How to Get Glass Skin, According to K-beauty Experts
BY Anuragbagde69@gmail.com
July 21, 2025
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It didn’t happen overnight, but we’ve finally caught up to K-beauty’s superior skin-care practices—and everyone wants Korean glass skin these days. Erica Choi, licensed esthetician and founder of skin-care brand Superegg, thinks it’s a combination of the two factors. “Originating from Korea’s beauty culture, where the trend emphasizes hydration, radiance, and overall skin health, this aligns with the global shift towards skin care as a vital aspect of self-care and wellness,” she tells Vogue. “Overall, the glass-skin trend reflects a broader desire for natural-looking beauty and consumer practices prioritizing effortless beauty routines and a ‘high-maintenance to be low-maintenance’ mindset.”
With unprecedented accessibility—there’s no shortage of K-beauty-inspired skin-care products formulated to brighten, hydrate, and impart glowing skin ASAP—it’s easy for anyone to take up the approach. Though Choi explains that variations in skin type, genetics, and environmental factors certainly play a part in achieving the look, test-driving a glass-skin routine by adopting a tailored routine, protecting the skin from environmental stressors, and caring for one’s unique skin type will only improve your complexion over time.
Vogue’s Favorite Glass Skin Picks
In This Story
“K-beauty revolves around nurturing [the skin] barrier–optimizing the hydration within and blocking out pollutants and environmental stressors,” Dr. Christine Hall, London-based general practitioner in medical aesthetics, previously toldVogue. “The whole regime centers around maximizing hydration of the skin or ‘skin flooding’ with product after product aimed at restoring the skin barrier and locking in hydration—no matter what your skin-type is.”
Ahead, Choi and Hall take us through a step-by-step, skincare regimen showing how to get the glass skin look—plus the best products to shop.
Start with a Double Cleanse
Hall says that double cleansing is the foundation of a glass-skin routine. “Sebum, the majority of makeup, and SPF are lipophilic, meaning that they dissolve in oil, while sweat, pollutants, and other impurities will be water-soluble,” she says. “So the only way to get a really deep clean and completely remove all of the buildup from the day is to a double cleanse by using an oil followed by a water-based cleanser.” From balms to low pH gel face washes and luxurious oils, anyone of these picks will give you an effective cleanse, without irritation.
Anua
Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil
To try for yourself, start with Anua’s cleansing oil, which blends heartleaf extract with sunflower, olive, jojoba, and moringa seed oils into a noncomedogenic elixir that wipes away makeup, blackheads, and impurities with ease.
Neogen
Green Tea Real Fresh Foam Cleanser
Foams or gels are water-soluble formulas that can wipe away remaining impurities following your oil cleanse, per Dr. Hall’s advice. Neogen’s is excellent, combining green tea, moringa seed, orange fruit extracts, and papaya fruit water to soothe and brighten skin simultaneously.
Sulwhasoo
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Christina Chung is a fan of this gentle cleanser, noting that it’s become a favorite for everyone in her family, from teens to elders. “Sulwhasoo products are generally ginseng-based and fabulous for sensitive skin types,” she previously toldVogue.
Banila Co
Clean it Zero Original Cleansing Balm
This balm was Vogue beauty shopping writer Conçetta Ciarlo’s intro to the K-Beauty world back in her university days, before the category fully broke mainstream in the U.S. “A random Amazon purchase in 2017 turned into a go-to product—just one scoop of the whipped-texture product lathers with ease, removing waterproof makeup with ease,” she says.
The Face Shop
Rice Water Bright Foaming Facial Cleanser
Chung and her teenage daughter both love this cleanser. She previously explained that it’s particularly great for teens with active oil glands, as it deep cleanses their skin without causing irritation. The formula features ingredients like rice water extract and soapwort extract for clearer, brighter skin. Not to mention, it comes at a great price point.
Swipe on an Exfoliator
“Exfoliation is crucial for sloughing off dead skin cells and promoting cell turnover, which results in a smoother texture and brighter complexion,” says Choi. Just be sure to choose your exfoliant with care. “Using overly abrasive exfoliants can lead to irritation, breakouts, and potentially post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), setting back your skin-care progress.” Instead, reach for gentle exfoliating acids like PHAs, which, per Dr. Hall, “can achieve exfoliation but with less irritation.” Not to mention, liquid exfoliants come in many forms—from toner pads to essences—and we’ve rounded up six of our go-to formulas below.
Anua
Anua’s toner pads are an excellent exfoliator choice. These single-use pads are enriched in PHAs, plus 77% heartleaf extract and centella asiatica extract to limit sebum production, prevent breakouts, and calm stressed skin.
Mixsoon
Thanks to soybean ferment extract, Mixsoon’s Bean Essences boasts hydrating and exfoliating properties. The silky formula limits skin texture, revealing radiant, supple skin in the process.
JiYu
A viral TikTok K-Beauty pick, these toner pads blend snail mucin, niacinamide, peptides, centella asiatica, and licorice root extrat for skin brightening and beyond. Their versatility is what makes these so popular—swipe on as a daily refresh, or apply a pad to your face for 15 minutes as a spot treating mask.
Medicube
Plant extracts like cypress leaf and skullcap help balance oil and prevent future congestion, while willow bark extract and salicylic acid clear out dead skin and visibly tighten pores. Unlike many exfoliants, these toner pads also hydrate and soothe with hyaluronic acid, cica, and panthenol for a clearer, more comfortable complexion.
Some By Mi
AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
Combining three different actives (AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs) in one product without totally irritating the skin seems like an impossible task, yet Some by Mi has accomplished it with this toner. The combination of liquid exfoliants gently boosts cell turnover and remove clogged pores, while tea tree leaf water hydrate and soothes.
Mediheal
Madecassoside Cotton Facial Pads
Mediheal’s toner pads are best used after a breakout to help repair the skin and reduce scarring. The key ingredient madecassoside has been studied to reduce hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin synthesis. The product has various uses: gently wipe away traces of the day or as a mini sheet mask treatment.
Soothe Skin with Toners and Essences
According to Dr. Hall, toners and essences provide the first step in hydration and skin-barrier repair, which is essential to getting glass skin. Choi adds that these also “balance the skin’s pH levels, hydrate, and prepare the skin to absorb serums and moisturizers better.” From low pH water toners to milkier formulas packed with brightening ingredients like rice extract—consider these picks as formulas that set the canvas for a supple complexion.
CosRx
When it comes to protecting skin from external stressors, CosRx’s Propolis Synergy Toner is just the ticket. With a cocktail of honey and 72.6% black bee propolis (a resin-like material made by bees), this toner boasts anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits. Expect a luminous complexion immediately upon application.
Etude
SoonJung pH 5.5 Relief Toner
Keen on keeping your skin’s pH levels balanced? Pick up Etude’s SoonJung Relief Toner, which offers a pH of 5.5 to soothe, repair, and hydrate skin. Plus glycerin, panthenol, madecassoside, and camellia sinensis leaf extract only bolster these effects.
Beauty of Joseon
Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Toner
Rice water has been a key ingredient in achieving glass skin for over 2000 years in China, Korea, and Japan. The benefits? Anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing. Blending the best of both worlds, this toner offers the benefits of a rice water in a milky texture.
Abib
Heartleaf Calming Toner Skin Booster
Another calming heartleaf toner, this pick’s hero ingredient is sourced from the Korean Jiri Mountains. Centella asiatica works alongside to cool skin inflammation while the soybean extract helps prevent fine lines, making this toner a versatile option for all skin types.
TIRTIR
This milky rice toner also includes niacinamide for oil control, acne fighting, and brightening. Meanwhile, ceramides add extra hydration. Plus, its cosigned by beauty industry veteran and founder and CEO of Landing International, Sarah Chung Park. “It’s a rich, creamy toner that deeply nourishes, soothes irritation, and strengthens the skin barrier,” she previously toldVogue.
Haruharu Wonder
Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner
Non-comedogenic, and super hydrating, the star this formula is a highly concentrated fermented black rice. Don’t be fooled by it’s water-like consistency—this toner is packed with botanicals to ensure thoroughly moisturized and soft skin.
Hydrate With a Lightweight Serum
Serums and ampoules (a.k.a., serums with a higher concentration and thicker texture) are a no-brainer next step in a well-rounded glass-skin routine. Often housed in sleek, dropper-topped bottles, these elixirs deliver targeted hydrating ingredients deep into the dermis, precisely where they’re needed most. The result? Skin with bounce, and a lit-from-within glowy look.
Serumkind
Dry, dull skin got you down? Add Serumkind’s Chaga Charging Drop to cart. Through 500,000 ppm of chaga mushroom extract alongside ginseng extract, this serum moisturizes skin like none other.
Peach & Lily
Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin is one of our favorite K-beauty serums for its multipurpose benefits. Thanks to hyaluronic acid, madecassoide, niacinamide, peach extract, peptides, and beta-glucan, this can even out dark spots, clarify pores, and brighten your complexion with ease.
TIRTIR
This milky ampoule leaves behind a non-sticky, high-gloss finish. The secret lies in its ingredients: moisturizing squalene provides deep hydration, white bran extract helps protect the skin, and a nourishing milk complex.
Celimax
Powered by noni fruit and seed oil, this formula calms and nourishes while panthenol locks in moisture and reinforces your skin barrier. Bonus: vegan fermented collagen helps visibly firm and plump for that bouncy glow.
Beauty of Joseon
Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide
Vogue’s beauty editor at large Arden Fanning Andrews refers to this pick as “one of the best face serums she has ever tried.” The serum offers the best of both worlds—powerful hydrants with brightening actives. The star ingredient, 60% propolis extract, gives it a honey-like consistency add moisture, while niacinamide and BHA reduce excess sebum.
Iope
Retinol Super Bounce Serum
Those in search of a Korean approach to retinol needn’t look any further than this pick—a formula both Choi and board-certified dermatologist Dr. David Kim love. Powered by the encapsulated retinol, granactive retinoid, and bio-seletinoid, the formula somehow remains gentle. To wit, Cho said this is “highly effective, smoothing fine lines while keeping skin plump and hydrated” without irritation.
Apply a Daily Moisturizers
“Korean moisturizers are so innovative and thoughtful,” Michelle Park, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Vogue, noting their use of natural, holistic ingredients to enhance skin benefits while addressing a range of concerns. Think of moisturizer as the final step in skin hydration. “It is the thickest formulation—skin care in general should be applied from your thinnest formulation up to your thickest—and will help to seal in all that you have applied to your skin so far,” says Dr. Hall. “Look to ingredients like ceramides and fatty acids for ultimate hydration and cica and ectoin to calm and soothe the skin.” From lightweight gel creams, to whipped textured thicker consistencies—you can’t go wrong with any of these Korean moisturizers.
Aestura
Even those with sensitive skin can give Aestura’s ATOBarrier365 cream a try. It delivers a gentle blend of ceramides, fatty acids, squalane, and allantoin to soothe, hydrate, and improve skin’s moisture levels. It’s worth noting that while this pick delivers next level hydration, it’s not non-comedogenic—normal to dry skin types will love this, while it may not suit acne-prone complexions.
Superegg
Sound Renewal Serum Cream
Anyone with a penchant for gel moisturizers will appreciate Supereggg’s Sound Renewal. Here, Choi combines panthenol, squalane, fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, green tea, and centella asiatica for long-standing moisture retention, while the featured PHAs gently refine the look of pores.
Dr. Althea
Ultra-soothing and ideal for sensitive or acne-prone skin, Dr. Althea’s 345 Relief Cream brings together a calming trio—niacinamide, resveratrol, and a blend of botanical extracts—to help fend off breakouts and reduce irritation. The texture leans more toward ointment than traditional cream, making it especially well-suited as a nighttime treatment, a slugging step, or even worn solo on no-makeup days. That said, it may not be the best match for layering under foundation, as its ointment-like texture can interfere with makeup wear.
This gel cream manages to feel featherlight while delivering serious hydration. Formulated with oat seed water, panthenol, and squalane, it works to soothe and replenish even the most reactive, rosacea-prone skin. The fast-absorbing, fragrance-free formula melts in instantly—offering calming relief without any trace of greasiness or weight. Ciarlo swears by it when trying to calm her own flare ups: “A lot of moisturizers aimed at soothing rosacea contain pore clogging ingredients like shea, which my acne-prone skin can’t risk—not this one!”
Beauty of Joseon
Red Bean Water Gel Peptide Hydro Boost Moisturizer
When it comes to lightweight hydration, nothing beats a water gel moisturizer. Perfect for oily skin, this refreshing formula strikes the ideal balance between moisture and oil control. Infused with 44% red bean extract, packed with natural saponins, it effortlessly absorbs excess oil while helping to refine pores. A powerful trio of peptides works to enhance skin elasticity, leaving your complexion deeply hydrated, shine-free, and with a smooth, weightless finish.
Finish off with a Daily Sunscreen
A luminous, plump complexion is nothing with sun protection. Of all the Korean beauty innovations that have captured the U.S. market, its sunscreens arguably hold the top spot in terms of popularity. Korean SPF formulas consistently raise the bar, known for their cutting-edge formulations that feel lighter, blend more seamlessly. “We know that 90% of all visible aging is directly attributable to the sun’s UV rays, and so the best antiaging tip I could give to anyone is to wear SPF every day,” Dr. Hall instructs. Choi adds that “sunscreen is nonnegotiable for preventing sun damage, pigmentation, and premature aging, preserving the skin’s clarity and radiance.” Any of the below formulas offer weightless texture sans white cast.
Round Lab
Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen
Dr. Park previously described Round Lab’s sunscreen as a “smooth moisturizing texture [that] so feels very neutral on the skin.” Powered by chemical agents, this provides apt UV protection while hyaluronic acid improves hydration levels, niacinamide quells inflammation, and allantoin keeps skin soothed.
Thank You Farmer
Sun Project Moisture Sun Cream SPF 40
Combining mineral and chemical filters, this formula strikes the perfect balance of protection and comfort—no chalky white cast, no irritation. “From its smooth and light texture to its neutral scent and translucent application, this SPF truly checks all of my boxes. The best part of all? It’s as clean as a chemical sunscreen can get,” Vogue associate shopping producer, Alexandra Ditch previously said of her favorite sunscreen.
CosRx
Ultra Light Invisible Sunscreen
Ciarlo won’t even consider other chemical sunscreens, citing this K-beauty pick her all time favorite. “I only have eyes for this specific CosRX SPF. Zero white cast, non-comedogenic, and fast-absorbing—what’s not to love? I can layer my makeup atop, with no fear of pilling,” says Ciarlo.
iUnik
Centella Calming Moisture Daily Sunscreen
Soothing, hydrating, and protective—this ultra-light SPF is packed with centella asiatica alongside niacinamide and beta-glucan to calm irritation, replenish moisture, and shield the skin from UV damage—all without a hint of stickiness. Think of it as your go-to daily moisturizer, with the added benefit of SPF 50 protection.
Mixsoon
Light as air yet packed with powerful protection, this serum-texture sunscreen from Mixsoon offers SPF 50+ while nourishing the skin with every swipe. Infused with fermented bean, barley, and pomegranate extracts, it hydrates, calms, and brightens, leaving a fresh, dewy glow. Even better, it’s reef-safe, fragrance-free, and gentle enough for sensitive skin, making it a perfect daily go-to.
Everything You Need to Know:
“Glass skin refers to the appearance of dewy, hydrated and flawless skin, skin that is so radiant that it resembles glass,” Dr. Hall tells Vogue—emphasizing that this glow goes beyond skin care and arrives as the result of good sleep, a healthy diet, and low stress levels. “South Koreans and skin care go back thousands of years to the time of the Three Kingdoms era (37–668 BC), when the ideology of beauty standards was coined young-yook-il-chi-sa-sang, meaning ‘Within a beautiful body, rests a beautiful soul,’” Dr. Hall continues. And per Choi, the glass-skin trend “gained momentum through social media platforms, where K-beauty skin-care routines attracted widespread attention, ultimately becoming a global phenomenon.”
What ingredients are essential for a glass-skin skin-care routine?
“A glass-skin routine focuses on hydrating, brightening, and nourishing the skin for a smooth, radiant complexion,” says Choi. “Essential ingredients include hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and plumps the skin; niacinamide, which improves texture and reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines; and vitamin C, which brightens and evens skin tone. Gentle chemical exfoliants reveal smoother skin, while ceramides strengthen the skin barrier and lock in moisture. Peptides support collagen production for firmer, more elastic skin, and centella asiatica soothes and calms the skin, promoting clarity.”