What Is “Jello Skin”? The Latest Viral Trend To Know About

If you’re a beauty obsessive, chances are you’ve probably heard of glass skin, the K-beauty trend that is all about poreless and luminous skin. Or maybe you’ve come across slugging, another K-beauty trend that involves putting a layer of any petroleum-based ointment as your last skincare step at night to combat winter skin. Now, there’s another trend out of Korea taking over TikTok. Enter: Jello Skin.

The term “jello skin” was coined in 2021 by skincare influencer Ava Lee after she saw celebrity facialist, Lord Gavin McLeod Valentine, whose clients include Kate Moss and Rosalía. Lee included a clip in a YouTube video that saw McLeod-Valentine say how amazed with how plump and elastic her skin was. He then went on to explain that the influencer has so much collagen in her skin that when you pinch it, it immediately bounces back like jello.

Lee has now created a whole series on TikTok on how she achieves jello-like skin, and now the hashtag #jelloskin has over 14 million views. One of the biggest things is hydration through drinking lots of water and applying hyaluronic acid, a humectant that works by drawing and retaining moisture in your skin. It also helps to balance the production of sebum in those with oily skin. Taking care of your skin barrier is also key to achieving jello skin as it protects your skin from moisture loss and environmental aggressors. Ingredients such as ceramides, fat molecules found in the skin barrier that help to prevent moisture loss, are key to building the skin barrier. Another important way – in fact, the best way – to protect your skin is with a good SPF.

What’s more, you cannot attain jello-like skin without a solid exfoliation routine. AHAs such as mandelic acid and glycolic acid work together to help slough off dead skin cells and salicylic acid to deeply clean out your pores. Also key to having skin that immediately bounces back is incorporating facial massages into your skincare regimen. A gua sha is a messaging tool that helps to boost blood circulation, as well as help with lymphatic drainage.

In many of her videos, Lee has stated that while maintaining a good skincare routine is a must for jello-like skin, you also need to maintain a good lifestyle as well. That includes eating a balanced and anti-inflammatory diet, adding ingredients such as turmeric powders to yoghurt bowls, as well as eating food with collagen in it, and oysters and leafy greens. Of course, genetic factors come into play here, as certain ethnic groups are more likely to have higher fat content in their skin, meaning they can maintain that hydrated, plump look for longer.

Even with the best genes, you’d still need to implement a skincare routine to achieve and maintain jello-like skin. If you don’t know where to start, check out some of the products to get you started.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Bustle's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.