Step by Step -The Skin Flooding Routine
Here’s how to do it, in this exact order:
7/4/20252 min read
1. Start With Damp Skin Right after cleansing (or showering), gently pat your skin so it’s damp—not dripping, but still dewy. Hydration absorbs best when your skin isn’t totally dry.
2. Spray or Pat in a Hydrating Toner Start strong with a skin-soothing toner that hydrates and preps your skin for everything that follows.
✨ Try:
🔗 [TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner]
Formulated with Panthenol and Ceramide, this toner comforts dry or sensitive skin and supports your natural barrier. It feels like a hug in liquid form and gives you that glass-skin glow without any greasiness. Think: creamy, cushiony, calming.
3. Essence: Boost with Targeted Hydration Essence is where the magic really starts to layer. If you’re skipping this, you’re missing out on that long-haul hydration.
✨ Try:
🔗 [Beauty of Joseon – Ginseng Essence Water]
With 80% ginseng water, this essence is deeply moisturizing and nourishing. It delivers long-lasting hydration and improves skin tone and elasticity. Bonus: it smells spa-like and makes you feel instantly bougie.
4. Serums: Hydration + Barrier Repair This is the layer where you go all in. Skin flooding thrives on these moisture-binding heroes
✨ Try layering these favorites:
🔗 [Cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum] – Formulated with 5 ceramides to maintain and rebuild your skin’s natural function. Over time, it leaves skin plump, hydrated, and resilient.
🔗 [BYOMA Hydrating Serum] – Lightweight but mighty. Powered by glycerin and squalane, this one gives that “bouncy skin” effect and helps lock in hydration without heaviness.
You can use one or layer both if your skin is especially parched (aka, winter or post-retinol days)
5. Seal With Moisturizer Time to lock it all in so none of your hard work evaporates. This step seals the deal — literally.
✨ Try:
🔗 [SoonJung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream]
Sensitive skin MVP right here. With Panthenol to maintain moisture and Madecassoside to calm irritation, this cream is backed by 30 years of sensitive skin research. It’s rich but not greasy — just pure comfort in a jar
6. (AM Only) SPF. Always. Even if you’re inside. Even if it’s raining. Even if the sun looks like it’s on PTO. Protect your glow.
✨ Try:
🔗 [Eight Saints – Chase the Sun SPF]
This isn’t your typical sunscreen. It’s packed with Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and Vitamin E for added hydration, is reef-safe, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, and made in Maine, USA with love from globally sourced ingredients. Think of it as your skin’s daily shield that also nourishes — no white cast, no greasy feel
7. A Few Final Tips
Don’t rush between steps. Let each layer absorb for 30 seconds to a minute.
Adjust the routine based on your skin’s needs. Some nights you might do the full flood. Other times, just toner + serum + cream is enough.
You can absolutely mix and match. No one said you can’t use two serums and an essence. Skin flooding = freedom to layer.
✨ Try ALL my skin flooding favs! I'll be plugging in my affiliate links for these tried-and-true products — because I’ve tested them all and my skin has never been happier. No filters, just facts and hydration.
My splurge items but still always in the line up!