5 Glowing Skin Hacks By A Dermatologist 

Glowing skin isn’t a myth. It’s achievable with the right products incorporated into your skincare routine. Dr.TWL’s encyclopedia of skincare routines is a distillation of her expertise as a dermatologist and also chief scientific officer of clinical skincare brand Dr.TWL Dermaceuticals. In this first installment, we cover one of the most frequently asked questions about skincare routines: how do you get glowing skin? 

Ep 1 Skincare Routines 101: How to Get Glowing Skin

We’ll begin with the science:

The anatomy of glowing skin

This is the key to an instant glow—select skincare products that target strategic layers of skin. Let’s break down what exactly makes skin glow, by first explaining what causes dull skin. With that we’ll understand the anatomy of skin, before we begin to talk about how to get naturally glowing skin. 

• Epidermis

The epidermis is the top most layer of skin. Dull skin is due to reduced skin cell renewal rates, which is directly related to skin age. That is why youthful looking skin is described as radiant. This is due to healthy cell turnover rate. The corneocytes are the superficial skin cells which are retained on the skin surface. This results in skin dullness. The moisture content of skin also affects glow—dry skin is due to increased loss of water to the environment. This is also known as trans-epidermal water loss. Hydrating the skin, enhancing healthy cell turnover rate are ways to achieve glowing skin at the level of the epidermis. 

• Dermis 

The dermis is the second layer of skin and is primarily composed of elastin and collagen. Both elastin and collagen content are also lost with aging skin. On the surface it looks like reduced plumpness and elasticity of skin. By restoring plumpness and elasticity, skin appears taut, lifted and also adds to the illusion of glowing skin from within. 

• Overall health, blood circulation

Inside out beauty is for real. Skin is supplied by blood vessels transporting nutrients that feed it. If you are in an optimal state of health, your skin will be too. A plant-based diet rich in antioxidants will ensure that your body has sufficient antioxidant reserve to fight free-radical damage. 

Formulation of skincare products 

Skincare products can be understood this way:

• The vehicle (cleanser, lotion, serum, cream, mask) which determines texture and function 

Cleansers work at the level of the epidermis. The rest are leave-on products which can penetrate deeper into the dermis and achieve desired effects on skin.

Active ingredients for glowing skin 

Skincare active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid are glycosaminoglycans which penetrate deeper into skin at the level of the dermis. There are multiple biological effects including enhancing skin barrier function, encouraging healthy immune system regulation. These all essential to achieve a glowing skin effect.

In the next section, I’ll teach you how to get glowing skin with 5 of my best glowing skin hacks, including tips on how to choose the best skincare products for instant glow effects. 

If we had all the time in the world, I’m sure we would be applying skincare products all day long, just kidding. As a dermatologist, I prioritise efficient skincare routines. So here’s the deal, my list of 5 glowing skin hacks crystallises top tips for achieving glowing skin in under 3 minutes, in under 3 steps with 3 products or less. 

Skincare Routine Steps for an Instant Glow Facial At Home

Cleanse & peel in 1 step for glowing skin

Glowing skin tip #1:

I wet my face, apply a pea-sized amount of a brightening cleanser (natural emulsifiers like those honey-based or with soy/botanical emulsifiers work). Then, I use home skincare device with a microcrystalline copper oxide tip for gentle microdermabrasion. It works with vacuum technology and the microcrystalline tip exfoliates skin on a microscopic level, similar to what a chemical peel does. 

The science behind this is that skin dullness is not just caused by retention of dead skin cells, but also because of surface oxidative stress caused by pollution. Thorough cleansing itself removes the pollutants and instantly restores the glow. The key is to cleanse effectively with the help of technology, I prefer microdermabrasion or hydrodermabrasion over sonic cleansing but you would do well to use both really. 

Best serums for glowing skin

Glowing skin tip #2:

Use serums religiously in your skincare routine if you desire to achieve glowing skin. The two best serums for glowing skin are hyaluronic acid and vitamin c serums. Use a vitamin C serum after cleansing, when your skin is slightly damp. This enhances absorption of the serum. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which means it eats up the free radicals generated by environmental damage on skin. UV exposure, PM2.5 pollutants, these directly cause oxidative stress on skin which causes skin to be dull.

If you have dry sensitive skin, be careful with this though. I would choose sodium ascorbyl phosphate or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate over L-ascorbic acid formulations because the latter can cause irritation due to increased acidity of the skin environment. Don’t mistake skins dryness for dullness—in this case you’ll actually need to repair the skin barrier (see 3.) The best hyaluronic acid is a multi-weighted molecular formula that targets both layers of skin. The epidermis, where it has a humectant function. The dermis, where it targets cell activity and signalling. The latter known as cell talk. 

Use a moisturiser that contains peptides, botanicals and niacinamide

Glowing skin tip #3:

If you aren’t in a hurry, apply a palm-sized amount of your favorite moisturiser and let it absorb for at least half an hour (I usually get on with my tasks at home!) Also apply a damp cotton towel over your skin if you’re taking a nap—this will increase the absorption of the moisturiser which will guarantee your skin looks doubly radiant when you wake up.

Spritz on a facial mist that contains polyglutamic acid

Glowing skin tip #4:

Facial mists are the most underrated skincare step in my opinion. Face mists are an in between skincare step, which means it can be applied anytime. Unlike the rules of skincare layering which means the most lightweight goes first, i.e. serum, lotion, emulsion, moisturiser/mask. Facial mists can act as a boost to any skincare step by dampening the skin environment which makes skincare absorption more effective. 

Polyglutamic acid can hold 5X the weight of water compared to hyaluronic acid, but is less commonly found in skincare because it is more expensive. Botanicals are commonly used in K-beauty facial mists, these help to fight surface free radical damage. I usually spritz on right after cleansing and again after moisturiser before I apply any makeup. I also use it throughout the day to hydrate my skin.

The facial mist is a multifunctional skincare product I highly recommend, I use it to cleanse my skin for touch-ups—water itself is a solvent and when paired with a micellar makeup remover pad it is sufficient to remove makeup. Makeup wipes are bad for skin and definitely won’t give you a glow. They are usually formulated with harsh surfactants that will disrupt the skin barrier.

Glowing skin also needs a little help sometimes-use a BB or CC cream

Glowing skin tip #5:

If you’ve followed all the above steps, you are well on your way to achieving the coveted glowing skin look. But, truth be told, the glowing skin sported by our favorite K-pop celebrities also comes with a little help, in the form of K-beauty makeup. To be clear, I’m not talking about layering full face foundation, loose powder and all.

What I’m referring to is skincare makeup, also known as the BB and CC creams which contain active ingredients in the makeup itself. The valuable aspect about incorporating skincare in makeup is that it literally boosts your skincare regimen. Your foundation sits on your skin the entire day plus it makes us all a bit more confident when we get to conceal our flaws. 

BB creams and CC creams—we inherited these terms courtesy of K-beauty but the western beauty brands like Chanel and Dior have also caught up in a big way the last couple years. I’ve seen updated formulations from european brands which look a lot more similar to K-beauty CC creams in the last year for instance. My preference is always for skincare makeup that is loaded with antioxidants because they literally brighten your skin by zapping the free radical stress away.