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This Korean skincare guide for beginners comes down to 4 steps you can start tonight: oil cleanser, gentle cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen. Everything else in the famous 10-step routine (toners, essences, ampoules, sheet masks) is optional. Add those one product at a time, once you know how your skin reacts.
A Korean skincare routine for beginners needs just 4 steps: cleanse, tone, moisturize, protect. The famous 10-step routine is a full menu you can order from later, once your skin shows you what it needs. Below you’ll find what every step does, the right order for morning and night, which steps you can safely skip, and how to adjust the routine for oily, dry, combination and sensitive skin.
How to choose Korean sunscreen comes down to 4 checks: filter type, SPF, PA grade and texture. Get those right for your skin type and you’ll have a sunscreen you actually want to wear every morning, which matters more than any single ingredient on the label.
On a first visit, what to buy at Olive Young comes down to 5 aisles: sunscreen, toner, serum, masks and lip tint. Those are the categories where Korean formulas differ most from what you get at home, and they’re light enough to pack. Choose by skin type rather than by whatever has the biggest sign, ask for the tax refund before you pay, and you’ll leave with a haul you actually use.