When it comes to the “glassy skin” trend, online experts are pushing intensive hydration to give a plump, dewy look, but I’m here to say, you can’t hydrate your way to glassy skin. As an expert esthetician of 35 years, I will share with you how to do it indeed get glass-smooth skin you’ll absolutely love.
What exactly is “Glass Skin”?
Glass skin is a term that refers to skin that is incredibly smooth, clear and shiny and reflects light – almost like a piece of glass. It is defined as skin that is deeply hydrated, plump and radiant with a poreless and flawless finish. Sounds incredible, right? Let’s touch on all things glass skin.
The 4 key elements to achieving glassy skin
- Glass-smooth texture (bump-free and blemish-free with minimized pores)
- Uniform with minimal discoloration
- Glow / Circulation (a naturally healthy glow from within)
- Hydration / Hydration (cool, firm skin)
Let’s touch on the texture
Clogged resources
Clogged pores (known as “closed comedones”) appear as white bumps on the skin. When you think of glass skin, the first thing that comes to mind is a smooth texture, not bumpy. Clogged pores are not as round or firm as milia (discussed below), but when left untreated, they tend to hang around for long periods of time.
Causes of clogged ducts:
Oily skin, wrong products for your skin type, pore-clogging makeup (I’m looking at you, cream blushes and highlighters!), heavy sunscreens
Renée’s Expert Tips:
Get manual exports from beautician. This blockage in your pores will NOT go away on its own. Once you’ve cleaned them, the goal is to keep them clean with the following acid peels.
Product recommendations:
Pore + Wrinkle Perfecting Serum
Apple tree
Calluses are hard, tiny bumps on the skin that occur when keratin and hardened oil become trapped beneath the skin’s surface. Milia are round and, because of their appearance, sometimes described as tiny ‘pearls’. Hardened oil gives them a whitish color and they appear most often around the eyes, nose and cheeks.
Causes of milia:
Hyperkeratosis, heavy eye creams, smoking
Renée’s Expert Tips:
Get manual exports from beautician. Just like closed nightstands, these don’t magically disappear. Find an esthetician who is skilled in extractions for removal. Dermatologists can also remove milia.
Product recommendations:
Complete eye serum
Let’s touch on blemishes and enlarged pores
Stains
Spots can be in the form of white spots, pustules or cysts. Acne can be very complicated, but there are ways to prevent blemishes and know what to do once they appear so you can have crystal clear skin.
Causes of spots:
Hormones, wrong products, dairy, many unknowns, case of bad luck.
Renée’s Expert Tips:
See an experienced skin care professional who can guide you through an action plan to get you results.
Product recommendations:
Expanded resources
Enlarged pores are pores that have been physically stretched by excess oil production or collagen loss. You can certainly shrink them back to their original size. Otherwise, if your pores aren’t enlarged, their size is genetically determined, meaning it’s impossible to make them smaller than they’re meant to be. In this case, you can only minimize their appearance – not their actual size.
Reasons for enlarged resources:
Excessive oil production, hormones, age
Renée’s Expert Tips:
Regular use of natural and chemical exfoliants and retinol/retinoids
Product recommendations:
Pore + Wrinkle Perfecting Serum
Let’s touch on skin growth
Skin growths
Skin growths are lumps on the face, neck and body. They are usually benign (non-cancerous) and often start as small flat or rough lumps. That said, it’s very important to keep an eye out for anything new or changing. Always schedule regular skin checks with your dermatologist. When in doubt, always check.
At first, these growths may be mistaken for blocked pores or breakouts, but they will never end and cannot be extracted as there is no oil in them. Treating them with harsh, breakout-focused products will only result in dry, irritated skin.
Causes of skin growth:
UV damage, age, genetics, hormones, oily skin
Renée’s Expert Tips:
See a dermatologist for a skin check and removal (some estheticians have devices that help with removal as well.)
Product recommendations:
Advanced Resurfacing Serum (retinol), a prescription retinoid
Let’s touch on discoloration
Discoloration
Discoloration is an overproduction of a pigment called melanin. Genetics, sun exposure, hormones and skin injury are the most common causes. Once the melanin factory is activated, it can be difficult to calm down the rowdy pigment cells. That’s why it’s so frustrating because it can take months to disappear – especially the deeper your skin tone.
Causes of discoloration:
Sun exposure, heat, spots, pregnancy, aging, genetics
Renée’s Expert Tips:
Fading/brightening products, physical and chemical exfoliation, use SPF (all hours of the day every day of the year!), add an extra layer of protection with your base makeup
Product recommendations:
Let’s touch on traffic
Under-circulation
How to tell if the skin is hypocirculating:
When your skin is makeup free, take your thumb and forefinger and gently draw the apples of your cheeks. Using light pressure, quickly squeeze the skin five times.
If your skin turns a little pink, it’s likely that you have proper circulation.
If your skin doesn’t turn pink, it more than likely does undercirculatedand you’ll want to boost traffic. If your skin turns red, your skin is likely was overcirculatingand you’ll want to keep it calm with soothing (not tonic) products.
Basically, to get the glowing skin you want, the goal is to have your circulation right in the middle — not too much, not too little.
Causes of skin hypocirculation:
Slow blood circulation, genetics, smoking, drug use
Renée’s Expert Tips:
Hang your head upside down, face massage, exercise, use stimulants, restore the skin barrier
Product recommendations:
Let’s touch on moisture, hydration and light reflection
Loss of moisture
Causes of skin moisture loss:
Dryness (Lack of Oil), Dehydration (Lack of Water), Dead Skin Buildup, Weather, Local Recipes
Renée’s Expert Tips:
The “Golden Rule”, gentle cleansers, water infusion sealed with a repair mask, cream or lotion
Product recommendations:
Balm for the restoration of the skin
Let’s touch on the action plan for your glass skin
- Take it Skin type quiz
- Use products for your skin type
- Shine bright #thereneeway
While “glassy skin” is a buzzword and may be fading away, the goal of making skin look as smooth as glass will always be the desired look. I hope you enjoyed this post!
Celebrity Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 35 years researching skin, educating her audience and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real solution — products designed to nine different skin types so your face will have exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare enthusiasts around the world, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research is why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin professional we know.”
