I Tried Skin Flooding on My Acne-Prone Skin

Ever since I was a teenager, I have struggled with some form of acne. From small pimples that would show up and ruin picture day to full fledged hormonal acne that left me with dark marks and hyperpigmentation I’ve spent years trying to correct, my skin has seen it all.

Naturally, my constant battle with my skin has turned me into somewhat of a skincare obsessive. I’m always seeking the best way to return my skin to its blemish-free glory days or at least soothe irritation after trying active after active. Most recently, that search has led me to uncover a technique called skin flooding.

A quick search of the trend on TikTok will reveal tons of creators attempting to achieve soft, texture-free skin by incorporating multiple hydrating products (mostly toners) into their routines. But, Lauren Jamieson, MBChB, MRCGP, Medical Director at HydroPeptide, revealed that the same results can be achieved by focusing on adding moisture in every step of your routine.

I have combination skin, so on any given day it can range from being oily in my T-zone to feeling tight and dry everywhere else. I figured layering on a few moisturizing products couldn’t hurt. After trying a skin flooding routine for five days, here's all that I've learned.

What is skin flooding?

“Skin flooding is a structured approach to quickly increasing skin hydration,” says Dr. Jamieson. She notes that it is particularly beneficial for winter months when skin is dry and dehydrated.

“Skin flooding can boost hydration and repair the skin barrier, reducing reactivity and discomfort,” she says, suggesting that a skin flooding routine can consist of a gentle cleanser, hydrating toner (preferably a mist), hydrating serum, thick moisturizer and an optional oil to lock it all in. “The use of a toner, especially a spray (which makes application easier), can increase the extent to which products are absorbed into the skin and hydrated skin will look plump, smooth, and soft with improved texture,” Dr. Jamieson adds. “Cue a dewy glow and a lovely canvas for makeup.”

What is the order of skin flooding?

To get the best results from skin flooding, Dr. Jamieson recommends using five steps (the fifth being optional):

Cleanse: A gentle cream-based cleanser should be used to cleanse skin of debris, pollution, impurities, and soften the epidermis.
Mist: A hydrating toner should be applied as the next step to balance and dampen the skin.
Serum: A light, water-based serum should be used to draw and sustain moisture. Dr. Jamieson notes that a hyaluronic acid serum is ideal in this step.
Moisturize: A thick moisturizer will lock in hydration.
Oil: An optional final step, a face oil can be pressed on top of the moisturizer.

What products should be used for skin flooding?

Dr. Jamieson emphasized that gentle and hydrating products are best for this trend. Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab weighed in on products they would recommend for skin flooding that are agreeable with most skin types:

✔️ Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser: “A winner in our facial cleanser study and a Lab staple, this time-tested formula leaves skin feeling clean without stripping or over drying,” says Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek. “Although it is marketed for normal to oily skin, it tested well among those with sensitive skin, and we recommend it for all skin types.”

✔️ Niod Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist: Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann currently uses this in her own skincare routine. “Thanks to the formula's water-binding properties of polysaccharides, it hydrates and helps lock in moisture, reducing my skin's roughness and making it appear more plump, bouncy, and fresh,” she says. “Plus, it helps my serum glide smoothly over.”

✔️ Mary Kay Clinical Solutions HA + Ceramide Hydrator: According to the Lab, this serum, which is also a Good Housekeeping Seal holder, is great at hydrating. It contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid and a study showed that it can significantly moisturize skin after just 15 minutes of a single application.

✔️ Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane: A winner in our Lab's face moisturizer study, Kiehl's was shown to increase skin hydration by 47% over 6 hours. “Testers noted that it leaves skin feeling plump and smooth and has a nice texture,” Wnek said.

✔️ Furtuna Skin Biphase Moisturizing Oil: This face oil snagged a GH Beauty Award and was even popular among testers who don’t typically use face oils. “The bi-phase formula makes it light and serum-like so it doesn’t linger on the face for too long before sinking in,” a tester said.

If you don't have these specific products on hand, you can use similar ones that feature hydrating ingredients. “Great moisturizing ingredients are hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and occlusives like petrolatum and shea butter to seal in hydration,” Wnek said.

Keep in mind that skin flooding isn't for everyone. “Oily and acne-prone skin should approach this technique with caution and avoid over-hydrating,” Dr. Jamieson warns.

My experience with skin flooding

Typically, my combination skin will start out feeling supple and hydrated immediately after washing and moisturizing, but by the end of the day (and after wearing sunscreen and makeup for hours) my skin can feel tight and dry. So, I was excited to see how this new routine could improve my skin.

On day one, I applied Clearstem's Gentleclean Hydrating Barrier Cleanser, Dr.Althea 345 Relief Cream Mist, Cellrenew Serum, and Clearstem Hydraglow Moisturizer in the morning, followed by sunscreen. By the end of my work day, I could already feel a difference in my skin. I noticed that I wasn't experiencing tightness and my skin even felt more supple to touch. I did still notice a few breakouts, but I wasn't expecting this to cure my acne, but more so soothe irritation and improve texture. That night, I applied the same routine before bed, minus the sunscreen.

By the next morning, I noticed that my blemishes from the day before appeared smaller in size and seemed way less angry. However, I'm not sure I can attribute this solely to the hydrating skincare routine, as I had only been using it for a day at this point.

I continued the same routine over the next three days, using the gentle cleanser, following it with a few sprays of the mist onto my damp skin, and then applying the serum and moisturizer. And my initial suspicions seemed to be true. I found that each day my skin felt softer, more supple and appeared to be more smooth. Though, I did find that on hot and humid days, my skin felt a bit sticky from the added moisture.

Overall, I would recommend trying this method for acne-prone skin. It didn't completely get rid of my breakouts or improve my dark marks, but it did leave me with skin that felt more hydrated and I even saw that my makeup seemed to look a little better. My skin felt generally less irritated and seemed to maintain its moisture throughout the day, without me needing to reapply a hydrating mist, which I could see in the long-run being great for keeping acne at bay. It definitely will be my go-to routine for the winter months to lock in hydration and keep my skin smooth and supple despite the dry weather.