What is glass skin? Glass skin is a K-Beauty trend, which comes from layering a number of ultra-hydrating products to create a smooth, glass-like finish on the skin. You can achieve this glass-like texture by adding multiple extra steps to your skincare routine.
But what exactly is glass skin? "It means skin that looks crystal-clear, poreless, translucent, [and] luminous — like a piece of glass."
“Glass skin is a term for exceptionally smooth, even-toned and lustrous skin that's so flawless it has the appearance of glass,” says skin care blogger and K-beauty expert Jude Chao. “It's simply a clear and elegant way of describing a certain type of enviable complexion,” she adds.
The secret is in the careful layering of products that contain moisturising ingredients – mostly humectants such as hyaluronic acid and followed by acclaimed glow-inducers and actives that will strengthen your skin barrier such as niacinamide and peptides,” she says.
Skincare is More Important than Makeup
Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
What Is Glass Skin? “Glass skin is skin that's so healthy, there's a luminosity, smoothness, and clarity to it," says Peach & Lily founder Alicia Yoon, who was also instrumental in popularizing the trend on social media from the start. That said, this doesn't mean that your skin has to be perfectly smooth.
How Long Does It Take To Get Glass Skin? The harsh truth is you cannot get glass skin overnight. Following the glass skin routine and being consistent about your diet and lifestyle will surely start showing results in 2 to 3 weeks and get better over time.
The Japanese follow a diet that is very low on red meat, fried foods, sugar and salt, which can cause inflammation [3] leading to redness and puffy skin. With a focus on raw vegetables and fish, rice and green tea, they ensure the foods they eat also assist in creating younger looking skin.
Step 1: In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of Turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice and 1 drop of Honey. Step 2: Directly apply this paste on skin and leave it on for 10 minutes. Step 3: Wash off with lukewarm water and layer it with a hydrating moisturizer.
In order to get glass skin, you have to moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize some more. When applying skincare products, you always want to start in order of consistency and apply the thinnest formula first, working your way up to the thickest (aka most occlusive) to lock in moisture and seal your skin barrier.
What is Mochi Skin? Mochi skin, otherwise known as 'mochi hada' or rice cake skin, takes inspiration from its very name. Much like mochi itself, Japan's most celebrated mochigome rice cake, mochi skin is matte, smooth, and soft to the touch. Quite like a baby's bottom, now that we think about it!
The K-beauty trend called the glass skin trend that took the world by storm is nothing but a smooth, dewy, glass-like complexion from Korea that makes many heads turn.
It's simply an elegant way of describing a certain type of enviable complexion. Just like its predecessors – 'Honey Skin' and 'Dewy Skin', Glass Skintype aims for an intensely moisturized skin that gives off an almost transparent complexion and a very youthful, lit-from-within glow.
They use Botox, fillers, sunscreen, chemical peels, and IPL/photofacial. It's not that they have access to anything unique — it's that they actually get the treatments.
We caught up with Alicia Yoon, founder of K-beauty brand Peach & Lily, who shared that it's actually possible to get glass-like skin, even if you're dealing with stubborn acne.
Oily skin will usually feel greasy to the touch, as if you have a thin film over it, and may start feeling shiny a few hours after washing your face. Glass skin, however, will stay balanced throughout the day without any greasy feelings.
Double-cleansing your face is an integral part of the Korean 'glass skin' beauty routine. Simply cleanse your skin with a cleansing oil, then wash again with a foam-based wash. Recommended products: Laneige Multi Deep-Clean Cleanser.
This glowing skin is not totally genetic. This glowing skin is a result of hydrating extracts from natural sources and because of a very extensive skincare routine. In Korea, there are a lot of naturally occuring hydrating extracts. Glass skin is a flawless-skin without any pores and is translucent.
Korean beauty products utilize the most effective Western ingredients—and so much more. With an impressively large repertoire that includes ground-breaking ingredients such as snail mucin and bee venom, their compellingly fresh formulations can deliver results you could never achieve before.
If you want to look young and have a great complexion, adapt a lifestyle similar to Japanese women who are known for having smooth, clear and youthful skin. Many Japanese women maintain a diet rich in vitamins and minerals that contain antioxidants.
“According to my hair stylist, Korean women use a hair essence or oil every single day, which is why they have such silky, soft, and shiny strands.” A personal favorite for Cho is British M's Organics Annatto Hair Oil, while Lee is a fan of the Mise en Scene Pearl Shining Hair Essence.
Sleeping on the floor became common when ondol floor heating was introduced to the Koreans. When HVAC systems were not a thing, households had to find ways to keep warm and remain cool. Ondol floor heating was a process that used the smoke from fireplaces to warm up the whole house from under the floor.