What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “glass skin?” This skincare trend might seem frivolous, but it delivers what we all want out of our skin: a smooth and flawless complexion.
You might not have heard of glass skin before, but you definitely know its effects. Hydrated, strong, supple skin. Eastern cultures have been achieving this dewy skin look for centuries now, and glass skin is the West’s way of playing catch up.
Today, we’re going to break down this skincare trend and share its secrets with you. Keep reading to learn what glass skin is and how you can use the right skincare ingredients to achieve this same look for yourself.
What Is Glass Skin?
Despite the name, there is nothing breakable or fragile about glass skin. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Glass skin is the newest skincare trend to hit the market… or the Western market, that is. While the name is new in the United States, estheticians in South Korea have been using this language for years to describe skin so clear and glowy that it shines like glass.
Glowing skin isn’t anything new in K-beauty. Korean beauty standards have prioritized fair and flawless skin since 57 B.C.E. At first, women relied on cosmetic powders and good genetics to give them beautiful skin. Today, skincare (rather than makeup) is the go-to method for illuminating your complexion and achieving glass skin.
5 Qualities of Glass Skin
Now that you know where glass skin comes from, let’s break down what exactly this skin look looks like. Beyond that indescribable glow-from-within that shines through every healthy complexion, glass skin has five core characteristics:
1. Hydration
Hydration is at the center of Korean beauty, glass skin included.
Your skin relies on moisturizing agents like water, good fats, and healthy oils like sebum to hold itself together. Think of these liquids as the glue that holds your skin cells together. However, if you don’t have enough of this glue, cells can loosen and fall away from the rest of your skin. This is exactly what causes dry skin to crack and flake.
Glass skin routines avoid this problem by prioritizing hydration. The right nourishing serums and thick creams can help nourish your skin barrier, providing all the support your skin needs to keep itself functioning.
2. Strong Skin Barrier
Glass skin is also characterized by a strong skin barrier.
Remember that your skin is one of your body’s 78 organs. In fact, it’s the largest one you have. Your skin is the first line of defense against a number of health threats your body encounters, which means that it can take a brutal beating. In order to withstand these attacks, you need a strong skin barrier.
When your skin is hydrated, nourished, and balanced, it can operate at peak performance. The best way to tell if your skin barrier is strong is by looking at its appearance: weak skin will generally look irritated, dull, or dried out, while healthy skin tends to look supple and glowing.
3. Clear Skin
One of the main aspects of glass skin is a clear complexion.
Blemishes are a common part of life — if your skin produces too much oil or other debris gets trapped deep within your pores, your skin can become clogged and start to break out. While this acne isn’t usually a threat to your overall health, it does disrupt the look of your skin.
Glass skincare routines work to keep your skin in perfect balance — including oil production.
4. Smooth Complexion
Glass-like skin isn’t just about avoiding blemishes. It’s also about achieving a smooth skin texture.
Your skin is porous, so it’s never going to be perfectly smooth. However, some people experience a high amount of texture on their skin as a result of sun damage, dry skin, or even the natural aging process. Some of these skin concerns are more alarming than others, but they all prevent smooth skin in one way or another.
Glass skin routines seek to reduce this texture by prioritizing habits and treatments that support a smooth complexion.
5. Even Skin Tone
It’s not just your skin texture that should be even when it comes to glass skin — an even skin tone is also important.
Your skin gets its color from tiny pigment particles deep in your dermis called melanin. Whether you have fair or darker skin, everybody has melanin, and it exists in consistent amounts across your body. However, if certain areas of skin go rogue and start producing more melanin than they should, you can develop dark spots on your skin. This is called hyperpigmentation.
These patches of pigmentation don’t look very smooth, so glass skin routines work to treat them so you can achieve a consistent skin tone for all of your skin.
What Are the Best Skincare Ingredients for Glass Skin?
Maybe you’re hoping for a smooth complexion, no breakouts, fewer wrinkles, or another goal — but how do you turn those “wants” into your reality?
If you’re hoping to achieve glass skin, forming a skincare routine that targets each specific skin goal is key. It’s about building a consistent habit and using the right products, and it’s also about using the right skincare ingredients.
We’ve put together a list of the best skincare ingredients to use to achieve each quality of glass skin.
For Hydration, Use Glycerin
Glycerin is a chemical humectant, a type of molecule known for its ability to absorb water and deliver it to the skin for long-lasting hydration.
To add this skincare ingredient to your routine, we recommend trying our STEM CELLULAR Anti-Wrinkle Ceramide Overnight Cream. Our clinical trial found that 91% of participants experienced softer and more supple skin after just five weeks.
For a Strong Skin Barrier, Use Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a type of alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that draws additional moisture to your skin, nourishing your skin barrier so that it can remain strong.
To add this skincare ingredient to your routine, we recommend trying our STEM CELLULAR SuperGrape Youth Renew Serum with Hyaluronic Acid. In clinical studies, 100% of participants saw more youthful and improved skin, and 96% reported that their skin’s bounce improved too.
For Clear Skin, Use Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid is a type of beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores for a deeper, breakout-clearing clean.
To add this skincare ingredient to your routine, we recommend trying our Blemish Clearing Salicylic Acid Serum. 100% of participants in our independent focus groups saw definite blemish-clearing improvement within two weeks, and 94% saw that improvement increase to complete clearing within four weeks.
For a Smooth Complexion, Use Retinol
Retinol is a type of vitamin B that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by supporting the internal structure of the skin.
To add this skincare ingredient to your routine, we recommend trying our STEM CELLULAR Anti-Wrinkle Overnight Serum. In clinical studies, 28% of participants reported fewer wrinkles in just the first month and a half.
For an Even Skin Tone, Use Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a brightening agent that is thought to interact with melanin-producing cells.
To add this skincare ingredient to your routine, we recommend trying our STEM CELLULAR 2-in-1 Cleanser. This gentle, conditioning cleanser features fruit stem cells, vitamin C, aloe leaf juice, and vitamin E to help deeply cleanse, tone, and hydrate your skin.
How To Get Glass Skin
The first step to achieving glass skin is by fueling your skin with the right skincare ingredients. Depending on your skin type and what goals you’re trying to reach with your skincare, you can hand-pick the right treatment methods for your complexion.
However, glass skin doesn’t stop at skincare. Taking care of your skin, like taking care of any other organ in your body, is a holistic process. The path to glass skin has as much to do with your lifestyle as it does with the specific ingredients you use on your skin.
To get glass skin, it’s also important to:
- Get enough sleep
- Live a low-stress life
- Drink plenty of water
- Use sunscreen
These lifestyle habits are a great way to maintain your overall wellness — which supports healthy skin, too.
Skin As Clear As Glass
Your skin isn’t transparent, but your skincare should be. Here at Juice Beauty, we believe in good and honest ingredients that deliver real results. When you know what’s going into your skin, you can be confident in what will come of it.
Glass skin isn’t just a fad — it’s the real result of high-quality skincare. For healthy skin that looks as great as it feels, toss out the junk and fuel your skin with the right ingredients to make you shine.
Sources:
The History of Korean Beauty Part 1: Silla Dynasty | Asia Society
Sebaceous Glands: Function, Location & Secretion | Cleveland Clinic
Skin barrier function | National Library of Medicine
How to control oily skin | American Academy of Dermatology
Facial Pores: Definition, Causes, and Treatment Options | National Library of Medicine