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August 8, 2018

[By Soo Min Hyun]

Forget about dewy skin which is so last season, glass skin is the latest Korean beauty holy grail that those in the know are gunning for in 2018. Just like a piece of glass that’s smooth, reflective and clear, glass skin refers to a hydrated, translucent and luminous complexion with just the right amount of sheen. To help edged yourself towards this alluring beauty benchmark, here are 5 tips that you should follow.

Double cleansing is a must

In Korea, every girl worthy of her Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick know that sleeping with your makeup on is THE top cardinal beauty sin to be avoided at all cost. Double cleansing is therefore the norm rather than exception, which sounds strange until you think back on all those times you washed your face, only to look in the mirror to find makeup residue in your pores or around your eyes. The term “double cleansing” refers to the process of using an oil-based cleanser before washing with a more traditional cleanser, an effective way to thoroughly cleanse without upsetting your skin’s pH balance.There is often a misconception that oil cleansers will add more oil to the skin, but actually they can be the most effective and gentle way to remove makeup and surface impurities.

CHAI LEMON QUARTZ Ultra Soft Facial Cleansing Oil is a 2-in-1 makeup remover and cleanser with camellia oil that gently melts away all impurities including waterproof makeup without stripping skin’s natural moisture, leaving it pure and silky soft, balanced and well-nourished. Follow up with a gentle foaming agent such as SKIN LAUNDRY 24K Gold Cleanser, a light multi-purpose facial cleanser specially formulated with 24k gold and champagne grape leaves extract which heals and regenerates skin while it cleanses skin deeply. Working even on light makeup while replenishing skin with vital essential oils and antioxidants, it is suitable for all skin types, especially mature, aging ones. Massage a small amount onto your face with moistened hands in circular motions to lift away the last traces of residual makeup and other surface impurities without striping away the layer of essential lipids protecting your skin, maintaining skin’s desired pH for optimal hydration, a basic criteria that a glass skin complexion can’t do without.

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Pick the right toner

Most skincare regimes tend to gravitate towards astringent toners but Korean routines tend to go for more hydrating ones to balance the pH of the skin. The average toner usually contains quite a fair bit of alcohol as its astringent property will help to temporarily shrink down enlarged pores. However, alcohol can be really drying and work against your skin in the long run. Alcohol can severely cause all the moisture on your skin to evaporate quickly, leaving you with areas of dryness and, inevitably, an imbalance in your sebum levels. That is why using products with too high an alcohol content could exacerbate oily skin by pushing sebum production into overdrive and cause even more breakouts.Korean ladies tend to favor clarifying toners, engaging their help to keep pores clean and fresh while hydrating their infamous ‘peau de porcelaine’ at the same time to achieve the glass skin effect.

MARIO BADESCU Aloe Vera Toner is made alcohol-free and removes pore clogging debris from skin’s surface while maintaining moisture balance. The organic composition of this product is proven not to irritate the skin and leaves it feeling fresh, smooth and glowy after use!

Essences are the way to go

The key to a glass skin complexion is moisture, moisture, moisture. Facial essence is another product that is typically omitted in most beauty routines, but it’s an important step to get the level of hydration needed for that translucent, glistening skin effect.The distinction between the role of essence and serum can be confusing even to the Korean beauty aficionado herself. From our understanding, an essence is generally seen as a thin, hydrating liquid meant to prep the skin for all other skin goodies, including serum(s), to follow.

Thicker than water, but lighter than a serum, SW1 UNICORN TEARS Adenosine Enriched Collagen Essence is uniquely placed to protect the skin from free radical damage while imparting an exquisite radiance and long-term resilience. This innovative water-based, dual purpose essence is enriched with adenosine which recharges skin cells, revitalizing and rejuvenating them in turn. It also contains tranexamic acid to keep complexions in a fair, flawless state, as well as retinol for anti-aging and anti-acne benefits. This all-round skin enhancer is a versatile skin refresher which can be used on its own or best paired with other serums and creams, leaving skin feeling bouncy and well-hydrated without a greasy note.

Indulge in a skin brightening facial

To supplement the best of your home skincare regime, get a skin brightening facial to notch yourself closer to the coveted glass skin peau, the Monroe Hydrafacial exclusive to SW1 spa is a pampering, medically inspired, skin brightening facial that truly lives up to its namesake. With the help of patented Hydrafacial MD technology, dead skin cells that dull your complexion are gently removed to allow healthier and more youthful-looking cells from beneath to show through. Hot on the heels is a dual complexion-rejuvenating photobiomodulation with LED Red and i-Clear, prepping your skin to that perfect clean slate for enhanced absorption of Vitamin C and Glutathione, two extremely potent ingredients in the Pearl éclat skin rejuvenating serum, infused trans-dermally via Sonophoresis to ensure optimal delivery to the deeper layer of skin. Rounding up with an intensive gel mask to lock in the skin brighteners delivered for an extra burst of whitening goodness , fair skin that radiants under the spotlights is no longer exclusive to the well-guarded turf of celebs, A-listers and other luminaries. No girl should let up the opportunity to take centre-stage and be a star in her own rights, shining bright and paparazzi-ready as the leading actress of her destiny in crystal clear glass skin.

Get ahead with lasers

Medical lasers are currently the latest go-to, being the surest and most cost effective route in the long run to garner desirable changes of the highest level to enhance complexions sans surgery. As part of the Glass Skin Program conceptualized by the team of dedicated medical experts from the SW1 Clinic, the Pico Smooth treatment uses the Pico Discovery laser in a skin smoothening protocol specially designed to harvest maximum benefits with minimal downtime. Tailored to the specific needs of different individuals, bespoke settings dictating specific intensities are customized to generate controlled damage at a specific depth beneath the topmost layer of the skin, stimulating collagen and elastic tissue production with appreciable improvement in skin pigmentation and uneven discoloration as an added bonus.The Picosecond technology allows the use of light as the unfiltered, direct energy source by virtue of its speed of delivery, achieving similar, or perhaps even better end results; with comparably lowered risk of possible side effects such as hyper or hypopigmentation, often a limiting factor when handling darker skinned Asians.

Paired with skin-soothing LED Red light photomodulation and skin-rejuvenating Happy Ending which infuses a cocktail of dermal elixirs including adenosine, beta glucan and glutathione deeply into skins, the Glass Skin Program is one scientifically proven regime that’ll fast track you to rival any Korean ladies from Myeongdongto Itaewon.