The Myth About Glass Skin

The glass-skin trend has taken over the world, but is impossible to achieve overnight

Dr Deepali Bhardwaj

If there is one beauty trend that has taken over the world in

the past few years, it is "glass skin"-luminous, poreless, almost translucent complexion made famous by Korean beauty culture. Thanks to K-dramas, K-pop stars and social media influencers, millions of people now walk into dermatology clinics carrying photographs of flawless Korean celebrities and asking the same question: "Doctor, how can I get skin like this?"

I hear this question almost every week. But here's the truth: glass skin is not a skincare product. It is not a serum or a facial. And it is certainly not something that appears overnight. In fact, much of what social media sells as glass

skin is built on a myth.

The obsession with glass skin has created an unrealistic standard that can leave many people feeling inadequate. Social media filters, studio lighting and digital editing have blurred the line between reality and fantasy.

The first myth is that Korean skin is fundamentally different from Indian skin.

While there are some biological differences, the gap is not nearly as dramatic as beauty marketing would have us believe. Both Indian and Korean skin largely fall within similar Fitzpatrick skin categories. The major difference is that Indian skin tends to be more prone to pigmentation. We tan more easily and often develop post-inflammatory marks that linger longer.

This means that skincare routines that work beautifully for a Korean influencer may not produce identical results on Indian skin.