New to Korean Skincare? Start With These 4 Steps

By Mari · K Skin Aura · 27 September 2026

If Korean skincare looks like ten bottles, four serums and a routine chart you'd need a degree to follow, start much smaller.

You don't need a ten-step Korean skincare routine. If you're starting from scratch, I'd first make sure your routine does four simple jobs: cleanse, calm, moisturise and protect. Everything else can wait until you know how your skin behaves.

That's the thinking behind START HERE, the beginner set I put together. It isn't designed to give you every Korean skincare category. It's designed to give you somewhere sensible to begin.

Why did I make START HERE?

One of the easiest mistakes when you discover Korean skincare is assuming the point is more skincare. Oil cleanser, foam cleanser, toner, essence, ampoule, serum, eye cream, moisturiser, sleeping mask. Suddenly there's a basket full of products before you know what any of them are for.

I'd rather give you a smaller routine where you understand why every bottle is there. START HERE covers four everyday jobs, plus one mask to try as an extra, and it comes with printed cards showing your morning and evening routine, how to start, and when to try the mask. For me, that part matters as much as the products.

If you'd like the wider picture of how routines are ordered, I've written about what order to apply Korean skincare. This article is the short version for someone starting out.

What does each product do?

Step 1 · Cleanse

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil

Removes makeup, sunscreen and the day.

When

I'd use it in the evening

Texture

Light oil that turns milky when you add water

Mari's note

Massage onto dry skin, add water, massage again, rinse. It contains aromatic plant oils, so skip this set if you avoid essential oils.

Beauty of Joseon suggests following it with a water-based cleanser. The set doesn't include one, so if you already own a gentle cleanser your skin likes, keep it and use it after the oil. You don't need to replace a good cleanser just because you're starting Korean skincare.

If you don't wear much makeup or sunscreen and one gentle cleanse removes everything comfortably, you don't have to double cleanse for the sake of it. In the morning, some people are happy with a water rinse and others prefer to cleanse. Your skin matters more than a rule from TikTok.

Step 2 · Calm

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

A simple soothing, hydrating middle step.

When

Morning and evening, after cleansing

Texture

Light and watery, sits easily under moisturiser

Mari's note

The word ampoule doesn't mean you now need a toner, essence and serum too. It's one useful step.

An ampoule isn't something every Korean routine must contain. This one is here because I'd rather give a beginner one uncomplicated middle step than start with acids, retinal or several treatment serums.

Step 3 · Moisturise

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Cream Unscented

Keeps your skin comfortable and less dry.

When

Morning and evening, after the ampoule

Texture

Soft cream, unscented

Mari's note

Your moisturiser doesn't need seventeen jobs. If it leaves your skin comfortable, it's already doing something important.

You don't have to use the same amount everywhere. If your cheeks feel drier but your T-zone gets shiny, use a little more on the cheeks and less through the middle of your face. I've written more about skin that feels tight but gets oily later if that sounds like you.

Step 4 · Protect

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF50+ PA++++

Daytime UV protection.

When

Morning, as the last skincare step

Texture

Creamy, dewy, close to a moisturiser

Mari's note

I'd rather you find one SPF you're happy to wear than own four perfect ones sitting in a drawer.

That texture is one reason it's an easy introduction for people who hate the feel of traditional holiday sunscreen. If you already own a sunscreen you like and use consistently, keep using it. For more on how much to use and when UK sun matters, see do I need sunscreen every day in the UK?

What about the fifth product?

The extra

Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask

A hydrating mask to try once you're settled.

When

After your first week, once your skin feels calm

Texture

Gel sheet mask

Mari's note

This is the fun bit, not a fifth daily step. Mask means extra, not essential.

Part of Korean skincare can simply be enjoyable. I just don't want the enjoyable extras confused with the things your routine depends on. Biodance says to leave it on for at least two to three hours, and it's safe for up to eight, so many people use it in the evening as the last step.

What does the routine look like morning and night?

That's enough to start learning how your skin responds. You can add a treatment for pigmentation, breakouts, texture or fine lines later if there's a real reason to.

Why isn't there a toner, essence or active serum?

Because you're new. I don't want your introduction to Korean skincare to involve learning the difference between six watery bottles.

Toners can be useful. Essences can be useful. Vitamin C, azelaic acid, retinal and exfoliating acids all have a place in the right routine. That doesn't mean you need them on day one. Once you know how your skin behaves with the basics, it's much easier to decide whether anything is missing.

Who is START HERE for?

I'd consider it if you're new to Korean skincare, you want someone else to make the first few decisions, and choosing between hundreds of products is stopping you from starting. It's also for anyone who has tried a few Korean products but never quite turned them into a routine.

I'd skip it if:

• you avoid essential oils, because the cleansing oil contains aromatic plant oils
• your skin is very oily or acne-prone and needs an active acne treatment
• you're looking for a dedicated pigmentation or anti-ageing treatment routine
• you use prescription skincare and need a very specific routine around it

And if your skin is burning, very sore, significantly red, swollen, rashy or getting worse, don't start a completely new routine as an experiment. That's the point to get professional advice rather than add more skincare.

Could you build your own beginner routine instead?

Of course. There's nothing magical about owning these exact five products. What START HERE removes is the decision-making: you know what each product is for, which order to use them in, and you have printed cards to follow. It starts small enough for you to see what your skin actually likes.

If you enjoy researching every formula and choosing every bottle yourself, you may not need it. If you keep opening Korean skincare websites, seeing hundreds of products and closing the tab because you don't know where to begin, that's who I made it for.

If you'd like the first decisions made for you

START HERE: Your First Korean Skincare Routine

Four daily steps plus one Biodance mask, with printed START HERE Cards for your morning and evening routine.

Best fit

New to Korean skincare; sensitive, dry, normal or combination skin

Mari's note

If you already own three of these jobs, you probably need one product, not a set.

£54.99 · 4 daily products + 1 maskSee the START HERE routine

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. Beauty of Joseon, Ginseng Cleansing Oil (directions and full ingredient list). SKIN1004, Madagascar Centella Ampoule. Biodance, How long should I use the mask. American Academy of Dermatology, How to test skin care products. Set contents from the START HERE 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.