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Glass skin or glowing skin: what's the difference?

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Glass Skincare Routine

The four glass skin products on a travertine counter beside a model
SKIN1004
ANUA
Medicube
Medicube

Glowing Skincare Routine

The four glowing skin products on a travertine counter beside a model
Arencia
Beauty of Joseon
BIODANCE
Medicube

Glass skin and glowing skin are terms used interchangeably, but they are actually different. One is about texture, whilst the other refers to light and it's about understanding what your skin needs are, in order to achieve your desired look.

What is glass skin?

Glass skin is smooth and catches the light, with no visible texture or dry patches.

Hydration is the key to achieving the glass skin look. Well-hydrated skin gives you a plumper bouncy look, skin looks smoother, fine lines are softened and pore size looks smaller.

What is glowing skin?

Glowing skin is skin that looks lit from within, with brightness across your whole face.

Your skin doesn't need to have the perfect texture to achieve the glowing skin look. You can have visible pores, a bit of unevenness and still look glowy.

Exfoliation is the key to achieving the glow, clearing away the dull dead surface skin cells, for a more even skin tone and moisturising to bring more suppleness into the skin.

Do I want glass skin or glowing skin?

Stand at a window in natural daylight with no makeup on and turn your head slowly.

  • If you see texture, flakiness, pores and see your foundation settling, you want glass skin.
  • If your face looks tired, flat or grey even when texture looks fine, you want glowing skin.

Most people want a bit of both, but usually focus on their current skin needs.

A note on pore size:

  • Pore size is largely genetic and no routine will completely remove large pores.
  • Hydration to the skin will help to soften how pores look in the light.

Skincare routines

We've created a couple of simple skincare routines below to help you achieve both glass skin and glowing skin.

The two routines overlap and you don't have to strictly follow all the products in one routine, just mix and match according to what your skin needs.

For example, try the glass skin routine for eight weeks and then reassess. If your skin texture settles down, move on to working on the brightness.

Glass skincare routine

1. Cleanse without stripping

A lightweight foam that washes off your makeup and sunscreen, without leaving that squeaky feeling. Centella Asiatica extract calms red or irritated skin, delivers quick hydration and supports the skin barrier.

2. Hydrate

Lightweight serum that does the heavy lifting, deeply hydrating and soothing, improves elasticity and gives the skin a radiant, glass-like finish. Hyaluronic acid holds water in the upper layers of the skin, plumping the skin and minimising the look of fine lines.

3. Seal it in

The jelly cream locks in the water from the previous ANUA serum and the jelly texture is perfect for those who don't like the heavy feel of a cream and prefer a lighter texture instead.

4. Top up overnight

Use once or twice a week to boost your skin's elasticity and give it deeper hydration with the hydrolysed collagen. Salmon DNA supports the skin's barrier and niacinamide helps to even out your skin tone and reduce the look of dullness.

Glowing skincare routine

1. Cleanse the surface

Multi-tasking gentle rice face cleanser that removes daily makeup, purifies pores, exfoliates dead skin cells and removes impurities. Has a unique stretchy mochi texture that also doubles up as a quick wash-off clay mask.

2. Even out the tone

Propolis and niacinamide are the key ingredients in this serum, which will give your skin the glowy look. The serum calms troubled, acne-prone skin, helps with active breakouts and balances excess oil. Also great for fading the look of dark spots, whilst delivering a natural dewy glow.

3. Lock in moisture

A capsule moisturiser with vitamin C and niacinamide, used to brighten dull skin and soften the look of dark spots and marks, whilst providing deep hydration.

4. The night-before mask

The overnight hydrating mask people use for special events, weddings and photos. Leave on for a few hours to give your skin a fuller and brighter look. It's a hydrogel sheet mask that deeply hydrates, refines the look of enlarged pores and helps to smooth out uneven skin texture. Perfect for helping you to look your best.

All the products above are linked to Amazon, and you'll find more in our Korean skincare list.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

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