Why the "glass skin" trend isn't good for us – and why a dermatologist is also critical of it

Glass Skin: Why the trend towards flawless skin is not good for us and why a dermatologist is critical of it.

From the outside, everything looks like progress: skincare has evolved from a minor concern to a global obsession. Thanks to TikTok, even 14-year-olds know what glycolic acid is. But the greater the product selection, the smaller the scope for real skin seems to have become. Poreless. Spotless. Welcome to the age of " glass skin " – the digital beauty ideal of skin so even, smooth, and glossy that it appears like glass. But can skincare really make such a difference? Or will "glass skin" remain a flawless illusion in the age of digital filters?

The term "glass skin" originally comes from the K-Beauty world and once meant healthy, well-hydrated skin. Today, it has become an algorithm-optimized ideal—flawless, high-gloss. In other words, what real skin rarely is. And this is precisely what becomes a problem, as dermatologist Dr. Anne Gürtler from the LVATE dermatology practice in Munich observes. A second location will be opening in Düsseldorf in August 2025: "Patients actually come to our consultations and say: 'I want to have skin like glass.'" The dermatologist considers such #skingoals unrealistic.

"You have to understand that the images we see online have almost always been edited with filters, perfect lighting, and perfect angles. Many also forget that behind these faces lie a whole host of aesthetic procedures and, associated with them, a lot of money and time. The skin is an organ. No other organ is examined—and evaluated—as intensively as facial skin. Of course, we have pores, indentations, and redness. We forgive ourselves for this everywhere else. But on the face? Everything is supposed to be perfect."

What happened to skin positivity?

Behind the trend toward mirror-like perfection, there's actually a step backward. Just last year, the skin positivity movement offered hope: Influencers showcased acne, rosacea, and eczema. Real skin with a real story. Brands followed suit. Faces with "problem skin" suddenly adorned billboards and Instagram feeds. It was a quiet but radical shift – toward more visibility, more compassion, more reality. Today? Flashback. The initial sense of optimism seems to have vanished. The feeds of most skincare brands are clean, smooth, and aseptic. People with pores? None. Instead, an ideal is being sold that has more to do with retouching than with skin health. The narrative is: Perfect skin is the beauty ideal. If your skin isn't glowing, you're doing something wrong. Are you not drinking enough water ? Did you forget your serum?

"Wellness washing" instead of self-care

The ideal of "flawless skin" isn't just rare—it's often simply genetic luck or the result of cosmetic surgery. While stars like Kris Jenner now speak openly about their facelifts, the majority of stars and influencers continue to cling to the fiction of the "natural glow" and "perfect skin." Dr. Anne Gürtler knows: "Our eyes analyze a face much faster than we think. Within a few seconds, we intuitively assess beauty and attractiveness. And this happens before we even delve into the subtleties that we ourselves are often so critical of. When we look at a face, we don't immediately perceive details like pores, wrinkles, or unevenness—but rather vitality, the emotional expression, and the emotions that a face conveys." Of course, skin care and treatments can be used specifically, "but they shouldn't be considered a substitute." My patients with skin problems often appear 'more beautiful' when they feel comfortable and present in their radiance—than others with 'perfect skin' but insecurity."

The new LVATE campaign demonstrates that skin and faces "touch" us when they trigger emotions in us – a homage to natural beauty, real faces, and pure aesthetics. Starring: ballet dancer Julian MacKay , soloist with the Bavarian State Ballet. Filmed outdoors, without makeup or filters.