Do You Really Need a 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine?

By Mari, founder of K Skin Aura · 1 October 2026

Search for Korean skincare and it doesn't take long before someone hands you a list. Oil cleanser, cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, serum, ampoule, eye cream, moisturiser, SPF.

Written out like that, it starts to sound less like looking after your skin and more like taking on a second job. You don't need ten products because they're Korean. But I don't think the answer is to cut everything back to three, either. In the routines people send me through Skin Advice, the problem is rarely the number. It's usually two products doing the same job, or a treatment nobody can quite explain.

Where did the 10-step routine come from?

The phrase is younger than you might think. Charlotte Cho, co-founder of the US Korean skincare retailer Soko Glam, has written that she first shared the multi-step routine on ELLE.com in 2014 and called it the “Korean 10-step skincare routine”. It went viral, and for a lot of people outside Korea, ten steps became what Korean skincare meant.

Cho has since written that it “wasn't meant to be taken so literally”, and that few people can commit to ten steps morning and night. In that 2024 ELLE article, she described her own routine as four steps.

Within a few years, beauty media were already writing about a Korean trend called skip-care: fewer steps, and products that do more than one thing. The London consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk told Refinery29 that layering seven or ten products morning and evening had always seemed excessive to her.

So the ten steps are better understood as a framework than a rule. They introduced shoppers outside Korea to the categories on a Korean skincare shelf, but that doesn't mean every category belongs in every routine. That makes them a useful menu and a poor checklist. I'll also say the obvious thing as someone who sells skincare: a ten-item list is very good at selling products. That alone is a reason to read it carefully.

What does every routine actually need?

Take any routine back to its bones and you find the same three jobs.

• Cleansing. At least in the evening, to remove sunscreen, make-up and the day. In the morning, a rinse with water is enough for some people.
• Moisturising. To keep skin comfortable. Some oily skin needs very little, but most skin needs something.
• Sunscreen. Every morning, as the last skincare step. It's the step dermatologists recommend most consistently, and I've written about why it still matters on grey UK days.

There's a fourth job that only applies when you have something to treat: a retinoid for fine lines, or something for dark marks or breakouts. That's the same skeleton I use in the routine order guide, and it's why my beginner's routine starts with four jobs rather than ten steps.

Here's how the famous ten look when you sort them by what they actually do.

Four kinds of step, and only one of them is a problem

Once you sort a routine by job, almost every product falls into one of four groups.

The first three groups can all belong in a good routine. Only the fourth is the kind of “more” that doesn't help.

Toner, essence, serum and ampoule are categories, not stages

These four words cause most of the confusion. They're product categories, not compulsory stages, and the textures overlap enormously between brands. The name tells you very little about what a product does. A toner can be a hydrating water or an exfoliating acid. An ampoule can be a soothing centella liquid or a concentrated active.

So owning a toner doesn't mean you also need an essence, and buying a serum doesn't leave a gap where an ampoule should be. I'd read the ingredient list and the instructions, decide which job the product is doing, and file it there. If you do use several, the order guide shows where each one sits.

Two hydrating layers aren't a mistake. If your skin is dry and you like a toner and an essence, keep them. Just know they're sharing one job, so if money or time is short, that's the first place to cut.

Do you need two cleansers?

Sometimes. An oil or balm first earns its place on evenings when you've worn make-up, water-resistant sunscreen, or several layers of sunscreen. On a quiet day with an everyday sunscreen, one gentle cleanse is often enough. I've gone through the evidence and an easy test in do you need to double cleanse every night? The short version is that it depends on what's on your face tonight, not on how Korean your routine is.

Choose a treatment for a concern, not because it's everywhere

Treatments are where long routines most often go wrong. A retinoid, an exfoliating acid, a vitamin C serum and this month's viral ingredient can each be a good product. Start several at once and you increase the chance of irritation, while making it much harder to know which product caused it.

The American Academy of Dermatology says that using too many products may irritate the skin, especially if you're using more than one anti-ageing product. It also suggests checking what you already use, such as a retinoid, before adding an exfoliant.

So I'd start from the concern rather than the ingredient. Name the one thing that bothers you most: fine lines, dark marks, breakouts, dullness. Choose one treatment for it, and give it time before you judge it. If that treatment is a retinoid, my week-by-week retinal plan shows how slowly I'd go.

If a product is everywhere and you can't say in one sentence what it's meant to help with, you won't be able to tell whether it's working. I'd leave that one in the basket.

Why more products can make your skin harder to read

Long routines have a practical problem that has nothing to do with whether the products are good. When something goes wrong, you can't tell which one did it.

Reactions to skincare do happen. The NHS lists both irritants and allergens, including some cosmetics, among the causes of contact dermatitis. And the same problem works in reverse: if your skin improves after you start eight new products, you don't know which one to thank, or which ones you could stop buying.

The AAD suggests testing a new product on a small patch of skin twice a day for seven to ten days before using it properly. I'd also add new products to your face one at a time, a week or two apart, so you can see what each one is doing. Built that way, a six-product routine takes well over a month to put together. That's slower than buying it all at once. It's also the most reliable way I know to find out what your skin actually likes.

When does a longer routine make sense?

When every step has a different job and you want those jobs done. Imagine someone with dry skin who wears make-up most days and would like to fade some dark marks. In the evening: an oil cleanser, a gentle cleanser, a hydrating toner, a brightening serum, a moisturiser. In the morning: a rinse, the same toner and serum, the moisturiser, and sunscreen.

That's six products, each with a reason, and only one of them is optional. Now compare it with a four-product routine where two of the four are retinoid serums from different brands. The shorter routine is the worse one.

There's also a reason that won't show up in any study. Some people enjoy the ritual. If layering a toner and an essence is the five minutes of your evening you look forward to, and your skin is comfortable, that's a reason to keep them. Just be honest with yourself that it's the reason.

So why does the Glass Skin Blueprint contain seven products?

Because seven isn't the goal. A complete routine of a particular kind is.

The Glass Skin Blueprint is a hydrating, dewy routine for people who'd like the whole thing chosen and sequenced for them. Sorted by job, its seven products look like this:

• Cleanse, two products. A cleansing oil for evenings with sunscreen or make-up, and a gentle cleanser.
• Treat, one product. A brightening serum with niacinamide and tranexamic acid, for dullness and uneven tone, brought in gradually rather than from the first night.
• Hydrate, two products. A rice toner and a snail essence. These are the most optional products in the set, and I'd rather say so plainly. They're there because a well-hydrated, dewy finish is the point of this particular routine.
• Moisturise, one product. A cream.
• Protect, one product. A daily SPF50+.

The printed cards are the other half. They set out the morning and evening order, how much of each product to use, how to introduce the serum, and what to do if something doesn't feel right. Seven products without that structure would just be a full shopping bag.

It's also why the Blueprint isn't for everyone. If your skin is very oily and prefers matte textures, it leans the wrong way. And if you already own a gentle cleanser, a moisturiser and a sunscreen you like, you don't need seven new products. You might need one, or none.

or

If you already own most of a routine, you don't need the set. Fill the one gap you actually have.

Before you add anything, ask four questions

This is the test I use when someone sends me their routine, and it works just as well on a basket before you check out.

For anything you already own that fails the test, I'd park it rather than bin it. Finish one of the duplicates, then decide whether you miss the other.

When is it more than a routine question?

Simplifying a routine is a good first move for skin that feels a little uncomfortable, looks dull, or isn't doing what you hoped. It isn't the answer to persistent burning, painful redness, a new rash, significant flaking, or skin that keeps getting worse. If that's you, stop the products you suspect and speak to a pharmacist, or your GP if it doesn't settle. If you have eczema, rosacea or another diagnosed condition, or you use prescribed treatment, follow the advice you were given rather than a blog post.

Skin Advice is a cosmetic routine review. It is not a diagnosis, and I won't tell you to change prescribed treatment.

Mari, K Skin Aura, London

About Mari. Mari is the founder of K Skin Aura, a UK Korean skincare retailer. She reviews cosmetic routines and product choices through K Skin Aura's free Skin Advice service. She is not a dermatologist or clinician.

Sources checked. Charlotte Cho, I made the 10-step Korean skincare routine go viral. Now I'm going minimal, ELLE, 2024 (Cho describes first sharing the routine on ELLE.com in 2014, and her current four-step routine). Refinery29 UK, Skip-care is the latest Korean skincare trend, with consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk. Cosmopolitan Philippines, What is this new Korean skincare trend called skip-care? (October 2018). American Academy of Dermatology, Should I apply my skin care products in a certain order? (using too many products may irritate the skin), How to safely exfoliate at home and How to test skin care products. NHS, Contact dermatitis. Set contents from the Glass Skin Blueprint listing.

Articles are written and reviewed under Mari's direction using questions and patterns from K Skin Aura's Skin Advice service. Skincare and health-related claims are checked against sources such as the NHS, DermNet, the American Academy of Dermatology and published research where appropriate. Product details are checked against current packaging, manufacturer information and K Skin Aura stock data. Recommendations are not paid placements within editorial articles. If a product you already own is suitable, we will say so.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 10-step Korean skincare routine real?

It's real as a list of categories, but not as a rule. The phrase was popularised in 2014 by Charlotte Cho, co-founder of the retailer Soko Glam, who said in a 2024 ELLE article that it wasn't meant to be taken so literally. In that article, she described her own routine as four steps.

How many steps should a skincare routine have?

There's no right number. Most routines need a cleanser, a moisturiser and a daily sunscreen. Add a treatment if you have a specific concern, and optional layers if they do something you want. Three steps can be a good routine, and so can seven, if every step has a different job.

Do I need both a toner and an essence?

No. Many hydrating toners and essences overlap in what they do: they add water to the skin before your moisturiser. If your skin is dry and you enjoy both, keep them. If you're trying to simplify, choose one.

Do I need an eye cream?

Not necessarily. Many people use their usual moisturiser around the eyes without a problem. An eye cream is worth it if your moisturiser stings there, or if the eye cream contains something specific you want for that area.

Is a long routine bad for your skin?

Not in itself. The risk comes from stacking several strong treatments, adding many new products at once, or using duplicates without a reason. A long routine of gentle, distinct steps that your skin tolerates well is fine.