Korean skincare for beginners: what to skip
What is the easiest Korean skincare routine to start with?
Korean skincare for beginners can start with just three steps. 🌱
- Morning: wash, moisturizer, sunscreen.
- Night: wash, moisturizer.
The famous 10-step routine is fun to read about. Nobody has to start there. 😌
Why start so small?
A routine only helps if you actually do it. 💪
Three steps every day is easy to keep. Ten steps can feel like homework, and homework gets skipped.
Starting small also makes it easier to spot which product your skin doesn't like. One new product at a time = easy detective work. 🕵️
Which steps can I skip?
Here are the steps most beginners can skip at first, and why.
| Step | Skip it at first? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Oil cleanse | Often yes | Mainly for removing sunscreen and makeup at night |
| Exfoliate | Yes | Not an everyday step anyway |
| Toner | Often yes | A watery first layer; nice, not a must |
| Essence | Yes | A light layer that overlaps with toner and serum |
| Eye cream | Yes | Many people use their moisturizer near the eyes, if its label allows it |
| Mask | Yes | A some-nights extra |
| Moisturizer | No | Holds water in |
| Sunscreen (morning) | No | Helps protect from UV light |
Why should I never skip sunscreen?
It's the step that protects your skin from the sun, and the sun is out every day. ☀️
The American Academy of Dermatology says everyone should use sunscreen. It suggests broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, with more put on about every two hours outside.
Reference: American Academy of Dermatology
If you ever add an exfoliating acid, sunscreen matters even more. In one study, 4 weeks of a 10% glycolic acid product made skin burn more easily under UV light.
Reference: Kaidbey et al., 2003
What should I add next?
Once your three steps feel easy, add one thing for the concern you care about most. 🎯
- Breakouts? The acne page ranks ingredients by how much study is behind them.
- Dry or easily upset skin? See the skin barrier page.
Add one product, wait a couple of weeks, then decide. No rush. 🐢
How should a beginner wash oily skin?
Gently, twice a day. 🫧 The American Academy of Dermatology says to wash oily skin twice a day without scrubbing, and to look for labels that say oil-free and noncomedogenic.
For a beginner, a gentle wash is the whole job at the start.
Reference: American Academy of Dermatology
What about acids? The same guidance says salicylic, glycolic and lactic acid can cut down shine, but they can also irritate skin. 🤔
Reference: American Academy of Dermatology
Start gentle; an acid can wait. The oily skin page shows which ingredients have the most study behind them.
What does a moisturizer actually do?
It helps skin hold on to water. 💧
Some moisturizer ingredients pull water in, like glycerin. Some make a seal on top, like petrolatum. Some add skin fats back, like ceramides.
Reference: Rawlings and Harding, 2004
How do I pick my first three products?
That's the tricky part. There are so many choices! 😵
The free skin quiz asks about your skin and builds a 3-step routine (or 5 or 7, if you want more), with every ingredient checked.
Want to see the full K-beauty routine first? Visit the K-beauty page.