How can we forget the glass skin, the 2017 Holy Grail Korean beauty trend that sought us out for a way to achieve a moist, porous complexion? Skin so flawless that it shimmers like glass.
Now we have another similar trend that is making a splash and coming from a rather unlikely source: dolphins. We're excited about these trends, not because of their goals of achieving translucent perfection, but because they promote skin care maintenance and thorough routines. Let's dive deep into glass skin and dolphin skin – and find out how you, too, can shine brightly like a diamond (or in this case a dolphin).
From K-pop, Korean soaps and celebrity looks, South Korea brought us a lot of influences. How many of us have experimented with snail mucin creams and ampoules or looked for a definition of “chok chok”?
In case you were curious, “Chok Chok”, translated “wet skin,” was one of the first wet skin trends that caught our attention. The glass skin trend soon followedHis trend calls for skin that is so porous and moisturizing that it shines like a sheet of glass.
Dolphin skin is similar to glass skin in that both trends are about moisture. The main difference, however, is that the look of the dolphin skin requires layers of highlighter and blush. The highlighter is designed to fall over the heights of your cheekbones like rays of sunshine, giving you a slippery, fresh out of the water look, like you had smooth skin like the aquatic mammal.
Don't stress, we have developed a routine to help you get there with our ideal ingredients.
How to Get Glass Skin and Dolphin Skin: An Overview
The solution to achieving glass and dolphin skin is a routine that includes products that gently exfoliate and remove dead skin cells and products that moisturize the skin. For both skincare looks, the routines are nearly identical, except that for dolphin skin, the final step is to apply makeup (see below).
An example routine would be:
Star Ingredients For Your Skin Care Routine
Step 1: double cleaning
The backbone of Korean skin care is double cleansing, and it's an essential step for both of those skin care looks too. With a two-step technique, a double cleansing removes dirt, sebum and make-up.
The big issue here is Hydration. In terms of ingredients, look for cleansers that contain moisturizing oils like sunflower oil, which is high in vitamins A, D, and E or jojoba oil as it is easily absorbed by the skin. You may also want to choose detergents that contain very mild ones Peeling properties for simultaneous cleansing and gentle peeling.
Even if you're not wearing makeup, double cleansing has advantages. An accumulation of sun protection factor, sebum and dust from the air can clog pores and lead to blemishes.
Step 2: exfoliate
One step towards clearer skin is peeling – physical or chemical peeling. This process removes dead skin cells from the skin's surface and smoothes the texture by removing debris.
If you're wondering what the difference is, a chemical peel uses naturally occurring enzymes or acids like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) to remove dead skin cells. Physical peels are products like peels that contain small granules or pearls, or tools like a brush for manual exfoliation.
The Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser is an example of a chemical peel as it contains lactic acid. In comparison, a product like the turmeric energizing treatment is a physical exfoliator that scrubs the skin with the grittiness of zeolite and turmeric powder.
Step 3: toner
Now for the step so many of us skip! Perhaps you have had bad experiences in the past with toners drying you out? Don't worry, alcohol-based toners are a thing of the past and are definitely not recommended in a glass or dolphin skin routine.
The purpose of a toner is to rebalance your skin's pH, moisturize it, and allow it to penetrate the skin better. We want to use toner with moisturizing ingredients like moisturizing and nourishing coconut milk and oils like neroli oil for hydration.
Step 4: essence
Essence is the epicenter of Korean skin care, a lightweight formula that restores moisture and moisturizes your complexion. They apply essence to a clean face to prepare the skin for the next products like serum and moisturizer.
For the glass and dolphin skin look like essences with ingredients like Botanical collagen helps with elasticity and improves the barrier function. Look for ultra-moisturizing antioxidants like snow mushrooms that help skin look stronger and healthier. Other powerful ingredients, like reishi mushrooms, can aid in hydration and are a powerful source of antioxidants that help minimize puffiness.
Step 5: serum and oils
Keeping your skin hydrated is important when looking for a moist complexion. And you can do this with both serums and oils. Typically, facial serums are used to solve certain skin problems, while oils are used to help moisturize. And maybe you want to do both here depending on if you have problem areas. The great thing about Korean skin care is that the routines are customizable.
Our example Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum targets hydration and the visible signs of aging. It contains a botanical hyaluronic acid (made from marshmallow plant extract) that is deeply moisturizing, smoothing and replenishing the appearance of the skin to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This serum also targets the appearance of wrinkles by using a BioComplex, a booster made from antioxidants, Coenzyme Q10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid to reduce the appearance of fine lines and signs of aging.
You can also apply an oil at this step to keep your complexion looking soft and smooth. A product with camellia oil like our Camellia Glow Solid Face Oil rejuvenates the appearance of the skin. Its hemp seed oil ingredient is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and marula oil is filled with fatty acids – two other types of oils that moisturize the skin for a shiny look.
Step 6: moisturizer
Another important product for a glowing glow is a good moisturizer that has ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help draw moisture into your skin. You can search too Ingredients rich in antioxidants such as cloudberry seeds, arctic rose root, arctic meadowsweet and juniper sprouts. Antioxidants protect your skin by limiting the production of free radicals for a soft, smooth appearance. And healthy, soft skin brings you one step closer to a skin made of glass or dolphins.
Step 7: highlighter and blush (for the dolphin skin look)
There is one final step that differentiates the look of the glass skin from the look of the dolphin skin – the application of makeup. To get the look of the dolphin skin, the final step is to apply highlighters or iridescent products and blush for the look of high cheekbones. You'll want to apply it to the tip and bridge of the nose, temples, forehead bones, and chin.
Additional tips for achieving glass skin and dolphin skin
Tip 1: a clear skin diet
Luminous skin starts from within! To achieve glowing skin and good overall health, it's a good idea to avoid sugar, alcohol, processed and packaged foods. Instead, cooking for yourself and with whole foods are habits that affect your skin and your overall health. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, relieve acne symptoms, and even improve your skin's sensitivity to the sun's harmful UV rays. Try eating more foods like fish, eggs, soy products, kale, walnuts, or almonds and see how your body reacts.
Tip 2: Introduce a self-care ritual
Korean beauty philosophy shares similar tenets with Eminence Organic Skin Care when it comes to self-care. To relieve stress and help your skin, we recommend a variety of routines that can turn into fun rituals. This can mean devoting 10 minutes to your skin care routine in the morning and evening. You can visit a spa or create your own spa at home by soaking in the tub with candles. Even long, hot showers can create a kind of steam room! Whatever you choose to do, little rituals where you focus on yourself will help you relax and reconnect at the end of a long day.
Tip 3: move around and exercise
And when it comes to youthful looking skin, exercise is pretty good for combating early signs of aging. Exercise increases blood flow to the skin and improves oxygen transport, among other nutrients, to minimize inflammation in your body.
What are your best tips for glowing, flawless skin? Let us know in the comments below and share your best #energizeandglow look on Insta. Your photo could be featured on @eminenceorganics' Instagram account.