From skin cycling to glass skin, there seems to always be a new trend demanding the attention of skin care fans on social media. You may have heard the latest buzz on skin flooding and wondered what it’s all about. We’re here to get to the bottom of this trend so you can see if it’s worth giving a try when it comes to your skin care routine.

• What is skin flooding?

• What skin flooding products should I use?

What is skin flooding?

As you might guess from the name, skin flooding takes its inspiration from the severe weather event that we all know and dread, a flood. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, a flood is defined as “the overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry.”

That said, it’s easy to see how this concept translates to your skin, right? The idea behind skin flooding is to flood the skin on your face with moisture by layering a series of hydrating products in the ideal order to maximize absorption and leave your skin feeling nourished and well-hydrated. This is an especially appealing concept during drier, colder weather or in arid climates when skin may feel especially parched.

Though skin flooding is a trendy new term, the principles behind it aren’t new. In fact, skin flooding centers on basic skin care principles that most product lines already rely on to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. That makes it an easy trend to get behind in our book.

What products should I use to try the skin flooding trend?

Skin flooding is all about maximizing moisture by layering on hydrating skin care products, starting with cleansing and ending with an emollient moisturizer to help seal in all that healthy hydration. Here are five of our favorite products from La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane and Cicaplast lines that you can try at home to put your own skin on the skin flooding trend.

1) Hydrating face wash

The first step in a basic skin flooding routine is a hydrating facial cleanser. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser helps dissolve all traces of makeup, dirt and excess oil with a soap-free cleansing formula that’s also free of fragrance, parabens and sulfates. Made with hydrating glycerin and soothing niacinamide, this creamy cleanser will leave your face feeling clean, calm and ready for the next step in your skin flooding routine.

2) Hydrating mist

The next skin flooding product to apply is a spray-on toner or hydrating mist. La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water is a natural toner that relieves tightness and itching to help leave skin feeling refreshed. Sourced from a spring found in the French town of La Roche-Posay, it’s neutral in pH and rich with minerals such as selenium, a cell-protecting antioxidant. The aerosol container delivers a fine, continuous spray and feels even more refreshing if you store it in the refrigerator in between uses.

3) Hyaluronic acid serum

A hydrating facial serum with hyaluronic acid is an essential step not to be missed when it comes to the skin flooding technique. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a powerful plumping facial serum that contains two types of hyaluronic acid—one with a low molecular weight and one with a high molecular weight—for long-lasting, effective hydration. It also contains vitamin B5, which helps soothe inflammation and support healthy skin repair.

4) Moisturizer

Now that you’ve flooded your skin with hydration, you’ll want to apply a high-quality moisturizer with emollient ingredients to help guard against moisture loss. For your evening routine,

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Night bolsters the hydrating efforts of your face wash, mist and serum with additional hydrating ingredients, such as glycerin, and also locks in moisture with shea butter and dimethicone. This pairing makes sure that all that moisture that you’ve worked so hard to flood your skin with stays put instead of evaporating throughout the night.

Another effective option is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Soothing Multi-Purpose Balm, a non-greasy multipurpose balm that allows your skin to naturally breathe while simultaneously maintaining moisture levels and protecting from outside irritants. It’s not only formulated for use on your face but also your hands and body as well.

Looking to learn more about La Roche-Posay? We’ll help you assemble your ideal anti-aging skin care routine with some of the brand’s tried-and-true favorites on the LovelySkin Blog.