Have you heard of glass skin? Keep scrolling to learn all about how to achieve the perfect glass skin look so you have healthy and happy skin!
What is Glass Skin?
Glass skin is a Korean beauty term for a clear complexion and glowing skin that shines! Sarah Lee and Christine Chang say that glowing skin “means skin that looks crystal-clear, poreless, translucent, [and] luminous — like a piece of glass.” (Allure)
This beauty trend has been huge in Korea for many years but its popularity has spread to the United States less than 10 years ago. I’m all for trends that encourage us to embrace healthy habits!
Can I Achieve Glass Skin Naturally?
So you know that the glass skin look is all the rage, but how do you achieve it naturally? We want to look glowing and healthy, but we don’t want to have surgical, cosmetic, or other procedures to get it. Everyone has their own opinion on the matter, but as an aesthetician, here are some simple steps you can take to get that healthy glow naturally:
- Cleanse
- Exfoliate
- Tone
- Serum
- Moisturize
- Eye Cream
If you want guidance in knowing what skincare products will work best for your skin type, take the quick Skin Quiz!
Cleanse
If you want healthy and glowy clear skin, then it is so important to cleanse your face nightly!! I like to think of our faces as a windshield on a car. Over time, our windshields accumulate dust, dirt, grime and you can see and feel the layer of filth. Our faces are similar. Our faces accumulate sweat, dirt, oil, and other gross things throughout the day. It’s important for us to clean our faces every night so we can have a clean surface.
Not all cleansers are created equal. A lot are very harsh on the skin, can be drying, and can remove our skin’s natural oils, and disrupt of skin’s pH levels. An oil cleanser is a great option that will truly clean your face without drying it out.
Every night, commit to cleansing your face. A secret ingredient to really clean skin is using a microfiber cloth! This type of material will grab at the dirt and makeup so better than a normal wash cloth of just your hands. Use a new cloth daily so you’re cleaning your face with a clean cloth and not a dirty one. Yes, that means you may have to do more laundry, but it’s worth it!
If you want extra clean skin, double cleanse. This means apply cleanser to your skin once, scrub your face and wipe it with a cloth. Then repeat the process by doing it a second time. Double cleansing will insure that you get all the sweat, makeup, and dirt off before you move to the next step.
Exfoliate
If you want clear and smooth skin, then you need to exfoliate! You can see my my top 4 favorite exfoliators to pick a great one for you.
Exfoliating your face helps slough off the dead skin cells and product buildup. It will help remove the unwanted texture you have on your face and will give you a nice smooth surface. It’s my favorite step in my skincare routine!
This step does not need to be done daily, but 1-3 times a week depending on your skin type and needs.
Toner
Toner helps balance your skin’s pH levels (your skin’s acidity & alkalinity levels), reduces your pore size, refreshes your skin, and acts as a second cleanser. Doesn’t that sound good? It’s such a simple step in your skin care routine, but it can be so beneficial.
- Balances out your skin’s natural pH levels
- Reduces your pore size
- Refreshes your skin
- Acts as a second cleanser
My favorite toners are the F11 Activating Facial Toner and the F67 Corrective Facial Tonic.
Learn more about why toner is important and how to use it.
Serum
Just like your body needs water to stay hydrated, your skin needs moisturizer to stay hydrated too! Moisturizer is meant to help hydrate your skin. But when you add serum into your skincare routine too, it helps lock in that moisture so your skin can achieve its healthiest state.
My favorite serums are:
- F06 Cell Active Face Serum
- F59 Corrective Face Serum (lovingly referred to as Botox in a Bottle)
- F83 HT + Vitamin C Serum Face
Apply serum after hyaluronic acid and before you moisturize. Your skin will love it!
Moisturize
Get that glass skin look by applying moisturizer! Moisturizing is for every skin type: dry, combination, normal, and oily. Yes, even if you have oily skin, you need to apply moisturizer! Moisturizing your skin regularly will actually help with your oiliness. When your skin is thirsty, it will overcompensate and overproduce oil, making your skin oilier! So if you are good to your skin and moisturize it daily, then it will regulate its oil production. Pretty cool. (Tip: if you have oily skin, make sure to read this post about the best makeup for oily skin!)
My favorite cream is F07 Anti Aging Face Cream.
Eye Cream
To finish off your nightly routine to get that glass skin look, apply eye cream. My favorite is one is F09 Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream.
Use your index fingers to lightly apply eye cream under your eye and onto your brow bone.
Best Skincare Routine for Glass Skin
There are a lot of great skincare products out there. Some of my favorite are found here:
Oliveda (this is my absolute favorite!! It is a holistic skincare that heals the skin from the inside out. My skin has never looked and felt so amazing! This is perfect for all ages, but especially if you have mature or problematic skin.)
The Daily Essential Co (for 10% off, use this discount code: TDEJOELLEN)
Dime Beauty (To save 20%, use this discount code at checkout: JOELLEN)
I’ve used all of their products and you can’t go wrong! But my absolute favorite one and the one that you will truly see results with is Oliveda.
Korean Skincare Routines
Glass skin originated from Korea. Koreans have amazing skincare!! I’m not an expert in Korean skincare, but there are so many resources for great tips and techniques. Here are some articles that I found helpful:
10-Step Korean Skincare Routine: Is It worth the Hype?
10 Korean Skincare Routine Steps You Do (and Don’t!) Need to Try
THE 10-STEP KOREAN SKINCARE ROUTINE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Basically, here is the Korean 10-step skincare routine broken down:
- Wash and remove makeup with an oil-based cleanser
- Do a second cleanse with a water-based cleanser
- Exfoliate
- Apply toner
- Apple essence (a mix betweeen a toner & serum, basically for extra hydration)
- Apply serum & ampoules (it’s like a concentrated serum)
- Apply eye cream
- Apply moisturizer
- Wear a sheet mask (this can be done in place of your moisturizer as your last step)
- Apply sunscreen (in the day time)
They’re a lot of steps, but if you want to be committed to having glass skin, you’ve got to commit to a good routine!
How Do I Deal with Specific Skin Issues while Pursuing Glass Skin?
I get it. You may be thinking that this sounds great but what if you have a specific skin issue that you’re concerned won’t let you get that glass skin look? If you have one of the following, let’s see how you can get healthy skin:
- Acne
- Hyperpigmentation
- PCOS
- Hirituism
- Mature skin
Acne
If you have acne, then it’s crucial that you take good care of your skin. Besides the daily morning and night skincare routine, your skin will need some extra TLC. A skincare regime that is formulated for acne like the Oliveda Acne Set will be great for you because it will target healing your blemishes from the inside out.
Extra steps you can take for healthy skin are:
- Changing your pillowcase out at least once a week
- Drinking plenty of water
- Refraining from touching your face throughout the day
- Avoiding picking your blemishes
- Applying a topical ointment or tea tree oil to help heal your blemishes
Hyperpigmentation
You may have hyperpigmentation, an excess of skin coloring, on areas of your face. And that’s ok! We’re all created differently. Hyperpigmentation can come from sun exposure, hormones, and scarring. Maintain a normal skincare routine but take extra care in applying sunscreen so your skin doesn’t get darker or more damaged. You can also apply skin brightening serum like F81 AHA + HT Serum or drink your skincare to heal your skin from the inside out with I01.
PCOS
PCOS is Polycystic ovary syndrome in which a symptom can be acne. Besides the daily morning and night skincare routine, your skin will need some extra TLC. A skincare regime that is formulated for acne like the Oliveda Acne Set will be great for you because it will target healing your blemishes. Also, healing your skin internally with the Glow From Within Set will help you have the healthiest skin!
Extra steps you can take for healthy skin are:
- Changing your pillowcase out at least once a week
- Drinking plenty of water
- Refraining from touching your face throughout the day
- Avoiding picking your blemishes
- Applying a topical ointment or tea tree oil to help heal your blemishes
Hirituism
Hirituism is a condition where you can grow excess hair on the face that is darker and thicker. Follow a normal skincare routine but then also invest in a facial razor (a disposable razor or battery operated razor) and this will help you keep your skin hair free. Also, exfoliate 1-3 times a week to keep your skin smooth.
Mature Skin
If you have mature skin, then make sure to read Top 3 Best Skincare Routines for Mature Skin!
FAQs
- What is glass skin? Glass skin is a Korean beauty term for a clear complexion and glowing skin that shines!
- How can you get glass skin? Glass skin can be achieved by having a consistent skincare routine of cleansing, exfoliating, and hydrating your skin.
- What is the best skincare routine? Everyone is different, but a minimum skincare routine should consist of cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing nightly. Read below for the products I recommend to get that healthy glow!
How Do I Maintain Glass Skin Once I Achieve It?
The key to great skin is consistency! You can’t expect great skin without the effort. Commit to a good skincare routine morning and night and you’ll love the skin you’re in! I prefer to use cleaner ingredients in my skincare. Oliveda is a holistic skincare line that heals from the inside out helping you truly achieve glass skin that glows! Here’s an example of a good morning routine:
- Use an oil cleanser to gently clean your face from any eye buggies, crusty, or drool from your sleep.
- Use warm water and a clean microfiber cloth to wipe your face clean.
- This is a good time to use Gua Sha for a natural face massage to help de-puff your eyes.
- Apply an eye cream under your eyes.
- Apply sunscreen.
Here’s an example of a good nightly skincare routine:
- Cleanse
- Exfoliate (once a week)
- Tone
- Serum
- Moisturizer
- Eye cream
Get Clean Beauty for a Discount
Having healthy skin takes an investment in time and money. You can get a discount for clean beauty with these discount codes or ways to save:
- Take the skin quiz and if you order 2 of the recommended products from your results, you get a free product.
- Subscribe and save 10%.
- Purchase a skin set and save 20%.
- Become a member and pay $50/year and always save 25% on everything.
The Daily Essential Co– for 10% off, use this discount code at checkout: TDEJOELLEN
Dime Beauty– for 20% off, use this discount code at checkout: JOELLEN
As a certified makeup artist and aesthetician, I want to help you look beautiful! The right products matter! For a personal makeup color match, fill out my makeup form and I will send you product and color recommendations that will look great on you! For skincare help, email me and I’ll be happy to guide you to find the best products for your skincare needs. If you want to achieve the glass skin look, you have to invest some time and money into getting that healthy, happy, glowing skin! Commit to taking great care of your skin and you will love how it looks and feels!
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About the Author
JoEllen is a licensed aesthetician, certified makeup artist, and certified John Maxwell coach, speaker, and trainer. She has been working with women for 18 years helping them look and feel confident. She loves teaching women simple beauty techniques so they can feel empowered to try it at home. She believes that when you look and feel good, you do good!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item featured in this post, I get a small portion from the sale. Thank you! It does not affect you at all.
