Skin flooding is a skincare layering technique designed to deeply hydrate skin by using a specific application method that drenches dry and dehydrated skin in moisture.

The goal of skin flooding is to quench dry skin so completely that you visibly plump up fine lines for a dewy, smooth complexion. It can also be used as a night-time recovery treatment for parched, dry, chronically dehydrated skin. 

What is skin flooding?

This layering philosophy has its roots in traditional Korean and Japanese skincare rituals which use multiple applications of floral essences and flower waters to hydrate skin.

You flood skin by drenching it in hydration using several humectants like a hydrosol, glycerin-based toner, or floral essence, then locking in that moisture with a nourishing emollient & occlusive such as an oil serum and/or moisturizer.

This extreme quenching technique restores moisture to dry dehydrated skin and promotes cellular turnover by supporting natural exfoliation. With dry skin, dead cells tend to cling to the surface longer, making skin look dull and diminishing luminosity. After a time this can contribute to slower cell turnover as the skin is not getting the environmental signals it needs for cellular regeneration.

How to do skin flooding with TellurideGlow

My personal preference for this is as an evening treatment once or twice a week. 

However, if skin is especially dull and dry like during retinol use, you can add this technique to your daytime routine. 

Skin flooding is especially refreshing after an international flight or a day out in the elements.

Here’s how:

1. Start with a freshly cleansed, still-damp face and neck.
2. Spritz your face lightly (2-3 times) with a floral hydrosol, we love a good single-origin rose hydrosol for the many restorative properties of roses and the exquisite aroma. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Apply 1-2 pumps of Aspen Dew Illuminating Essence. Pat the essence into your face and neck. Wait 30 seconds.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3. You can also use a glycerine-based toner. 
5. Each layer you apply will take a bit longer to sink as your skin becomes more and more saturated with moisture after each application.
6. Lock in all the hydration by pressing 1-2 pumps of Alpine Phytonutrient Serum or Purist Delicate Skin Serum to seal it all in. Avoid rubbing your skin to minimize any pilling.

Pro tip: Don't overdo it, some people recommend applying 10+ products to the skin but this is a waste because 2-3 products are all you need. Use higher quality products and fewer of them.

Remember, skin flooding is a treatment technique, you don’t need to do it every night, once a week is plenty for most.

Benefits of skin flooding

• Plumps line lines
• Gives skin a fresh dewy appearance
• Restores luminosity and radiance
• Boosy luminosity and radiance
• Intensely hydrates dehydrated skin
• Improves skin barrier health
• Promotes skin renewal

Key points on skin flooding

As with every skincare routine, less is more. Use high-quality hydrating products that deliver meaningful hydration. Use it as a treatment, not as a substitute for your regular skincare routine. Enjoy!

If you've ever found yourself scrating your head, wondering what exactly a facial essence is, don’t worry, you’re not alone.

The terms essence, toner, and serum are often used interchangible creating confusion for consumers.

In this post, we'll demystify facial essences and explain how this watery substance is the key to unlocking the full benefits of all your other skincare products and dramatically increases the results of your skincare routine.

What is a facial essence?

A facial essence is defined as a concentrated plant-based skin treatment designed to hydrate and enhance the absorption of other skincare products. 

It is typically a thin, watery leave-on treatment that serves as a vital step in a skincare routine.

Developed in Japan in the early 1800s as part of Geisha beauty rituals, skin essence was originally called beauty water. It were made by steeping botanical ingredients in water, similar in many ways to how today's hydrosols are made. 

Contemporary essences have come a long way, incorperating many additional ingredients that provide a sophisticated system to deliver moisture to the skin.

How does an essence work?

One of the best analogies used to explain how an essence works comes from gardening. Imagine you are trying to water plants in a garden where the surface of the soil has become hardened and dried out. The water will tend to run off, not reaching the roots of the plants below.

Now imagine you are watering a garden where the soil has been loosened, the water is easily absorbed and flows down into the earth providing moisture and carrying essential nutrients deep below the surface. 

An essence works in much the same way. By moisturizing the skin, it acts as a gentle catalyst, creating a receptive environment and allowing active ingredients to easily flow from the uppermost layers of the epidermis down into the deepest layers of the skin. 

By priming your skin with an essence, you will boost the absorption of all the active ingredients in your skincare routine.

Adding an essence to your skincare routine 

Adding an essence to your skincare routine is one the easiest ways to dramatically increase the effectiveness of your entire skincare routine.

Using a facial essence is especially beneficial for dehydrated, parched skin. It provides intense hydration, restoring the skin's natural moisture balance. 

For those of us with reactive skin, acne, or rosacea, an essence can help visibly calm sensitive skin, helping to reduce redness and inflammation.

Our Aspen Dew Illuminating Essence delivers progressive hydration with micro-molecular hyaluronic acid and soothing aloe that pulls moisture deeply into the skin, facilitating the delivery of all other skin nutrients. 

Always apply your facial essence to a freshly cleansed face before any other products. 

How does an essence differ from a toner or serum?

Unlike traditional toners, which were designed to cleanse the skin, and serums, which address specific concerns, essences act as a primer and support the benefits of other skincare products. 

They can also contain a variety of active ingredients.

By optimizing the performance of subsequent skincare steps, an essence ultimately improves the overall efficacy of your skincare routine.