in with a occlusive moisturizer.
A typical skin flooding routine could look like this:
- Cleansing your skin and leaving it wet
- Applying 1-2 hydrating serums on your damp face
- Spraying your skin in between layers with a facial mist or toner
- Using a thick moisturizer at the end to lock everything in
...or it could look like this:
- Cleansing your skin and leaving it wet
- Drenching your skin in your favourite toner (we mean dripping wet!)
- Using your occlusive moisturizer to lock the moisture in
HOT TIP: Wait a minute in between each layer of toner or serum, especially before you apply your final layer of moisturizer, so that some of the product has time to actually penetrate your skin.
Should We Be Skin Flooding?
Your skin and its ability to function relies heavily on water and it's moisture level. Because of this importance, upping your skincare routine to include moisturizing ingredients and products will definitely help to keep your barrier healthy and strong. Chances are we could all do a better job improving our moisture content rather than consistently over exfoliating our skin, leading it to a further dehydrated state. That being said, there is the potential of having too much of a good thing, especially if you're not working with your skin needs.
Have you ever heard of the skincare proverb, "do not apply your chemical exfoliants or retinol treatments to wet skin"? This is because a wet complexion can boost the depth your skincare can reach. And when you are excessively dampening the skin to the point of "flooding" it, you are also enhancing the ability of anything you put on your skin to reach deeper and work way harder. So, while your skin may benefit from a day or two of "skin flooding," you'll want to be extra mindful that the products you're layering are formulated without ingredients that could end up doing more harm than good in larger doses. This may mean to skip out on vitamin A (retinol), AHAs or BHAs and save them for another day.
So, key takeaway? If you want to partake in skin flooding, make sure to read the ingredients list of your go-to toners and serums very carefully before you start layering them onto one another.
For those who are battling dehydration or an actual dry-skin condition, skin flooding may be a great tool to implement a couple times a week. Just like most things in life, everything in moderation, and don't forget to include your lips to help relieve its chapped state! But fellow glow getters with skin conditions like rosacea, eczema or acne may want to opt-out of this trend. We'd highly suggest a spot test or, if you're set on flooding, doing it 1 time a week.
And in lieu of this trend, consider keeping your thicker, winter-approved moisturizer within reach and using a couple of times a week (alternating with your summer moisturizer) as needed. Our thickest moisturizer is Rich Moisture. In fact, we've specifically formulated it with water-binding properties to lock in hydration and soothe your barrier. And for our acne-prone friends, now is the time to bring out your Botanical Oil Concentrate. Add a few drops into your hands, rub them together and press into the skin on top of your Veil. Your skin will thank you and your glow will last all day long.
Will you be trying out this new skincare trend?