Cloudy, glassy, bouncy — TikTok can't decide on a skincare ideal and it's making people mad

• According to beauty and skincare TikTok, "cloud skin" (soft matte texture) is trendy now.
• Before cloud skin, glass skin — the complete opposite trend of dewy skin — was popular.

Just when I found a sunscreen that gives me dewy skin, I realized an alarming truth: The glass skin trend I was slowly catching on to was way over.

In its place? Cloud skin, which is essentially the inverse skincare ideal. "It's like dewy skin and matte skin had a baby, and it's going to be trending so hard for spring," beauty TikToker Victoria Lyn announced.

If glass skin was all about achieving a hydrated, glossy look sans greasiness, cloud skin is about reducing shine to create a softer appearance.

Even professionals in the beauty industry can't help but roll their eyes at the neverending influx of skincare trends. "Am I the only makeup artist or person who gets tired of all the, like, weird names they give to makeup looks to try and make them a trend?" Celebrity makeup artist Melissa Murdick asks before sharing her tutorial for cloud skin.

Skin trends are expensive and involved to keep up with

Unlike holding onto skinny jeans until they're inevitably cool again, you can't just shelve skincare products that eventually expire. So if you're suddenly mortified at the idea of someone seeing you with shiny 2020-era skin in 2023, moisturizers and tinted sunscreens marketed as "dewy" or "glossy" need to be swapped.

It also just contributes to the feeling that you will never keep up. "When you've just gotten into the dewy skin era and hear that in 2023 soft matte is coming back around and it's called 'Cloud Skin,'" reads the caption in @purenavamakeup's TikTok. It's not enough to swap out your shoes or copy celebrity haircuts — you now have to make sure you're not the one shimmery-skinned person in a room of matte faces.

In the end, this trend will eventually cycle out, likely leaving a trail of thrown-out products in its stead. "The way I got rid of all my matte foundation and replaced with all glowy ones just for TikTok to now tell me that 'cloud skin' is now a thing," makeup TikToker Christie X bemoaned while rotating through her foundation collection.

It's not great for your skin to constantly cycle through products

When we asked dermatologists about spotting red flags in TikTok beauty trends, Dr. Ivy Lee, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Los Angeles, noted that "both acne flares and irritation are a common risk of using too many or too much of skincare products."

Some tutorials also suggest mixing primer with foundation or combining cream and powder makeup to get the right mix of glowy and matte. For those with sensitive skin, layering on skincare products or cosmetics can lead to breakouts or dryness.

Changing up your regimen based on trends also makes it harder to stick to a consistent routine, which is the real key to maintaining healthy skin.

Skincare trends don't really mean that much

Those with skin prone to oiliness probably skipped the glass skin trend and have had cloud skin all along. Just like them, people with dry skin will probably stick to hydrating products instead of reaching for powder foundations.

We didn't live through the 2000s-era St. Ives Apricot Scrub and Proactiv fads not to learn that there is no such thing as a skincare product or method that works perfectly for everyone.

Besides, US skincare trends are never as cutting edge as they appear. As TikToker Bronte-Marie said in a cloud skin tutorial: "If you see something trending here, it was probably trending in Asia two years ago."

There's no point in rushing to keep up when we're already behind. "POV: No matter what's trending soft glam looks will always be your favorite," reads the caption in beauty TikToker @MaKayla MaShelle's video.

Stick to what you (and your skin) love best. And remember: We're all just recycling looks from the '90s anyway.