If you crave moist, plump and ultra bouncy skin, then jello skin might be the skincare trend for you! This Korean beauty inspired approach focuses on intense hydration, skin elasticity and water retention. The result is skin that is fresh, youthful with an almost jelly like bounce. What sets jello skin apart from other trends is that it marries skincare with diet. In this article, we’ll review the key foods and skincare you need to get hydrated, elastic and supple jelly skin.
What is Jello Skin?
This is skin that is so hydrated, plump and elastic that it almost has a jelly like bounce to it. Jello skin is deeply moisturised, firm and smooth with a moist but not shiny finish. Like most recent trends, jello skin comes from K-Beauty and was first made viral on Tiktok by creator Ava Lee. The key to jello skin is to flood the skin with moisture, reinforce the skin barrier and maintain optimal elasticity. You’ll need a combination of skincare and diet to get jelly like skin that both feels and looks plump, juicy and full of life. However, jello skin isn’t the only K-beauty skincare trend and here’s how it stacks up with its main competitors:
- Glass Skin: Focuses on smoothness, clarity and a hyper reflective glow. Glass skin requires exfoliation, hydration and skin brightening treatments to create a flawless almost mirror like effect. Unlike jelly skin, which is all about hydration and bounce, glass skin focuses on skin transparency and radiance.
- Honey Skin: Prioritises deep hydration, nourishment and a naturally glow. Both jello and honey skin focus on hydration but jelly skin also requires very elastic plump feeling skin.
- Butter Skin: Aims for soft, smooth and cushiony skin with a satin natural finish through a combination of makeup and skincare. Whereas jello skin emphasises plumpness and elasticity, butter skin is more about rich hydration and a velvety finish.
Top Skincare Ingredients for Jelly Skin
To get jello skin focus on ingredients that provide hydration, elasticity and water retention whilst also supporting collagen production for plump, bouncy and youthful looking skin. Here are the top skincare compounds to look for if you want jelly like skin:
- Hyaluronic Acid: This is a powerful humectant that attracts and retains water, keeping skin plump, smooth and bouncy.
- Snail Mucin: With its nourishing components, snail mucin hydrates, repairs and promotes skin elasticity as well as collagen production.
- Beta-Glucan: This skin-soothing ingredient holds more water than hyaluronic acid, enhances hydration and supports skin barrier repair.
- Peptides: These support collagen synthesis, improve skin structure, enhance skin elasticity and boost hydration.
- Tremella (Snow Mushroom) Extract): A natural alternative to hyaluronic acid, this deeply hydrates, plumps and smooths the skin while also boosting collagen synthesis.
- Squalane: This is a lightweight non-greasy moisturising oil that mimics the skin’s natural lipids. It prevents moisture loss and keeping skin soft and supple.
- Polyglutamic Acid: Even more hydrating than hyaluronic acid, this boosts moisture levels and enhances skin texture. It makes the skin look smoother and plumper.
- Vitamin C: This is a powerful antioxidant that helps stimulate collagen production, brightens the skin and protects against premature skin ageing.
- Adenosine: A skin-restoring ingredient, adenosine can improve elasticity, reduce fine lines and boost hydration.
- Centella Asiatica (Cica): Supports skin health, calms inflammation and strengthens the skin barrier helping to keep skin bouncy and firm.
- Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone): This strong antioxidant protects collagen and elastin from degradation helping to maintain firm, hydrated and elastic skin.
- Retinoids: Whilst not widely used in K-Beauty, Retinol and prescription versions like Tretinoin help increase cell turnover and boost collagen production. The end result is smoother and younger looking skin.
Skincare Routine for Jello Skin
The first step to getting jello skin is a consistent skincare routine that hydrates, protects and strengthens the skin. Here’s our easy skincare routine that will give you jello skin in no time:
- Cleanser: Use a gentle cleanser that cleans and removes excess oil without irritating or drying out your skin. Look for gel or cream cleansers with hydrators like glycerin or allantoin.
- Toner or Essence: Choose formulas with snail mucin or fermented extracts to balance and nourish skin as well as increase absorption of the rest of your skincare.
- Serum: Use a hydrating serum to help flood the skin with moisture and improve its elasticity. Look for products containing things like hyaluronic acid, peptides, beta-glucan and polyglutamic acid to increase water retention and plump the skin. You can also layer on top of this a Vitamin C serum in the morning or retinoid in the evening to enhance collagen production.
- Moisturiser: A light but deeply hydrating moisturiser seals in water, nourishes teh skin and keeps it bouncy. Look for ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, squalane and tremella mushroom extract to help maintain moisture levels and reinforce the skin barrier.
- Sunscreen: Sun exposure can damage collagen, cause sun spots and dry out the skin reducing elasticity and hydration. For jello skin, you’ll need to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to protect the skin and keep it looking plump and young. Choose formulas with ingredients like centella, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide to provide extra hydration and protection.
Best Foods for Jello Skin
Skincare alone isn’t enough for jello skin as what you eat also impacts your skin’s hydration and elasticity. A diet rich in water dense foods, healthy fats and skin boosting nutrients is the second step to getting jello skin. Below are the top foods that will help give you plump hydrated jelly like skin:
- Hydrating Fruits & Vegetables: Watermelon, cucumber, oranges and tomatoes are packed with water and vitamins to keep skin hydrated.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds, these essential fatty acids support skin elasticity and hydration.
- Collagen-Boosting Foods: Bone broth, avocados, beans, carrots and nuts help increase collagen production and elasticity.
- Antioxidants: Blueberries, green tea, ginseng and dark chocolate help protect the skin from oxidative stress and dehydration.
- Hyaluronic Acid-Boosting Foods: Soy-based foods like tofu and edamame as well as some gelatinous root vegetables naturally boost hyaluronic acid levels in the skin.
- Probiotics & Fermented Foods: Kimchi, yogurt and miso support the gut microbiome which plays a key role in skin hydration and barrier function.
Jelly like skin is all about fresh, moist and plump that feels as healthy as it looks. What sets the jello skin trend aside is that it requires both diet and skincare to boost collagen production and hydration. Whilst it may take time to get bouncy jello skin, this external and internal approach to skincare yields long term results and can work for any skin type.
At City Skin clinic, we are devotees of personalised skincare. Our virtual skin clinic offers safe and effective products like Tretinoin and Hydroquinone where appropriate to treat skin conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, melasma and skin ageing. Book a virtual consultation with one of our doctors today. The journey towards great skin starts here.
