Korean skincare, who’s obsessed? We Are! But you are forgiven if you are unsure of what the Korean skin care routine steps actually are! We love the Korean skin care routine and love the fact that we can improve our skin at home. Whether you have dull skin, wrinkles, or acne, the routine and products can help you get your best skin. Yes, there are multiple steps to a routine and you can choose a quick 5 step, 7 step, or 10 step routine depending on your time, skin issues, and goals.
Most steps in a routine are simply applying a layer of serum, essence, or cream and literally taking a few seconds.
The Korean skin care routine works due to 5 very important factors
- The routine layers products onto the skin, providing maximum moisture which is very beneficial.
- The routine is done morning and night, and consistency pays off.
- The Korean approach to skincare is prevention, healing, and regeneration.
- Many of the products are better than Western products and very affordable.
- Korean products are formulated using natural, gentle ingredients that are safe for sensitive skin.
The Korean skin care routine layers products and this is the key to making a visible difference to your skin.
In the West, our skin care routine steps are quite basic. We typically use 1 moisturiser. In the Korean skin care routine, you apply multiple layers of moisture on the skin, and it’s a game changer.
The Korean skin care routine can also treat multiple skin issues, your daytime routine could target dryness and your nighttime routine could target a skin issue like wrinkles or acne.
Your morning routine could be as simple as 5 quick steps, to help you get out the door fast and then your nighttime routine could include more steps with different products for different skin issues.
You can also pamper yourself once a fortnight, and do a full 10 step routine.
Don’t let time put you off the Korean skin care routine. Some steps are just a few seconds to complete.
Most Korean skin care products are affordable, and you will be surprised at how much value for money the products offer.
Let’s break down the different routines; 5 step routine, 7 step routine, and the 10 step routine.
The 5 Step Korean Skin Care Routine:
- Oil Cleanse – morning and night
- Water-based Cleanse – morning and night
- Toner – morning and night
- Essence – morning and night
- Moisturizer – morning and night
What’s good about the 5 step Korean skin care routine?
- It’s quick; 2 cleanses and 3 layers of products
- It’s a good morning routine
- 5 products in total
What’s bad about the 5 step Korean skin care routine?
- There is no exfoliation
- There is no face mask
The 7 Step Korean Skin Care Routine:
- Oil Cleanse – morning and night
- Water-based cleanse – morning and night
- Exfoliation – morning OR night; not both
- Toner – morning and night
- Serum – morning and night
- Moisturizer – morning and night
- SPF – morning
What’s good about the 7 step Korean skin care routine?
- It includes exfoliation
- It includes a serum that adds more moisture to the skin
- Includes SPF for daytime wear
What’s bad about the 7 step Korean skin care routine?
- Exfoliating every day is not recommended
- Misses out on an essence
The 10 Step Korean Skin Care Routine:
- Oil Cleanse – morning and night
- Water-based cleanse – morning and night
- Exfoliation – morning OR night; not both
- Toner – morning and night
- Essence – morning and night
- Serum – morning and night
- Mask Sheet – night
- Eye Cream – morning and night
- Moisturizer – morning and night
- SPF – morning
What’s good about the 10 step Korean skin care routine?
- It includes multiple moisture layers
- Includes SPF for daytime wear
- It includes eye-specific cream
- Good as a once a week pamper session
What’s bad about the 10 step Korean skin care routine?
- Exfoliating every day is not recommended
- More time-consuming than the shorter routine
- Uses more products than shorter routines
We recommend adjusting a routine so that it works for you. And, that will depend on your skin issues, the amount of time you have in the morning and at night, and how many products you want to start with.
Starting with a 5 – 7 step routine is good because it’s quite simple and you can experiment with different products, and find what’s best for you.
You can try out different products without breaking the bank and a 5 step routine is manageable in the morning and night.
Let’s break down every step and go through the Why and The How of each.
Step 1 Oil Cleanser
Why: An oil-based cleanser removes all oil and dirt from the skin as well as oil-based products like foundation, concealer, mascara, and sunscreen.
How: Apply an oil-based cleanser to your skin, rub in circular motions, and tissue off.
Step 2 Water Cleanser
Why: Water-based cleansers remove the oil cleanser and any other impurities.
How: Apply foam or a water-based cleanser to your skin. Rinse and wipe off excess with a tissue, cotton balls, or a soft face cloth.
Note: Step 1 followed by Step 2 is called a double cleanse in the beauty industry. A double cleanse will leave your skin the cleanest it has ever been!
Step 3 Exfoliate
Why: Exfoliation sloughs off dead skin cells and removes the dull, dry top layer of skin. Dead skin cells make your skin look uneven, rough, and bumpy.
Regular exfoliation encourages skin cell renewal. Removing the dead cells on top of your skin helps to turn over new skin cells faster. New skin cells come from the deeper layers of the skin up to the surface.
Oily/combination skin types can gently exfoliate 2 times per week. Sensitive skin types should only exfoliate 1 time per week. Remember to be gentle with your skin!
How: Apply exfoliant to fingers and gently rub in a circular motion on the face. You can also use an exfoliating peel or peeling pad, again the key is to move across the face in a circular motion.
Step 4 Toner
Why: Western and European women often skip toner but is an essential step to having truly great skin. Korean toners are not harsh. Toner preps the skin for the rest of the products and helps to minimize the appearance of pores and creates smoother-looking skin.
How: Apply toner to cotton wool balls or fingertips and apply to the face.
Step 5 Essence
Why: An essence is waterier than a cream or serum. They are full of good nutrition for the skin and are easily absorbed. Some essences can be quite watery so be careful when using them so it doesn’t all spill between your fingers
How: Apply to fingertips and pat onto the face. Do not rub.
Step 6 Serums
Why: This step is where you treat specific skin care concerns. It is another layer that treats a concern like wrinkles, acne, dehydration, redness, etc.
How: Apply to fingertips and pat onto the face. Do not rub.
Step 7 Mask Sheet
Why: Masks treat specific skin care concerns. There are masks to brighten, hydrate, moisturize and calm the skin. There are many to choose from and they are extremely affordable.
How: Apply a sheet to your face and relax. Read the instructions on the packet to see the recommended time that you need to leave the sheet on your face.
Step 8 Eye Cream
Why: Helps hydrate the soft, delicate skin under the eyes and targets specific concerns such as dark circles, wrinkles, and puffiness.
How: Apply to ring fingers and gently pat and press the cream on. Do not go right up to your lash line as the cream will make its way into your eye. Do not rub, do not pull, or tug your skin.
Step 9 Face Cream
Why: This step seals in the moisture from the previous layers. Don’t worry that you have too much on your skin, your skin is going to look and feel amazing.
How: Apply to fingertips or palms and gently pat/press onto the face. Do not rub or pull your skin.
Step 10 SPF
Why: Sunscreen is designed to sit on top of the skin as the last layer. This is how it should be applied to get the most benefit and protection. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen especially if you’re going outside and sun-damaged skin does make your skin look worse when you are older.
How: Apply to fingertips or palms and gently pat and press onto your face; has to be the final layer in your daytime routine. Do not rub or pull your skin
Note: It is not recommended to use a face cream that has sunscreen in it. This is because the size of the molecules in a face and eye cream are designed to be absorbed into the skin. The molecule size is smaller than a sunscreen molecule. Sunscreen molecules are designed to sit on the surface of the skin. The molecule size in sunscreen is larger than our pores. What good does sunscreen do if it is absorbed into the skin? Using a separate moisturizer and sunscreen will provide better sun protection than sunscreen and moisturiser combined.
The Korean 10 step routine is all about pampering, healing, treating, and nourishing the skin. It is also about consistency. Consistency over time in anything always delivers results, and skin care is no different.
There is no doubt that your skin will benefit from the Korean skin care routine. The effectiveness of Korean skin care is amazing, and many other countries are way behind what Korea is producing.
To Read More About The 10 Step Routine, Click Here.