The year is coming to an end, and we are all in the “New Year, New Me” mindset. New hairstyles, self-care resolutions, finally using that gym membership we’ve been paying for, and stepping up our skincare game. Korea’s beautiful skin culture has been making its way West over the last decade or so. The glass skin Korean beauty trend exploded in 2024 as we are now moving into an era of prioritizing skin health, embracing our natural beauty, and makeup minimalism. We all know that one person whose skin is so perfectly dewy and radiant that it literally resembles glass. Think of a glazed doughnut or a porcelain doll. The truth is glass skin is created from the inside out. If this trend has already sparked your curiosity and you’ve deep-dived into how to achieve glass skin for yourself, you know it is mostly about layering lightweight products to achieve a plumped, insanely hydrated look. However, what’s not often talked about is that glass skin can’t be achieved by skincare alone, but the good news is that all your other New Year's resolutions of prioritizing your health and wellness will move you owards achieving glass skin. So, let’s talk about the holistic side of glass skin, and then we’ll get into the skincare essentials to achieve this coveted look.

Is Glass Skin Healthy Skin?

Glass skin focuses on the skin barrier. You can’t achieve glass skin without a skin barrier that is hydrated, free from inflammation, and protected from environmental pollutants. So yes, glass skin is healthy, hydrated skin that radiates a healthy mind-body synergy. Your skin can resemble glass even with breakouts, scars, or “imperfections.” Glass skin is only in part about what what skincare you use, it is highly internal because your skin reflects all that is going on inside the body.

Glass Skin Vs. Oily Skin

Oily skin occurs due to an overproduction of essential skin oils from the sebum glands. This can happen due to hormonal imbalances, a poor diet, stress, and most surprisingly, from the skin being dry and the body overcompensating. Glass skin on the other hand is achieved by layering targeted skincare to lock in the already healthy oil and hydration levels to create an almost translucent effect.

How To Get Glass Skin – An Inside Out Approach

We hate to break it to you, but it is not something that can be achieved solely by using ultra-moisturizing skincare. Glass skin begins on the inside with a healthy diet, plenty of water, rest, and self-care. Achieving glass skin is a lifestyle involving mindfulness around limiting the consumption of inflammatory foods, keeping cortisol levels low, exercising regularly and getting your beauty rest… literally! Our skin barrier is a manifestation of our internal health; therefore, a radiant complexion results from a healthy and happy mind body. Work your way to glass skin from the inside out by remaining consistent in your healthy lifestyle habits for even a couple weeks and you’ll be pleasantly surprised in how your skin responds.

Skin Treatments To Achieve Glass Skin

Let’s move on to the external and what skin treatments can give you glass skin. Keep in mind that reaching any skin goal can take time. Consistency with your lifestyle, skincare, and skin treatments is key to achieving glass skin.

Regular Facials – Facials should not be a self-care luxury. Facials are a key component of building up and maintaining a healthy skin barrier and why maintaining a regular facial schedule is so important for healthy skin. Facials work double time in reaching your glass skin goal; medical-grade skincare, tools, and techniques address the external like cleaning out the pores and restoring hydration, while a spa-like experience and massage address the internal like bringing down cortisol levels and releasing feel-good hormones that the skin loves!

Dermalinfusion – What we like to refer to as the “glass skin treatment.” A dermalinfusion exfoliates dead skin cells away and infuses the skin with multiple serums resulting in an ultra-hydrated finish to the skin. Glass skin is all about locking in hydration with a layered skincare technique, making a dermalinfusion treatment the perfect choice for achieving this look immediately for an event or outing. To achieve glass skin long-term, a daily skincare regime and regular facial treatments will be necessary in addition to a mindful lifestyle.

Micro Laser Peel – If you really want to get serious about resurfacing your skin, a laser peel is the way to do it. Laser peels work by safely removing a thin top layer of skin to reveal healthy skin cells sitting just below the surface. This treatment is especially effective if texture is what’s keeping you from achieving glass skin.

Skincare To Achieve Glass Skin

We have touched on layering skincare to lock in hydration and achieve an ultra-hydrated, glass-like effect. But before you go reaching for all your plumping serums and dewy moisturizers, reach for your cleanser because glass skin starts with a clean palette.

Cleanser – Every morning and every evening, your skin needs to be cleansed. It’s like brushing your teeth. Sweat, oil, and bacteria build up on the skin while we sleep and prevent our skincare the next morning from properly absorbing. Not to mention leaving bacteria on the skin encourages breakouts and a dull complexion, not what we want when working toward glass skin.

Exfoliator – Whether you use an exfoliating serum or a physical exfoliator, regular exfoliation sloughs off dead skin cells to reveal healthy cells and a smooth, radiant complexion. When dead skin cells build up on the surface, it prevents your skincare from penetrating into the skin. Serums that plump and hydrate from within to achieve glass skin will get stuck on their path to deeper layers of the skin thanks to dead skin cells. It’s important not to over-exfoliate as this can strip the skin and cause an overproduction of oil to compensate for the dryness. A weekly exfoliation with a physical exfoliator or two to three times a week with an exfoliating serum will do the trick.

Serums – Here is where it gets fun! Because serums penetrate into the skin, you can layer multiple targeted serums to address multiple concerns. Glass skin is plumped, hydrated, and radiant. Using serums containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid for drawing in hydration and plumping the skin, vitamin C for protecting against environmental pollutants and brightening the complexion, and niacinamide for keeping the skin calm and even-toned are going to achieve your desired glass skin appearance while also working long-term to restore and maintain your skin barrier making it possible to still have glass skin years from now!

Moisturizer – The purpose of a moisturizer is to lock in the skincare applied before it. While moisturizer can provide a dewy appearance, moisturizer sits on top of the skin. Serums are the true star of the show when it comes to reaching glass skin because serums penetrate deep into the skin working from the inside out and providing real results. Moisturizer is still an essential component of your skincare regime, but it is not the be-all-end-all for reaching any skincare goal. So don’t opt for a luxuriously heavy moisturizer because you want a dewy look. Let the serums do their job and opt for a moisturizer that works best with your skin type.

SPF – Need we remind you that the sun is your skin’s worst enemy when it comes to radiance and skin health? Yes, we need Vitamin D, but we don’t need sun spots and premature wrinkles. Your SPF is absolutely essential for achieving glass skin. Excess sun exposure dries out your skin and causes oxidative stress; two things that will quickly prevent you from having glass skin.

Is Glass Skin For Everyone?

Anyone can achieve glass skin. If we have totally overwhelmed you with information here, remember the key ingredients to having glass skin:

It Starts From Within – Be mindful of what you put in your body, limiting sugar and processed foods and opting for lots of veggies, lean protein, and ample water. Prioritize self-care activities that keep your stress levels in check and regular exercise to help the body sweat out toxins in addition to releasing all those endorphins and serotonin that keep the brain happy, and your sleep cycle regulated. Glowing skin loves it’s sleep!

Keep Up With Your Preventative Skin Care – Your regular facial appointments are key to maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Do your best to follow a 4-6 week facial schedule and opt for a more luxurious facial – like a dermalinfusion- if you have an event and need an infusion of hydration for an immediate glass skin appearance.

Invest In High-Quality Skincare – If you’ve purchased countless serums at the drugstore and find nothing is giving you that coveted hydrated glow, it could be because the ingredients are low-quality, saturated down, or simply not right for your skin. This is when a skin consultation is highly valuable for developing a tailored skin regime for your unique skin with high-quality products that have been thoroughly tested to provide real results. Skincare is not one size fits all and depending on where you are in your skin journey, glass skin may come easy for you or take time. As we move into a new era of proudly wearing our natural beauty and opting for less makeup, the importance of high-quality skincare and tailored treatments is going to surface more and more. “Skinvestment” is not a fad, it’s the importance of investing in your self-esteem, happiness, and mind body health. We hope the start of a new year empowers you to find your own skin confidence, whether it’s receiving a glass skin compliment or simply feeling confident enough to leave the house without makeup once in a while. Wherever you are in your skin journey, Natology will meet you there.