What Is Glass Skin and How to Achieve It

Skincare trends come and go, but one that has remained the test of time, with no signs of slowing down, is glass skin. This viral Korean skincare phenomenon is what skincare dreams are made of, and those who have mastered it show off plump, glowy, flawless skin that emulates the look of a fresh-cut piece of glass. When it comes to how to get glass skin, the key lies in using a layering technique of multiple hydrating and nourishing skincare products that include cleansers, essences, toners, serums, and more. Even though it may seem like achieving smooth and almost translucent-looking glass skin is hard, it’s not if you know the right way to do it.

Table of Contents:

• What Is Glass Skin?
• How to Get Glass Skin
• Is Glass Skin Easy to Achieve?
• Lifestyle Factors for Getting Glass Skin
• How to Get Glass Skin, According to Skin Type
• The Bottom Line

What Is Glass Skin?

Glass skin is exactly what it sounds like: skin so smooth, evenly toned, and virtually flawless that it mimics the look of a pristinely cut piece of glass. While glass skin has more to do with a lit-from-within healthy glow than it does with the physical feel of the skin, the look is achieved with ample moisture content in the skin (ideal hydration levels are the center of glass skin), which gives it a beautiful, mega-watt yet translucent glow.

While some people may be genetically blessed with super glowy skin, for the rest of us who want to achieve the look, a combination of skincare ingredients that flood the skin while removing dead skin cells is essential. Multiple layers of different skincare products rich in humectants, ceramides, and the right types of exfoliators are vital in creating a luminous glow in the quest for glass skin.

How to Get Glass Skin

Glass skin isn’t all that hard to achieve, but it takes plenty of diligence and time, and the results may not surface for upwards of one month. Since the principles of glass skin are multi-factorial—a smooth skin surface, ideal moisture levels, and the ability for the skin to reflect light appropriately—following each step to a T is critical to glass skin success. By layering on the different types of products necessary, you can achieve glass skin. Read on for a step-by-step skincare routine on how to get glass skin.

Step 1: Double cleanse

The double cleanse is step one in the quest for glass skin. Washing the face first with an oil, balm, or micellar cleanser, and then a gel, cream, or foam cleanser works to break down and remove dirt, oil, makeup, and debris that accumulates on the skin throughout the day. If you don’t create a clean canvas from the get-go, the remainder of the skincare steps will not be as effective.

Best Cleansing Oil:DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Medium

Related Article: The Ultimate Guide on How to Double Cleanse for Clean, Glowing Skin

Step 2: Exfoliate

Removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface allows light to reflect appropriately, giving that lit-from-within-glow. Exfoliation is the most effective way to eliminate the buildup of dead skin cells. No matter if you prefer a physical exfoliator, like a scrub, or a chemical one, which uses lactic or glycolic acids or enzymes, for example, the idea is to remove anything and everything that can clog the pores and dull the skin while promoting skin cell turnover, which naturally slows with age. You don’t need to go crazy and use something abrasive or over-exfoliate the skin. A gentle exfoliator used a few times per week at night should suffice.

Best Exfoliator:Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

Step 3: Tone

Modern-day toners are nothing like the alcohol-filled, astringent ones of years past. Instead, today’s toners are refreshing and moisture-enhancing while helping balance the skin’s pH levels. Many popular toners within K-beauty are rich in antioxidants and nourishing ingredients for hydrating and glow-inducing benefits. Plus, using a toner after cleansing ensures the skin is as clean as possible, so the products you layer on are absorbed optimally.

Best Toner:COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

Step 4: Add an essence

Like a toner, an essence, which is more like a watery serum, helps to hone in on more specific skin issues for that even, crystal-clear tone of glass skin. While some essences improve redness, others work on diminishing discoloration, all with the added benefit of moisture. Layering an essence onto the skin delivers another dose of hydration.

Best Essence: COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Step 5: Treat with a serum or ampoule

Serums are more concentrated skincare products than lotions and creams, delivering a more potent dose of much-needed active ingredients. By nourishing and hydrating the skin, the right serum in your glass skincare routine can leave the skin plump, cushiony, bouncy, and more even in tone and texture. Look for a serum that targets your most pressing skincare needs so that the skin emerges more even and luminous after using it.

Best Serum:Vichy LiftActiv Peptide-C Ampoule Anti-Aging Concentrate

Step 6: Moisturize

While the multiple layers in a glass skincare routine may seem excessive, each one serves a specific purpose. A layer of skin-appropriate moisturizer, which is thicker than the previously applied serums and essence, will help lock hydration into the skin and all of the other products on the skin, leaving it looking glowy and healthy. Ingredients that pack a powerful punch include humectants, ceramides, glycerin, fatty acids, and botanical hydrators, all of which can also restore the skin barrier.

Best Moisturizer: COSRX Oil Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion

Step 7: Apply an eye cream

You can’t get glass skin and neglect the skin under your eyes and around it. Even though the eye area comprises the thinnest, most delicate skin on the face, it’s also usually drier and the first area to show signs of stress and fatigue. Treating the eyes with suitable eye creams is key for glass skin.

Best Eye Cream:DHC CoQ10 Eye Cream

Step 8: Seal with a face oil (daytime only)

Like a finishing touch for the skin, a face oil will help lock in hydration while protecting against environmental aggressors that can cause unsightly skin damage. While there’s a misconception that face oils are heavy and can cause breakouts, the right face oil nourishes the skin, making it smoother and more radiant.

Best Face Oil: Eminence Organic Skin Care Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil 

Step 9: Use SPF (daytime only)

Sunscreen is a skin care non-negotiable and when it comes to glass skin, it is a crucial step in the routine. Sunscreen protects the skin’s integrity so that the sun and the potential damage it can cause do not mar your complexion, leading to unwanted pigmentation, premature aging, and sun damage, lightweight sunscreens. Sunscreens that don’t leave a white cast can give an incandescence to the skin that’s downright beautiful.

Best Sunscreen: EltaMD UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 

Step 10: Sheet Masks

A bonus step that you can throw into your glass skin routine at night in place of using sunscreen is a sheet mask. Perfect as part of a Sunday self-care routine or just when you need some downtime to relax and recharge while replenishing the skin, sheet masks flood the skin with moisture in 20 minutes or less for an instant radiance boost.

Is Glass Skin Easy to Achieve?

Of all the skin care trends, glass skin is one of the easier ones to implement and achieve. That’s because the name of the game is all about hydration, hydration, hydration. Adding moisture to the skin makes it plumper, brighter, more even, and with a flawless glow. The key, however, is going beyond basic moisturizers and working essences, serums, and toners into your skincare regimen for glass skin.

Lifestyle Factors for Getting Glass Skin

The products you layer onto your skin is only one part of obtaining glass skin—let’s not discount the lifestyle and diet portion of things. Since skin, which is the largest organ, is a direct reflection of the internal workings of the body, keeping healthy from the inside out and the outside in is key for achieving the skin you want.

• Get a good night’s rest every night. Sleep is critical to skin health. When the body lacks quality sleep, it also lacks the ability to properly repair and rejuvenate. Going to bed every night at the same time and getting about eight hours of solid shuteye will aid proper blood flow, collagen and elastin restoration, cellular repair, and healthier-looking skin.
• Move your body. A stagnant body that lacks regular exercise will show on the skin. That’s because the lymph will not detox properly, and oxygen and nutrients will not be delivered to the skin as needed. Daily exercise is essential for optimal circulation, delivering nutrients to the skin so it boasts a healthy glow.
• Eat healthy fats. You are what you eat, and if your diet is void of much-needed healthy fats, the skin will look dry, grey, and sallow. Incorporating lean sources of healthy fat that are also protein-packed, like nuts and fish, will help to keep the skin hydrated and supple.
• Stock your diet with fruits and vegetables. A clean, whole diet that consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants for a skin-protecting benefit, is key to warding off free radical damage. Skin that lacks antioxidant protection can easily succumb to the effects of environmental aggressors, causing the skin to appear dry, damaged, discolored, and weathered.

How to Get Glass Skin, According to Skin Type

Not all skin is the same, and what works for one skin type to achieve glass skin may not be best for another. That’s why you should always consider your skin type and tailor the routine and products to what works best for your skin type and its current needs.

• Sensitive skin: Sensitive skin is easily irritated and can turn red when using the wrong products. You can still work towards the goal of glass skin, but look for products with gentle, calming, and soothing ingredients that suit your skin. Mild, sulfate-free cleansers and products are best.
• Oily and combination skin: For naturally oily skin, loading it up with the wrong types of hydrating products can make it look and feel greasy and shiny. So, if you need to skip some of the hydrating steps, pick and choose which ones your skin can do without. For example, using a hydrating toner, essence, serum, moisturizer, and oil may be too much, so pair it down if needed. Also, go light in the exfoliation department so as not to cause any damage to the skin.
• Acne-prone skin: Some people with acne think that glass skin routines are out of the question simply because of their skin’s texture, but that’s not the case. You can work towards your goal of skin clarity and glass skin by using water-soluble formulations and anti-acne ingredients in gentler formulations to help control breakouts. A key ingredient to look for in your cleanser and exfoliator is salicylic acid, which will help clear up acne while providing an exfoliation benefit.

The Bottom Line

Glass skin is obtainable and like any type of skincare routine should always be tailored to your skin type and its needs. But don’t expect your skin to transform overnight. It takes dedication and diligently following a routine carved out for glass skin for it transform.