How To Get Glass Skin: 15 Tips To Try

Sheet masks, double cleansing, the infamous 10-step skincare routine—the number of viral trends born from Korean skincare practices is frankly, hard to count. But if there’s one trend we associate most with K-beauty, it’s glass skin. Figuring out how to get glass skin can feel daunting—especially if you’re wary of adopting a lengthy skincare routine—but we promise, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Ultimately, achieving clear, dewy-looking skin hinges on building a glass skin routine that addresses your skin’s unique needs—whatever they may be.

Here, we’ll break down what characterizes glass skin and share some of our best clear skin tips and glass skin products for achieving a smooth, glazed-looking complexion. Radiant, healthy-looking skin awaits.

Is Having Glass Skin Good?

Glass skin looks hydrated, smooth, and clear, so it’s often equated with having healthy-looking skin. But when determining how to get a clear face, it’s important to remember that glass skin doesn’t mean flawless skin—nobody’s skin looks airbrushed in real life. And you can have glass-like skin even if you have blemishes, wrinkles, dark under-eyes, or other skin concerns.

For the most part, following a consistent skincare routine that prioritizes gentle, hydrating ingredients is a great way to improve your skin’s look and feel. But if you’re looking for a “perfect” complexion, you’ll want to lean on glass skin makeup (think: dewy formulas that help hydrate the skin and blur skin texture). With the right skincare and makeup routines, smoother, more radiant-looking skin can be within reach.

How To Get Glass Skin With Skincare Products

Good skincare habits and consistency are non-negotiables where glass skin is concerned. Korean skincare typically involves double cleansing and layering lightweight, hydrating products onto the skin to help create the appearance of a glowing, dewy complexion. Here are a few clear skin tips to help you on your journey toward healthy-looking glass skin.

1. Double cleanse

The double cleanse is a fundamental part of the traditional Korean skincare routine. The first cleanse removes makeup and surface debris, while the second cleanse deep cleans to remove any lingering impurities left on the skin. 

To remove makeup, use a micellar water or makeup remover towelettes like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Wet Cleansing Towelettes. The cleansing wipes help remove all traces of makeup and impurities for a smoother, more refined complexion. 

Next, look for a cleanser that can help brighten your skin’s appearance. We like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 3.5% Glycolic Acid Cleanser which not only cleanses but also exfoliates, sloughing off dead, dull cells to reveal more radiant-looking skin. Wet your face and gently massage a small amount of the facial cleanser onto your face, then rinse it off thoroughly with lukewarm water and gently pat your skin dry with a washcloth.

2. Use an exfoliator

In an ideal world, glass skin would look (and feel) as smooth as, well, glass. But nobody’s skin has a perfectly smooth texture. However, regular exfoliation can help improve skin texture and remove dead skin to promote a smoother, more radiant appearance. 

Liquid exfoliators are among our favorite glass skin products since there are several ways to incorporate these versatile staples into your glass skin routine. Those who can’t live without their post-cleanse toning step should try the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 5% Glycolic Acid Peeling Toner. It’s formulated with glycolic acid and aloe vera and is suitable for daily use. If you’d prefer a serum, try the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 10% Glycolic Acid Serum. The fragrance-free formula works to diminish dark spots, even skin tone, and improve the appearance of wrinkles. Plus, it absorbs quickly and is suitable for all skin types. Remember that over-exfoliating is just as ill-advised as never exfoliating, so it’s important to take things slowly. If you’re new to exfoliation or have sensitive skin, start with twice weekly use (at night) and gradually adjust your usage based on how your skin responds.

3. Apply a hydrating serum

Glass skin is all about having a healthy-looking, dewy complexion, so hydrating your skin is an absolute must. After cleansing and toning, apply a facial serum to your damp skin. We recommend opting for one with hyaluronic acid, such as the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum. The fast-absorbing formula delivers intense moisture and leaves the skin with a hydrated, dewy glow. With consistent use, it also helps plump the skin and visibly diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. For your eye area, we recommend the equally hydrating L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid and 1% Caffeine Eye Serum.

4. Reach for a sheet mask

Who says you can’t add a little pampering to your glass skin routine? Sheet masks are a great way to give your skin a nourishing treat while addressing your skincare concerns. For glass skin, choose one that helps boost moisture and lock in hydration.

Editor’s tip: When it’s time to remove the sheet mask, don’t wipe off excess product. Instead, gently pat it into the skin to help your skin soak up all that moisture.

5. Layer on a lightweight moisturizer

You’ll want to layer a moisturizer on top of your serum (or serums) to help lock in moisture and give your skin a radiant glow. Try a lightweight moisturizer like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives Micro Hyaluronic Acid + Ceramides Line-Plumping Water Cream, which deeply moisturizes without a heavy or greasy feel. The gentle formula, which is suitable for all skin types, instantly helps plump the skin and leaves it looking brighter, healthier, and more youthful with regular use. 

6. Always finish with sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must for all skin types and every skincare regimen, no matter the look you’re going for. To complete the dewy skin look, add a broad-spectrum sunscreen that helps brighten the skin, like the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion. This sunscreen melts into the skin without leaving behind any ashy white cast or greasy texture. Plus, it’s suitable for all skin types and helps prime the skin for makeup, making it the ultimate morning multi-tasker.

How To Get Glass Skin With Makeup

You don’t have to wear makeup to achieve glass skin—but using dewy, radiant-finish makeup can complement and enhance the effects of your glass skin routine. Keep reading to see how to achieve a smooth, even complexion with glass skin makeup products like foundation, concealer, and highlighter.

1. Pick a glowy foundation

Matte-finish makeup is pretty, but it’s not what you want if you’re after glass skin. 

Your best bet is to use a foundation with a radiant finish, such as the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation. It’s lightweight, creamy, and provides medium coverage that you can build up to your liking. If you want something with a more skin-like finish, reach for the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Makeup Radiant Serum Foundation with SPF 50. It contains a hydrating serum and vitamin B3 in the formula and offers natural-looking coverage that won’t settle into fine lines.

2. Apply a liquid highlighter

Applying highlighter is like the icing on the cake for glass skin makeup. A liquid highlighter is always the way to go because it blends seamlessly into the skin for a lit-from-within effect. Squeeze a liquid formula like the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer onto your fingertips and lightly tap it onto the high points of your face (specifically the brow bones, Cupid’s bow, and the tops of your cheekbones). For a natural look, we recommend opting for a shade only slightly lighter than your natural skin tone. 

3. Use minimal powder

We get it—sometimes powder is a must, especially if you have oily skin, but there’s a fine line between lightly mattifying the face and making it look flat. A good rule of thumb is to save powder for areas that get particularly oily, like the T-zone or beneath the eyes. We also recommend opting for a soft-focus, translucent powder that’ll work for all skin tones. 

If you have drier skin, we suggest skipping the powder entirely. Instead, set your makeup with a long-lasting makeup setting spray, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist, which locks makeup in place for up to 36 hours and leaves behind a healthy-looking, glowy finish.

4. Add a glowy lip

Don’t forget to put something on your lips—having dry, chapped lips can detract from your glowy glass skin look. Go for something light and hydrating to complement your radiant complexion, like the L’Oréal Paris Glow In Paradise Balm-in-Lipstick with Pomegranate Extract. This lightweight lipstick helps to hydrate your pout while offering a sheer (but buildable) wash of luminous color.

5 Tips and Tricks for Glass Skin

Building a solid skincare routine and stocking your makeup bag full of glass skin makeup can certainly help you achieve a brighter, more luminous complexion. But if you really want to know how to get glass skin, you’ll want to make changes to your daily habits and stick to your glass skin routine. Read on to discover five of our favorite tips and tricks for attaining glass skin.

1. Start double cleansing 

We mentioned double cleansing above, but didn’t get into why washing your face twice is a cornerstone of a solid glass skin routine. The reason is that cleansing once removes the surface debris that’s on your face, but may not get deep into your skin to break up debris that could clog your pores. That’s where the second cleanse comes into play. Adding this second step to your glass skin routine helps ensure a thorough cleanse (and gets you that much closer to clearer-looking skin). 

When double cleansing, you should typically start with an oil-based formula, because oil-based cleansers can help break down heavy makeup (including stubborn waterproof formulas) and sunscreen. Apply it with dry hands to a dry face, and massage it in thoroughly before adding water, which will emulsify the cleanser and help rinse all those surface impurities away. Then, lather up with a water-based cleanser—this will help whisk away any remaining residue on your skin. 

If you’re wary of using a cleanser with an oily texture, you can always start your foray into this step of a glass skin routine by using a cream cleanser for your first cleanse. Not only does L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Cream Cleanser effectively break down makeup, but it also provides gentle exfoliation to help brighten and refine your skin. 

2. Exfoliate regularly

Dullness is a good sign that you could benefit from more frequent exfoliation. When the skin appears lackluster, it’s typically because there are dead skin cells stuck to the surface of your skin. Exfoliating can help remove these dead skin cells to reveal a more radiant-looking complexion. 

There are two ways to exfoliate the skin: mechanically and chemically. The former involves using a tool or substance to physically removes dead skin cells (like a facial scrub or a loofah). The latter uses ingredients like glycolic acid or lactic acid to dissolve the bonds that hold dead cells together, which allows them to shed off naturally. 

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), those with dry, sensitive, acne-prone, or darker skin should opt for gentle chemical exfoliation. Many people believe that when a formula is gentle, it’s not effective, but that’s not the case. Adopting a slow and steady approach can help you achieve the results you’re looking for without risking irritation, dryness, or redness. 

If you’re looking for an exfoliant that you don’t have to reach for daily, try the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel. This professionally-inspired formula boasts a blend of alpha-, beta-, and polyhydroxy acids and helps fade the look of dark spots to reveal a brighter, more even-looking skin over time. We suggest using it no more than four times per week (at night), and remember to protect your skin with plenty of SPF the following day.

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

You always want to drink plenty of water to promote healthier-looking skin, but if you’re figuring out how to get glass skin, you know by now that you need to boost its hydration with topical products. When skin is hydrated, it reflects light, and skin that’s especially hydrated looks dewy, creating that glass skin effect. 

If you want smooth, glassy skin, you can’t expect to slap on a moisturizer and call it a day. You need to flood your skin with hydration by applying multiple layers of hydrating glass skin products, such as essences, toners, serums, and ampoules. These formats are special in that they are both lightweight and concentrated, so they are able to absorb quickly to help hydrate skin. The L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum we mentioned above is great for deep hydration, but if you want to level up your glass skin routine, layer on another serum afterward. Try the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 12% Pure Vitamin C + E + Salicylic Acid Serum—it instantly boosts radiance for visibly brighter-looking skin.

4. Make sure your skin is nourished

You can have the most hydrated skin in the world, but if you’re not moisturizing, too, your glass skin routine won’t be as effective as it could be. That’s because hydration and moisturization are different—hydrating adds water to the skin, while moisturizing helps trap that hydration in. 

No matter your skin type, both hydrating and moisturizing are essential for an effective skincare routine. Many people are under the impression that moisturizer can make skin greasy, so it’s not necessary for oily skin. That’s not true—in fact, per the AAD, skipping moisturizer may make your skin more oily than it was to begin with.

The key to being happy with a moisturizer is finding one that’s compatible with your skin type. Often, lighter textures are best for those with oily skin. A water-based moisturizer is well-suited to these skin types—they tend to absorb quickly and feel featherlight on the skin. If you have dry skin, look for richly nourishing ingredients that will promote lasting moisture in the skin. These formulas don’t have to be heavy—the L’Oréal Paris Collagen Filler Moisture Filler Anti-Aging Moisturizer, for example, provides intense moisture and up to 48 hours of hydration without a heavy or greasy feel.

5. Protect against sun damage

People want to learn how to get glass skin because these complexions look young, fresh, and healthy. And one of the best ways to help prevent premature skin aging is to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day. According to the AAD, UV damage can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, dark spots, and ruddiness, all concerns that can detract from the look of glass skin. Staving it off by using SPF every day (no excuses!) can go a long way towards promoting and maintaining healthy-looking skin. 

The key to using SPF every day is finding one that you love. The most common complaint about sunscreen is that it can leave skin feeling greasy. L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion looks and feels invisible on the skin, with no white cast or slick texture. It also helps promote brighter, smoother, more even-looking skin over time, making it the ultimate must-have in your glass skin routine. 

Next Up: When, How, and How Often to Use Niacinamide