How to Get Glass Skin
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
The “glass skin” effect refers to a multi-step skincare routine that leaves your face with an entirely well-moisturized, translucent shine. It’s not to be confused with the porcelain skin looks we saw during Maison Margiela’s Spring/Summer Haute Couture show back in January. This specific routine involves anywhere from seven to twelve steps including mild exfoliation, hydration and nutrition.
It’s most attainable in South Korea, where smooth skin represents healthy life, and the desire for it has led to the country’s variety of creative and sophisticated skincare products. The most important products in particular are lightweight, water-based ones like essences and serums that obtain that glass-like finish.
Korean beauty bloggers and influencers first used the term “glass skin” in the early 2000s. Since then, it has gained widespread global popularity in skincare culture and on social media.
Today, celebrities from Hailey Bieber to Kylie Jenner are on top of the glass skin trend, utilizing K-Beauty devices and “glass skin sets.” In one of her TikToks videos, Hailey Bieber reveals the staple device she uses to get ready for photoshoot is the Medicube Age R Booster-H. This device uses electroporation to push your serums and essences into your skin, deep into the dermis. By using electrical pulses of energy, this allows your products to penetrate deeper into the skin, giving you that dewey, hydrating look in minutes.
The glass skin trend continues to alter the beauty industry and inspire people to accept their inherent beauty. Jackie Park, Korean sculpting specialist and celebrity esthetician of Skin Worship, Beverly Hills, reveals how she uses exosomes on her client so they can achieve the glass skin look:
“I perform collagen induction with microchanneling. I love using Elevai Enfinity, a product filled with high exosomes. Exosomes help regenerate the skin faster, get rid of hyperpigmentation, old acne scars, and pigmentation. Exosomes are the locking key, signaling other cells to repair faster. It’s almost like the cells are mailing each other messages telling them to regenerate, restore, and heal.”
If you are not looking to pay over $300 on a facial or on a device to get the glass skin look, there are cheaper ways of achieving this look at home.
I have created an easy 5-step routine to showcase how I get glass skin (in an affordable manner).
Instead of using the Medicube device, I prefer Nion’s Luxe Plus, a 2-in-1 facial cleansing device. One side has medical-grade silicone that contains negative ions. Acting like tiny magnets, they draw out the skin’s dirt, oil, and makeup out of the skin, compared to using a rough towel on your face. The other side has a medical-grade steel plate that uses ultrasonic infusion to penetrate your serums deeper into your skin.
Step 1: Double-Cleansing
Double cleansing is key to achieving the glass skin look. Double cleansing is when you use an oil-based cleanser then a hydrating water-based cleanser right after. Jackie Park states that double cleansing is key because “it helps remove make-up, grime, and pollutants that could be tucked deep into the skin.”
The oil-based cleanser I have been a fan of is Living Libations Best-Skin-Ever in Summer Shimmer Tropical. This is a gentle cleanser that removes the dirt and impurities from my face. I add a couple droplets of this on my Luxe Plus and let the vibrations massage the product into my skin. After this, I use Skin Worship’s Cleansing Ritual, a super light, water-based cleanser. Using a water-based cleanser is essential because it removes the less obvious dirt on my face without dehydrating my face. Plus, it smells amazing.
Step 2: Exfoliating
Exfoliating is key to the glass skin effect because it removes the dead skin cells and unclogs pores. This is a step that doesn’t need to be done every day (I recommend at least two to three times a week). My favorite is Anua’s 77% Heartleaf Toner Pads.
Step 3: Toner
Toners are used to reset balance your skin’s pH which is needed for the next steps in this routine. I love using Epicuren’s Enzyme Protein Mist for this step because it’s a spray-on toner that keeps you feeling hydrated and refreshed as you go through your skincare.
Step 4: Serum
In my opinion, the serums are the best part of this routine. As Jackie said, serums with exosomes and stem cells are great for speeding the regenerative process of your skin to give you that glowing complexion. Using the steel plate on the back of the Luxe Plus, I add Guru’s Cell Renewal Serum that is infused with human placenta and drag it all over my face. Stem cells and exosome serums are beneficial to the glass skin look because they repair the complexion of your skin and stimulate growth factors to boost collagen and elastin!
Step 5: Moisturize
After letting my serum set, I use Skin Worship’s Hydrating Ritual 2. This moisturizer has a weightless texture and provides great hydration, leaving the skin smooth, plump and with no sticky or greasy residue.
It can be difficult to find the right products for your skin, which is why I shared these specific products with you. Each of these products was made with organic ingredients for users who are looking for an easy skincare routine. I have been doing this exact skincare routine for the past 6 months and I can vouch that this is the easiest way for anyone to achieve glass skin. I can now say that I am ready to walk when I graduate this Spring, showing off my glass skin complexion on the jumbotrons at Angels Stadium.