Crystal-clear, so-smooth-it’s-almost-reflective glass skin is #skingoals everyone is coveting. Yet many people still don’t know one of the most key steps necessary in order to get that gleam. Yes, moisturization is imperative when trying to accomplish this look, but starting off with a truly clean face is one of the core tenets of glass skin, a first step that’s just as important as the last.

But what does clean skin actually look like? “Clean skin is free of excess sebum, environmental pollutants, makeup residue, and dead skin cell build-up — it looks healthy with a natural glow,” says Dr. Marguerite Germain, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Charleston, SC. One thing clean skin is not is “squeaky-clean,” which can actually do more harm than good. “[Sometimes], squeaky-clean skin can be a sign of over-stripping protective skin lipids,” explains Dr. Germain. “While in the very short term the skin feels good, it can quickly dry out and look dull and aged, [especially] if the barrier has been disrupted and there is no other supplementation.”

Squeaky-clean skin can also lead to dryness, irritation, redness, and sensitization — over-stripping the skin, ironically, may cause a “rebound” effect. “This can happen when someone over-cleanses and the skin goes into defense mode and begins to over-produce oil to replace the missing skin oil,” says Dr. Germain. Translation: When you over-clean your skin, you actually cause it to get even more oily.

You’ll know your skin is clean if it feels smooth, soft, and is devoid of any flakes or dullness. Clean skin allows the rest of your routine to be most effective — serums can get deeper into the skin when there are no flakes or plugs on the surface, moisturizers can plump more because they absorb faster, and any makeup you do apply will glide on effortlessly and blend in seamlessly.

Although you do want to exfoliate your skin in order to achieve glass skin, you don’t want to completely dry it out — harsh cleansers and solvents can majorly over-strip your skin’s dermis. To nail the glass skin trend sans flakes, try a gentle cleanser with alpha-hydroxy acids, like the Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser. “AHAs chemically help to un-bond the dead skin cells, causing them to slough off faster than they normally would, exposing the fresh new skin below,” explains Dr. Germain. “They also trigger a secondary repair mechanism in the skin, helping to rebuild its matrix and appear healthy and collagen-rich.”

With continued use morning and night, the Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser will work to gently lift dead skin buildup while minimizing pores, and is a must-have first step towards that smooth-as-glass look and feel we’re all chasing.