Skin Flooding Explained: The Hydration Trend Your Skin Will Love
Skin flooding is a skin care routine focused on deeply hydrating the skin by layering humectants and moisturizers to improve moisture retention, barrier function, and overall skin health.
Humectants vs Emollients: Why Does Skin Flooding Work?
As the name indicates, the foundation of this concept is to “flood” the skin with moisture, using first humectants (ingredients that hydrate) and layering emollients on top (ingredients that prevent moisture loss).
Skin flooding also capitalizes on the best practice of applying humectants to slightly damp skin, to enable optimal product absorption and efficacy.
Which Products To Use For Skin Flooding?
Step 1: Pigment Perfecting Serum
This serum features hyaluronic acid, which is a humectant. Think of it like a sponge, an ingredient that will pull moisture into the skin, and help the skin maintain its moisture levels. Apply this on clean, slightly damp skin, which enables the serum to pull the water from the skin’s surface into its deeper layers.
Step 2: Kantic Calming Cream
Think of this midweight cream as your first layer of deeper hydration. Featuring vitamin E and jojoba seed oil, which are both emollients, this is the first step to adding true hydration.
Step 3: Kantic+ Nourishing Cream
Finally, lock everything in with this heavier moisturizer. This cream will create a protective barrier on your skin, preventing moisture loss thanks to more emollient ingredients. Extra benefit: the red clover extract will help repair the skin’s natural barrier, which is essential to maintaining plump, hydrated skin year-round.
Who Should Do Skin Flooding?
This skin flooding routine is perfect to use when your skin is feeling particularly parched (for example during the dryer winter months), or year-round depending on your skin type. Specifically, this is the perfect routine for skin types that are dry, dehydrated, have a compromised barrier function (skin flooding can help support the skin barrier by reducing transepidermal water loss and improving hydration levels), and for those using retinols.
