As a beauty editor, I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go over the years. But one that has been going strong for quite some time now, is the glass skin trend. So much so that I wouldn’t actually call it a ‘trend’ now, but more of a skin ‘look’. A look that thousands of skincare addicts (including myself) have strived to achieve. Billions actually, if the 4.4 billion TikTok views are anything to go by. After a lot of trial and error, I think I’ve nailed it, so I want to share my tips with you, so that you too can manifest your glass skin dreams.
What is glass skin to me? I define it as skin that’s very smooth, shiny and glossy, and then when you add a lot of hydration and dewiness to it, it starts to look translucent and reflective like glass. With the right skincare products and routine, you can make your skin have this ultra shiny appearance naturally. However, with certain makeup products and skincare finishers, you can also fake it, at least to some extent. That’s why, in this article, my product recommendations are split between ‘make it’ and ‘fake it’ – allowing you to experiment with achieving your own glass skin look in a way that suits your lifestyle, budget and skin type.
But first, I’ve spoken to some experts — Stuart Kaplan, M.D., Beverly Hills dermatologist, and founder of KAPLAN MD Skincare and Dr Jinah Yoo, a Korean, UK board certified dermatologist — to find out exactly what glass skin is, where the look originated, and the skincare ingredients that you should look out for when trying to get glass skin for yourself. Are you ready to get your gloss on?
What Is Glass Skin?
When it comes to my own skin, I know what glass skin looks like on me. But what do the experts define ‘glass skin’ as? Dr Jinah Yoo explains that it was a trend that originated in South Korea as part of the K-beauty phenomenon. It’s “a complexion so clear, smooth, and luminous that it appears like glass, with the emphasis on healthy, radiant skin over heavy makeup.” Dr Kaplan also puts the emphasis on it being skin that’s “very hydrated and poreless, with a luminous, dewy tone.”
With #glasskin accumulating 4.4 billion views on TikTok, it’s definitely a hotly desired skin look, and since it’s all about healthy skin, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to aim for.
How Can You Achieve Glass Skin?
Like with everything in skincare, consistency is key. This isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight – it will take weeks, or even months, to get your skin to a place where your glass skin look is purely about consistent maintenance. Dr Kaplan explains that we are battling against the effects of “sun damage, lifestyle habits (what we eat, how much we sleep, how much we exercise, smoking, medications, health complications), environmental damage, and even the effects of hormonal aging” in our quest for glass skin, as these all cause our skin to become duller, more lackluster, dry, wrinkled and blemished – the opposite of ‘glass skin’.
