Your Guide to the 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine for Glowy Glass Skin

So, the whole 10-step Korean beauty routine has blown up and is super popular right now. Ever wonder how to get that flawless beauty routine? Follow these simple daily steps to begin your journey in K-beauty skincare.

Published 10.21.2024 by Health Inspirers

The Korean skincare routine is rather detailed and complicated, all about getting that glowing, hydrated, healthy skin, you know? It really focuses on hydration, preventing wrinkles, and dealing with specific skin issues. Many steps are involved in a normal routine, including double cleansing, layering up essences and serums, moisturizing, and sunscreen—up to 8 to 10 products.

And every step is supported by products made for differing skin needs—be it oily or dry, clear or blemish-prone, and anything from young to mature skin. The Korean skincare routine is just using specific products in a particular order. If you do stick to the beauty ritual and pay attention, it really can start showing some quite noticeable results pretty fast. I know, I know, it looks kinda complicated at first, but trust me, once you get used to it, this K-Beauty skincare routine will become fun. 

1. Oil Cleansing

Double cleansing is the norm most of the time with Korean skincare, so let's start. First, you have to dissolve and remove your makeup, along with any dirt on your face, using a cleansing oil. Massage the oil cleanser onto your dry face, wiping away the makeup. Then, rinse your face with warm water to wash off the oil and any leftover makeup bits.

2. Deep Cleansing

In the second cleansing phase, this viral Korean skincare routine calls for using a foaming cleanser to wipe away any remaining oil cleanser and makeup from the first wash. Working that gentle, foam-based cleanser into your skin with some circular motions for about two to three minutes really helps get the skin clean before rinsing it all off with some warm water.

3. Exfoliation 

You don't have to exfoliate every day in your K-beauty routine, but doing it every once in a while is really important to help get that fresh and healthy skin.

You should gently scrub your skin once or twice a week to remove dead skin and speed up your cell turnover.

1. Then, select the right exfoliant for you: whether it's chemical—by using products containing AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) and BHA (beta-hydroxy acids)—physical scrubs, or a type of enzyme-based peel for deep yet gentle cleansing.

 4. Toner 

No matter if your skin is super dry or totally oily, slap on a hydrating toner to get your skin's pH back on track and add some moisture before layering on those thicker creams. Generally, Korean toners have hydrating and soothing ingredients that help to calm down redness, making those annoying sebaceous filaments less visible, while keeping the moisture locked in.

5. Essence 

If you want to get that perfect glass skin with Korean skincare, you have to layer your beauty routine, starting with the lightest essences and moving up to the thickest stuff.

They are usually Korean serums that are concentrated active formulas to help improve skin texture and promote brightness.

A lot of products actually come with a bunch of benefits, like fighting aging or smoothing things out while giving your skin a good hydration boost, but just remember to pick essences that suit your skin’s specific needs. When you use your product, spread it out by dabbing it on your face and then gently pat it in, but try not to tug on your skin or be too rough with it. 

6. Serums

One of the important things to be done in the Korean Beauty routine is the application of serum. Serums are highly concentrated concoctions of active ingredients that work on the skin surface to address issues such as dark spots, acne, imperfections, blemishes, and wrinkles.

Serums can work some miracles in anti-aging, proving their value in increasing elasticity and firmness in your skin. So, after you let your essences soak into your skin, just dab on a serum that's got the active ingredients you need for your skin. The common ones people use daily are vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinol, snail mucin, salicylic acid, and peptides, just to name a few. K-Beauty stuff like Korean Vitamin C serums and snail mucin serums just recently went viral on social media and blew up to become super popular skincare must-haves overseas.

7. Mask 

So, you should slap on a face mask once or twice a week to keep your skin happy and fresh. Korean skincare masks come in all sorts of options, such as soaked sheet masks, overnight cream masks, and peeling masks.

 8. Eye cream

Hey, it's never too early to start thinking about keeping those peepers safe. Slap an eye cream that's hydrating and anti-aging on that sensitive skin around your peepers. You know, the usual Korean eye creams have cool stuff like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and peptides that help make wrinkles and under-eye puffiness less noticeable.

9. Hydration

The other significant element of Korean skincare routines is hydration. Slap some moisturizer all over your face and chest, just stay away from your eyes. This will lock in moisture and give you some armor against the elements in the air and pollution. You should pick a Moisturizing agent that will be proper for your skin and one that will be devoid of any active ingredients to which you may be allergic or sensitive. One of the most talked-about K-beauty products on social media are those Korean moisturizers. They usually have these straightforward, non-comedogenic formulas, unlike a lot of the popular stuff you see in the U.S. 

10. Sun Protection/SPF 

The last step in the Korean skincare routine is to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, whether it's mineral or synthetic, to protect your skin from those pesky UV rays. Serious talk, using sunscreen is so important to prevent your skin from aging too fast, since sun damage causes about 80% of cellular aging, dark spots, and even the risk of skin cancer. So, follow these 10 steps and you totally can put together a personalized Korean skincare routine that'll give you healthy, glowing skin. Just keep in mind what your skin needs, and set up your beauty routine around that. Keep in mind that consistency is the key to the best results within no time!