Scroll through skincare TikTok for five minutes, and you’ll come away convinced you need a ten-step routine, a fridge for your serums, and something called a reedle shot. The promise is always the same: glass skin. Clear, poreless, and lit from within.
But most of these products weren’t made for your face; they were made for your feed. So we asked Certified Clinical Esthetician Babarinsa Oluwadamilohun to walk us through the products the internet has convinced you that you need: what they actually do, how to use them, and how not to.
1. Niacinamide
What it is: Niacinamide is vitamin B3. It helps with oil, the look of pores, and uneven tone, which is why it shows up in nearly every routine video on your feed.
How to use: Apply at 2-5% once or twice daily. It layers well with almost everything, which is honestly part of the problem: because it plays nice, people stack it.
How not to use: The 10% serums the internet loves aren’t faster results. They increase the risk of skin irritation. If your routine already has seven products, niacinamide isn’t the missing piece. It’s just another layer.
2. Tretinoin
What it is: Tretinoin is a prescription-strength retinoid, and the real thing behind most “glass skin” transformations online. It treats acne, texture, and fine lines, and it works. That’s why people preach it like gospel.
How to use: Start with a pea-sized amount at night, two to three times a week. The sandwich method helps: apply it after a moisturiser, then top it with another layer of moisturiser.
What not to do: start daily at full strength because someone told you to push through the purge. And don’t pair it with benzoyl peroxide on the same night.
3. Benzoyl Peroxide
What it is: Benzoyl peroxide kills acne-causing bacteria. It’s a spot treatment, not a personality.
How to use: Use 2.5-5% as a spot treatment or short-contact treatment, in the mornings.
How not to: The internet’s version has you 10% slathered all over, on the same night as your retinoid, which bleaches pillowcases and skin barriers alike.
4. Reedle Shot
What it is: The reedle shot is a spicule serum: tiny micro-needles that create pathways so what you apply next absorbs better. The tingle is normal. But it’s a relatively new product, and there’s not much research on it.
How to use: Use it a few nights a week, right after cleansing.
How not to: Don’t use it daily, and don’t stack it with retinoids and acids the same night. More absorption of everything is the problem, not the goal.
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5. Retinol
What it is: Retinol is tret’s gentler cousin. Same family, slower-acting, and available without a prescription.
How to use: Start with a low percentage, at night, and build up slowly over weeks.
How not to: Don’t buy the highest percentage first, and don’t expect tret-level results. And if you’re already on tretinoin, you don’t need retinol too. Pick one retinoid lane.
6. Hyaluronic Acid
What it is: Hyaluronic acid is a humectant: it pulls water into your skin, which is what gives that plump, hydrated look.
How to use: Apply it on damp skin, then seal it in with a moisturiser.
How not to: The mistake is applying it to dry skin in dry air. With no water around to grab, it pulls moisture from your skin instead.
7. Snail Mucin
What it is: Snail mucin is hydration and repair support, and the original K-beauty glass skin poster child.
How to use: You can use it daily, after cleansing, before your moisturising cream.
How not to: Just don’t expect it to resurface anything. It’s for comfort, not transformation. And comfort is fine, as long as you know that’s what you’re buying.
8. AHA (Glycolic/Lactic Acid)
What it is: AHAs are chemical exfoliants. They dissolve the dead skin cells sitting on your skin, which is where the glow comes from.
How to use: Use them one to two times a week, at night. That glow is enough.
How not to: Don’t do daily peels, don’t use them the same night as a retinoid, and don’t skip sunscreen afterwards. Freshly exfoliated skin burns fast.
So, Do You Need Them?
Some of these products earn their place. Some are solutions to problems the internet invented. The difference isn’t the product; it’s whether your skin has a reason for it. The internet sells you routines for glass skin. What your skin needs is a reason for each step.
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