Published
9 minute read
By: Michael G. Brandt, MD, MSc, EMBA, FRCSC
A recent CNN article warned that the popular “glass skin” trend may damage the skin barrier.
The headline is attention-grabbing.
But I think it risks missing the real issue.
There is nothing unhealthy about wanting skin that is smooth, clear, evenly coloured and well hydrated. In fact, hydration, sunscreen and treatments that improve texture and pigmentation are basic parts of good skin care.
What can cause problems is trying to get there by copying a complicated routine from TikTok, combining too many active ingredients, or assuming that if one product is good, five must be better.
So my take on the CNN article is simple:
Glass skin isn't the problem. Over-treating your skin is. [1]
“Glass skin” is a term that came from Korean beauty culture. It describes skin that looks exceptionally smooth, clear, hydrated and reflective.
It is not a medical diagnosis.
It is not one specific skincare routine.
And there is no single treatment that creates it.
In practical terms, most patients asking me for “glass skin” are really saying they want better texture, hydration, tone and luminosity.
Those are completely reasonable goals.
The mistake is believing that achieving them requires seven toners, four serums, daily exfoliation and whatever active ingredient went viral this week.
This distinction is important.
CNN highlighted research presented at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. Researchers looked at 38 popular TikTok videos about Korean skincare and glass skin.
They reported that about 95% contained at least one potentially misleading claim. Many did not discuss different skin types, irritation or sunscreen, and some encouraged people to combine several active ingredients. [2]
That is useful information.
But it is not the same as showing that 95% of glass-skin routines damage people's skin.
The study looked at the quality of TikTok videos.
It did not take thousands of people using a glass-skin routine and compare their skin with people who were not.
It was also a relatively small analysis of 38 videos, and at the time of writing the findings had been presented at a medical meeting but had not yet gone through full peer-reviewed publication.
That doesn't make the findings meaningless.
It means we need to describe what they actually show.
They show that TikTok can be a poor place to get medical skincare advice.
I don't think that will surprise many physicians.
A second study discussed alongside the TikTok research looked at 94 people who had developed a new or worsening skin problem after using products promoted on social media. Problems included irritation, acne flares, rosacea and some superficial chemical burns. [2]
Again, that is important.
But there is a major limitation.
The researchers started with people who already had a problem.
We don't know how many people used similar products without developing one.
If 94 patients had a reaction out of 100 users, that would be very concerning.
If 94 had a reaction out of 10 million users, that would mean something very different.
Without knowing the denominator, this study cannot tell us how common these reactions are.
It tells us what can happen when skincare goes wrong, not how often it happens.
Absolutely.
This is where I agree with the CNN article.
Your outer skin is a barrier. One of its jobs is to keep water in and irritants, allergens and microorganisms out.
When that barrier is disrupted, skin may become dry, red, tight, itchy, flaky or sensitive.
Good moisturizers can help support and repair that barrier by reducing water loss and improving hydration. [3]
Problems often occur when someone aggressively combines exfoliating acids, scrubs, retinoids and other active products faster than their skin can tolerate them.
But there is an important difference between saying:
“These ingredients can irritate your skin if you misuse them.”
and saying:
“These ingredients are bad for your skin.”
Those are not the same thing.
This is where social-media conversations about the “skin barrier” can become just as misleading as the trends they are criticizing.
Retinoids can irritate the skin.
That is well established.
They are also among the most evidence-supported topical treatments we have for acne, pigmentation and photoaging.
A 2025 systematic review of randomized clinical trials found that topical tretinoin improved signs of sun-damaged skin, including fine and coarse wrinkles. [4]
Similarly, ingredients such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C and retinoids are regularly recommended by cosmetic dermatologists for specific skin concerns. A 2025 expert consensus found evidence supporting several of these ingredients for acne, pigmentation, wrinkles, redness, enlarged pores and oily skin. [5]
The lesson isn't to be afraid of active skincare.
It is to use the right active, for the right problem, at the right strength and frequency.
That is medicine.
Do more products mean worse skin?
Not necessarily.
The number of products is less important than what is in them and how they are being used.
Someone might use a gentle cleanser, hydrating serum, moisturizer and sunscreen with no difficulty at all.
Someone else might use only three products, but if those include a strong retinoid, exfoliating acid and another irritating active every night, their skin may become inflamed very quickly.
This is why counting steps isn't particularly useful.
Seven gentle hydrating layers are not automatically more dangerous than three products.
And a four-step routine is not automatically safe.
What matters is the chemistry, the skin and the patient.
No.
Pores are normal structures in the skin.
No cream, laser or facial can literally erase them.
But the CNN article goes a little too far in suggesting that visible pores are simply genetic and therefore cannot meaningfully change.
Genetics plays a role, but pore appearance is also affected by oil production, acne, skin elasticity, age and sun exposure. [6]
There is published evidence that topical treatments, chemical peels and several types of energy-based treatments can reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. [6]
So the realistic message isn't:
“You can eliminate your pores.”
It also isn't:
“There's nothing you can do about them.”
It is:
Pores are normal, but we can sometimes make them less visible.
This is where I think we need to reclaim the conversation.
Healthy skin does not need to look filtered.
It does not need to be completely poreless.
And it does not have to look wet enough to reflect your bathroom light.
What most people actually want is fairly simple:
Skin that feels hydrated.
Texture that looks smoother.
Pigmentation that looks more even.
Less redness.
Less congestion.
And a healthy reflection of light from a smoother skin surface.
That is achievable for many patients.
But the treatment should depend on why your skin doesn't look that way now.
Dryness needs a different approach than acne.
Pigmentation needs a different approach than enlarged pores.
Rosacea needs a different approach than sun damage.
And someone with sensitive skin should not necessarily be using the same routine as a 22-year-old influencer with oily skin.
Usually not.
For many patients, a good home routine can be surprisingly simple.
I generally think about four basic categories:
A gentle cleanser.
A carefully selected active ingredient based on what we're trying to improve.
A moisturizer appropriate for the patient's skin.
And daily sunscreen.
You can add other products if there is a reason.
But every bottle should have a job.
More skincare is not necessarily better skincare.
This is another part of the conversation that TikTok often misses.
A cream works at the level a cream can reach.
It cannot completely correct deeper sun damage, significant acne scarring, established textural change or every form of pigmentation.
That is where office-based treatment may have a role.
At FORM Face + Body, our approach to skin health begins with understanding the problem and then choosing the least treatment necessary.
Depending on the patient, that might mean skincare alone.
For another patient, it may include treatments such as IPL for selected pigment or redness concerns, non-ablative fractional laser treatment for skin quality and remodelling, or fractional CO2 resurfacing when more significant texture or sun damage needs to be addressed.
The device isn't the treatment plan.
It is simply another tool.
Not by itself.
Trying to have healthy, smooth, hydrated skin isn't dangerous.
Chasing an unrealistic TikTok face with an increasingly complicated skincare routine can be.
On that point, CNN is right.
But I think the better lesson from the research is not:
“Stop trying to improve your skin.”
It is:
Stop treating your skin based on an algorithm.
Use sunscreen.
Keep the skin barrier healthy.
Use active ingredients when they actually solve a problem.
Introduce them slowly.
Don't assume irritation means a product is “working.”
And don't assume ten products will accomplish what four well-chosen ones cannot.
At FORM, that is how we approach skin health.
Diagnosis first. Treatment second.
The goal isn't glass.
The goal is healthy skin that looks like the best version of your skin.
Skincare products and aesthetic treatments are not appropriate for every patient. Persistent irritation, acne, redness or other skin changes may require medical assessment. This article is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.
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