For many skin care enthusiasts, achieving glass skin is the aim – and it’s easy to understand why.
According to Nivea, glass skin is “exceptionally smooth, clear and radiant”, and “often likened to being ‘as smooth as a piece of glass'”.
The skin specialists stated: “Imagine your skin appearing soft and mostly free of blemishes, resembling a porcelain-like surface. This is the kind of skin that typically feels smooth to the touch and exhibits a noticeable shine, even without makeup.”
While making real improvements requires developing an effective skin care regime and often takes time, one dermatologist shared how women can achieve glass-like skin almost instantly with a popular product. According to one board-certified dermatologist, strategic exfoliation is the way to go.
‘There are some fast, easy solutions that you can use to get that glowing, radiant, doughnut-glazed skin overnight’
TikTok / @drabby6
Board-certified dermatologist Dr Abby Waldman (@drabby6 on TikTok) took to the platform with some words of wisdom, sharing her “secrets” to achieving glass skin overnight.
She said: “Most skin care is like diet and exercise – it’s an everyday thing and you need to be consistent, you need to be persistent.
“But if you have a next-day event where you want that really glowing skin, there actually are some fast, easy solutions that you can use to get that glowing, radiant, doughnut-glazed skin overnight.”
The night before a big event, the dermatologist advised exfoliating as part of your evening skin care routine.
She said: “You want to use a chemical exfoliant – most commonly used ones are AHA and BHA but I personally prefer glycolic acid.”
Glycolic acid is available in many forms and you can either use a serum that contains glycolic acid or a product such as The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7 per cent Exfoliating Toner.
Dr Abby warned that when using glycolic acid, it’s important to avoid using retinol or retinoid, as this can leave the skin “irritated”.
Instead, post-glycolic acid, ladies are advised to skip straight to moisturising or slugging – something to “really lock in that moisture”.
She said: “What the exfoliant is going to do is just remove some of the dead cells that are on your skin typically.
“And you want to make sure you don’t do this a few days in a row. So if you have an event tomorrow, you don’t want to exfoliate three days before, two days before and the night before. What you’ll find is that you exfoliate too much skin and get sort of raw, red, irritated skin.
“You want to do this just the night before and when you wake up, your skin is going to have a little glow to it.”
Dermacare Direct explained that the chemical exfoliant glycolic acid requires no aggressive scrubbing and is “a lot more gentle on the skin than physical exfoliation”.
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Moisturising is key after exfoliating to ‘really lock in that moisture’
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The experts added that glycolic acid “dissolves dead skin cells and loosens the glue that holds the tightly packed layers of skin cells together to then encourage cell turnover, shed dead skin cells, and reveal fresh, radiant skin”.
Other products that can create an “immediate glow” are snail mucin – “it is what it says it is” – and products such as face oil, Vaseline or Aquaphor that help the light bounce off the face.
For more long-term results, Dr Abby uses a retinoid on the nights she does not exfoliate, which can “really set your skin up for success”. She warned that you should not start using these right before an event though, as this can cause skin irritation. Instead, the expert recommended starting “three to six months before an event”.
Speaking about the difference between retinol and retinoid, the experts at La Roche-Posay said: “Both of these anti-ageing ingredients are very similar – in fact, retinol is a type of retinoid.
“Retinoid tends to describe more powerful prescription products, whilst retinol generally refers to over-the-counter (OTC) skincare formulas. These formulas are gentler and formulated for everyday use.”
When it comes to your skin, it’s always best to consult a dermatologist before trying a new product or regime, as they can give tailored guidance on how to address your specific skin concerns.
When using a new skin care product, it’s always important to follow the instructions given.
