“Skin Flooding,” The Skin Secret to Healthy, Juicy Skin All Year

There’s a good chance you’ve seen the term ” skin flood” somewhere on #SkinTok over the past few weeks. We’ll skip the boring stuff if you need to know what skin flooding is. It’s about layering moisture to create the plumpest and most healthy skin possible. You apply a thin layer on damp skin or over an essence or serum. The best part, the fam, is that the results can be immediate.

The concept of skin flooding is not new. Dermatologists have been raving about this way of applying skincare for years. It just happened to be given a TikTok label, which helped propel its brilliance into international fame. Let’s get into this topic more.

Dr. Audrey Kunin, a board-certified dermatologist, was consulted to help us understand the causes of skin flooding. Audrey Kunin. She says, “Layering moisturizer on damp skin seals moisture by preventing the water from evaporating on top of it.”

The water on your skin will evaporate quickly if you don’t wait 15 minutes to dry your skin before getting out of the shower. You can seal in the H20 and reap the benefits of a moisturizer by applying it on top. This is a double dose of hydration.

“The smaller molecules of hydration ensure that the deeper skin layers are receiving the hydration they require,” says master esthetician Jennifer Adell. This is especially helpful in winter to strengthen and repair the skin’s barrier and keep you hydrated. Expect to notice a difference in your dry, rough skin and, most importantly, a glow immediately.

Although this skin flooding step is not mandatory, water is an excellent hydrator. If you are in an overachiever mindset or your skin could use a bit of moisture, you can take 30 seconds to apply a hydrating serum/essence.

Dr. Kunin recommends serums with hyaluronic and poly glutamic acids. Both are humectants which means they attract moisture to your skin. Each absorbs more water than its weight thousands of times, so you’ll be raking in the hydration points. Other good ingredients to look out for are squalane, niacinamide, and other natural oils.