How to get your face to glow

What should you do each morning?

1. 1Wash gently. Wet your face with lukewarm water, apply a mild cleanser with your fingertips, and use gentle circular movements. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel instead of rubbing.
2. 2Moisturize. Use a moisturizer suited to your skin type to support hydration. A hydrating serum can be an extra step, but moisturizing and sun protection remain the useful basics.
3. 3Apply sunscreen before going outdoors. Choose broad spectrum protection, which covers UVA and UVB rays, with SPF 30 or higher and water resistance. Cover your face, neck and ears, not just the parts facing the mirror.

What should you do before bed?

1. 1Remove makeup if you wear it. A makeup remover can help remove what your cleanser leaves behind. Micellar water and cleansing balms are options; choose fragrance free wipes if you use wipes.
2. 2Cleanse gently to remove the day's dirt, oil and sunscreen. Use the same careful technique as in the morning. Wash after sweating, too, but do not turn cleansing into repeated scrubbing.
3. 3Finish with moisturizer. If your skin needs more hydration, ingredients such as ceramides or hyaluronic acid are options to look for.

A tight or excessively dry feeling after washing is a reason to reconsider your cleanser or washing habits. Overwashing removes surface oils and increases water loss, while scrubbing can irritate skin and worsen acne. Getting cleaner is not the same as getting brighter.16

Choose products for the skin you have

• Dry skin often feels tight or looks flaky. Favor mild cleansing rather than trying to wash away the roughness. Cleansers containing hyaluronic acid are an option for helping maintain hydration.
• Oily skin looks shiny and leaves an oily residue on a tissue. Combination skin has an oily forehead, nose and chin, with normal or dry cheeks. Choose products that match those needs rather than treating every area as equally oily.
• Sensitive skin stings easily, particularly during or after cleansing. Synthetic detergent cleansers, sometimes called syndets, generally cause less dryness and irritation than traditional soap.
• Acne prone skin needs care with extra cleansing treatments. Combining an acne cleanser with acne products left on the skin can cause excessive dryness and irritation. Look for products labeled oil free and noncomedogenic, meaning formulated not to clog pores.

Do you need a brightening serum or exfoliant?

An antioxidant serum is an optional morning addition. Vitamin C helps protect against free radicals, molecules that can damage skin, and can improve collagen production. Vitamin E helps skin retain moisture. Pick an addition for a specific goal rather than buying every category.5

Exfoliation appears in glass skin routines, but more products can bring clogged pores, irritation and breakouts. A cleanser containing an alpha hydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid, is one option for brightening and reducing pigmentation. Acids can sting, especially on sensitive skin. Do not try to scrub your way to the same result.256

Introduce new products one at a time. For sensitive skin, try a pea sized dot behind your ear along the jawline and wait a day or two to check for a reaction before applying the product across your face.5

Price and a natural label are not reliable ways to choose a product, and natural ingredients can still cause allergic reactions.5

Protect your glow instead of tanning for it

Sun exposure contributes to wrinkles and age spots. Use sunscreen when going outdoors, including on cloudy days and in winter. If sunscreen ingredients irritate your skin, a mineral sunscreen containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is an option. Sunscreen is only part of protection: add shade and a wide brimmed hat that covers your face, neck and ears.3

Apply sunscreen generously about 30 minutes before going outdoors. If you expect enough sun exposure to risk burning, apply it again just before leaving. Reapply every two hours outdoors, following the package instructions, and after swimming, sweating or towel drying. Water resistance does not remove the need to reapply. Applying too little reduces protection.34

There is no safe or healthy way to get a UV tan. If you want a tanned appearance, use a self tanner rather than sunbathing or a tanning bed. Continue using sun protection with self tanner; the color does not replace it.14

What should you expect?

Moisturizing supports the hydrated appearance associated with glass skin and helps minimize the appearance of lines. The glass skin trend aims for a smooth, clear, apparently poreless finish, which is a beauty description rather than a building material specification. That look is not realistic for everyone. Adding products to chase it can create irritation and breakouts instead of the result you wanted.2

Enough sleep, a balanced diet and managing stress also support healthy looking skin. Smoking speeds skin aging and slows wound healing. These habits matter alongside the products, not as reasons to add another serum.15

When should you stop experimenting?

Stop using a product that causes redness, itching, swelling or a dry, chafed rash. Persistent irritation or an underlying skin condition needs assessment rather than more brightening products. A dermatologist can help choose care for your skin concerns. Have a spot checked if it differs from others, changes, itches or bleeds.16