Skin Flooding vs Skin Streaming: Are They Worth The Hype?

Skin Flooding? Skin Streaming? You’ve probably heard people talk about them. You might have even searched for them yourself. (Searches have been steadily increasing over the past twelve months. On TikTok, the hashtag #SkinFlooding now has 85.2m views, while #SkinStreaming, the newer of the two, already has 28.9m views).

And as with many of these new skincare approaches, they sound extreme but in reality they’re actually based almost entirely on tried-and-tested ideas that you’re probably already incorporating into your routine - along with a few modern additions that give them a new ‘twist.’

All About Skin Streaming

Take Skin Streaming. The ‘Streaming’ is actually short for ‘Streamlining’ - and it’s all about paring back your skincare to the essentials, not unlike the ‘skin minimalism’ trend we saw a few years back. But whereas the skin minimalism trend was a reaction to the fashion for the Korean-inspired ‘ten step’ routines that had gone before them, Skin Streaming has really emerged as a reaction to people noticing their skin getting increasingly sensitive and predictable - mainly as a result of switching up their skincare too often, or overloading their skin with multiple resurfacing ingredients like scrubs, acids and peels.

It’s also the reason we’ve seen a huge increase in searches for ‘skin barrier’, as more and more people look for ways to repair a compromised skin barrier, having noticed their skin becoming drier, more sensitive and lacking its previous softness and glow.

How To Make Skin Streaming Work For You

If you want to try Skin Streaming, nail your routine down to the daily essentials (cleanser/serum/moisturizer/sunscreen), but go for products that will do multiple jobs in one: for example, we’ve created all our SPFs with specific textures so that they can double as makeup primers, since they’re the last thing you should apply before your makeup.

And moisturizers like Shinkai Electrolyte Drench Gel-Cream we refer to as a 3-in1, because although its primary jobs is to be your daily moisturiser, its potent skin hydrating technology means it’s light enough to be used as your serum step, but also, because it ‘drip-feeds’ your skin with moisture, you can use it as an overnight mask, too. 

But of course, there’s no reason that using additional products on either a daily or weekly basis will necessarily mean your skin will become more sensitive: on the contrary, if you add a Superactive Ceramide Capsule into your routine morning or night, you’ll go a long way towards rebuilding a sensitive skin barrier.

Similarly, a daily application of Superdrops Brightening Niacinamide will soothe, clarify and brighten your complexion (and can be dropped into the palm of your hand along with your usual serum, so hardly takes any extra time at all).

Skin Drenching Anyone?

Skin drenching takes a different approach. While it’s also good for sensitive skins, it emerged as a way of maximising the moisture content of your products if your skin is dry and/or dehydrated. 

The idea behind skin drenching, or skin soaking, or moisture sandwiching, or any of the other TikTok-friendly names it gets called, is that instead of, for example, applying one very hydrating moisturiser at a time, it’s better to apply multiple layers of hydrating products in one sitting. It’s also a feature of skin drenching that you apply the products to damp skin, too.

The theory goes that the more moisture your skin has in it, the more receptive it will be if you apply even more. Think of a dry, parched desert landscape: when heavy rainfall first arrives, it bounces off the ground and creates puddles which sit on top - whereas once the ground is saturated with water, the rain is more able to sink in, ‘drenching’ the earth. 

Which Ingredients Are Best For Drenching Your Skin?

Starting with a cleanser that also contains skin-nourishing ingredients is an ideal way to prep your skin for moisture - if you use our Super Healthy Skin™ Hot Oil Double Cleasing Balm in conjunction with the microcirculation-boosting Super Facial Vibrating Cleansing Brush you’ll get your skin in the ideal shape for hydration. 

One of the ingredients that comes up most when people talk about skin drenching is Hyaluronic Acid, because it’s not only one of the best hydrators, but its molecular weight means it can be used in very light formulations - making it ideal for layering.

Our Triple Hyaluronic Acid Trio contains our multi-molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid serum, moisturiser and eye cream, which make an ideal combination to layer up for dry skin. Similarly, the derm-created Youthbomb 360 Radiance Concentrate is brilliant for layering beneath a moisturiser, boosting glow as it hydrates. 

Then - of course - a hydrating moisturiser: the Jeju Daily AM/PM Moisture Superinfusion is a rich, almost balm-like cream that floods your skin with moisture. Use it day and night, and watch your skin spring back to life.