Three years ago, the Korean beauty ideal of "glass skin" migrated over to the U.S. Back then, the thought of skin so translucent and dewy it resembles a pane of glass seemed achievable only with extensive skin-care routines and the accompanying finances needed to purchase them. But according to Alicia Yoon, founder of K-beauty brand Peach & Lily, the crystal-clear look is more accessible than that — no matter what your skin concerns may be.
"There are people, myself included, with eczema who never feel included in any skin-care conversation — people who struggle with rosacea, cystic acne, and so forth," Yoon tells Allure. "We wanted to bring these outliers into the fold and say glass skin is your healthiest skin, which is for everyone."
To help get her philosophy across, Peach & Lily is launching the Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer, which joins the brand's popular, glow-inducing Glass Skin Refining Serum and Glass Skin Veil Face Mist.
Although the $40 moisturizer is suitable for all skin types, Yoon formulated the elixir especially with those "outliers" in mind by avoiding oils, fragrances, alcohols, and other potential irritants. David Petrillo, a cosmetic chemist, even checked out its ingredient list for us and confirms the product is a good fit for everyone.
Although gel moisturizers have an amazingly lightweight texture, Yoon noticed many don't deliver as much hydration as they should. To remedy this, the Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer is spiked with nourishing reishi mushroom and a trio of moisturizing hyaluronic acids, which Petrillo confirms is present in three different molecular forms: hydrolyzed, sodium form, and acetylated. The first hydrates the surface of skin; the second goes deeper; the third improves the water retention that leads to a luminous complexion, he explains.
They're joined by a combination of prebiotics and probiotics, including Lactobacillus ferment, radish root ferment, and Fructooligosaccharides. These additions are essential for making the moisturizer friendlier for all skin types as the bacteria in prebiotics and probiotics bolster the skin's barrier to better fight inflammation, environmental damage, and dehydration.
"Some prebiotics encourage specific healthy strains of bacteria, and others increase the diversity of the bacteria on your skin, which is really important," board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe previously told Allure. "When you remove that diversity, that’s when you see problems like rosacea, acne, fine lines, and discoloration."
With the winter months upon us, this launch caught me at the perfect time. I fall into Yoon's category of gel moisturizer lovers who are craving more hydration. I layered on the moisturizer as the last step of my skin-care routine in the evening and second-to-last, before sunscreen, in the morning. At both times, the Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer was a delight to slather on with the same cooling, water-like slip as other water-gel moisturizers. However, Peach & Lily's doesn't instantly disappear into my parched skin. Instead, its hydration locks in for the long haul and leaves behind a glass-like dewiness.
The moisturizer works beautifully under makeup, too, imparting a subtle highlight. I'm also currently hard at work on two hyperpigmentation spots and counting on the moisturizer's addition of vitamin C — in the form of kiwi extract and camu camu — to help lighten them.
Ready to try out Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water-Gel Moisturizer for yourself? You can shop it now for $40 on peachandlily.com or ulta.com.
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Read more on glass skin:
- What Is "Glass Skin"? How to Get the New K-Beauty Trend
- Peach & Lily's New Glass Skin Face Mist Gave Me Glowing Skin All Day
- Dolphins Inspired This Trendy, New Dewy Highlighter Look
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