When it comes to achieving the perfectly filtered look of glass skin, you might think it requires a multi-step process. Luckily, experts say the look has less to do with perfection and more to do with following some key steps toward optimal skin health.
“The traditional Korean glass-skin approach can involve as many as seven to 10 steps, including double cleansing, exfoliation, toner, essence, multiple serums, moisturizer and sunscreen,” says Dr. Dmitriy Schwarzburg, board-certified cosmetic physician and the founder of Skinly Aesthetics in New York. “You don’t need all 10 steps, though. The important parts are consistent hydration, smooth texture, even skin tone and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.”
Start with a gentle cleanser
It might be the step you’re quick to skip,
but one of the most important parts of achieving filter-worthy skin is properly cleaning it.
Schwarzburg says cleansing should occur both morning and night. In the morning, use a gentle cleanser, and in the evening, be sure to remove any makeup, sunscreen or sweat buildup from the day. He also says that if you wear heavier makeup, double cleansing might be helpful to ensure that everything is off your skin.
Layer on the hydration
Once you’ve properly cleansed your skin, the next important step is hydration.
“For the immediate glass-skin effect, I like hydrating serums and essences with glycerin and hyaluronic acid because they increase water content in the skin and give it a plumper, more reflective appearance,” explains Schwarzburg. “A good moisturizer helps seal that hydration in, and products containing ceramides can be particularly useful for maintaining the skin barrier.”
If you’re looking for longer-term improvements, he says options like niacinamide, vitamin C and retinoids can all be helpful in improving tone, brightness and collagen production. “These ingredients aren’t going to create a glass-like finish overnight, but they can improve the underlying quality of the skin over time.”
Don’t forget the SPF
A non-negotiable for healthy skin? Applying sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun’s damage is an important part of achieving the glass skin effect (and avoiding skin cancer, too). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher before sun exposure. Dr. Schwarzburg says he prefers an SPF of 30 or more, applying it as the last step in your morning skincare routine.
Consistency and healthy habits
While cleansing, hydrating and SPF are all important for healthy skin, Schwarzburg says healthy habits in general also play a key role.
“Sleep, nutrition, exercise, sun exposure, smoking and alcohol all affect the skin over time,” he explains. “I recommend getting adequate protein and eating a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables and healthy fats because the skin needs those nutrients to maintain and repair itself.”
But even with those changes, don’t expect flawless skin.
“Perfectly poreless, completely texture-free skin is not attainable,” he says. “Pores are normal anatomy. Fine lines are normal. Real skin has texture. I think the useful part of this trend is that it encourages people to pay more attention to hydration and skin-barrier health. The problem starts when people compare their skin to filtered or heavily edited images and think that any visible pore or line means they’re doing something wrong.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How experts say you can get glass skin
