The quick version: The 10 step Korean skin care routine is a framework, not a rule. One of its best-known early versions, a 2014 article for American readers by the co-founder of a US K-beauty shop, didn’t even include sunscreen as one of the ten. Dermatologists generally favor two to four steps: cleanse, treat if needed, moisturize, and protect with sunscreen. Korean products fit that shorter routine perfectly well.
Few beauty ideas have traveled as far as the 10 step Korean skin care routine. It became shorthand for K-beauty itself: dedication, layering, glass-like skin. It also left many American readers convinced they were doing skincare wrong unless they owned ten products. Here’s where the idea came from, what holds up, and what you can drop.
What’s inside
Where the 10 step Korean skin care routine came from
In April 2014, the beauty site Into The Gloss published “The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine,” written by Charlotte Cho, who described the routine she picked up while living in Seoul. Her bio identified her as co-founder of a retail site bringing Korean beauty products to US customers (Into The Gloss, 2014).
Her ten steps were eye makeup removal, cleanse, exfoliator, “refresher” (toner), essence, ampoule, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer and night cream. Sunscreen wasn’t one of the ten; the article suggested a product with plenty of SPF in the morning in place of night cream. That list was a personal, product-category guide written for readers new to Korean skincare. It was never a Korean medical standard, and the number ten is a convenient frame rather than a requirement.
Cleveland Clinic’s overview of the routine lists a slightly different modern ten, with an oil cleanser and water-based cleanser as separate steps and sunscreen as the last step (Cleveland Clinic). The fact that the “official” ten shifts depending on who’s counting is itself a clue about how fixed it really is.
Four myths about the 10 steps
Myth 1: More steps mean better skin
The American Academy of Dermatology warns the opposite risk: using several different products can be costly, can irritate skin and can make signs of aging more noticeable (AAD). It specifically notes that too many products may irritate, especially when more than one is an anti-aging product (AAD).
Myth 2: You have to do every step, every day
Even in Cho’s original list, the sheet mask was a twice-a-week step. Exfoliation isn’t a daily task either: the AAD says frequency depends on skin type and method, that more aggressive exfoliation should be done less often, and that over-exfoliating leaves skin red and irritated (AAD). Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, put the adherence problem bluntly: give someone a 10-step routine and “they’re probably going to do two or three of those steps reliably.”
Myth 3: The ten steps are what makes K-beauty work
What K-beauty brought to American shelves was mostly texture and approach: gentle cleansers, lightweight hydrating layers, elegant sunscreens. Those translate to a three-step routine just fine. Our Korean skincare routine pillar walks through a flexible version.
Myth 4: Layering is harmless because the products are gentle
Every product adds ingredients your skin can react to. In a 2026 survey of 168 Dutch dermatologists and residents, the most common concerns about multi-step routines were irritation (64.9%) and allergic contact dermatitis (54.8%), and 88.1% said they had seen skincare-related complications in patients, most often irritant eczema, perioral dermatitis and acne caused by products (Poelhekken and van der Bent, 2026). The study is European, but the products and the social-media trends are the same ones American readers see.
Worth remembering
- A widely shared 2014 version was written for US readers by a K-beauty retailer’s co-founder.
- Her original ten steps didn’t include sunscreen as its own step.
- The AAD notes that using many products can irritate skin.
- Surveyed dermatologists favored two- to three-step routines.
What dermatologists actually recommend
The AAD’s baseline is three steps: cleanse, moisturize and protect from the sun, with dual-function products such as a moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher as a way to simplify further. In the Dutch survey, 91.6% of respondents expressed concern about the multi-step trend, only 12.5% actively recommended structured multi-step routines, and most favored simple regimens: around three steps for women or people with dry skin and two for men with healthy skin.
The AAD’s suggested order is short too: wash your face, apply any medication or treatment right after cleansing, then moisturizer and/or sunscreen, then makeup. For a fuller walk-through, see our guide to Korean skincare routine order.
Which of the ten steps to keep and which to skip
| 2014 step | Keep, adapt or skip? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Eye makeup removal | Fold into cleansing | An oil cleanser handles most eye makeup |
| Cleanse | Keep | Core step; double cleanse only on sunscreen or makeup days |
| Exfoliator | Occasional | Not daily; overuse irritates |
| Toner (“refresher”) | Optional | Useful if it hydrates; not required |
| Essence | Optional | A light hydrating layer; can replace toner |
| Ampoule / serum | Keep if targeted | Worth it for a specific goal, such as niacinamide for oil or tone |
| Sheet mask | Optional, weekly | Short-term hydration boost |
| Eye cream | Optional | Your moisturizer can usually do the job |
| Moisturizer | Keep | Core step for most skin types |
| Night cream | Merge | One moisturizer can work day and night |
| (Sunscreen, mornings) | Essential | Helps prevent wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer, per the AAD |
A realistic Korean-inspired routine for most people looks like this. Morning: gentle cleanse or water rinse, a hydrating essence or serum if you like it, moisturizer, sunscreen. Evening: oil cleanser if you wore sunscreen or makeup, gentle cleanser, any treatment product, moisturizer. Add steps one at a time and test each new product first; the AAD suggests trying it on a small area of the inner arm twice a day for seven to 10 days (AAD). If glow is the goal, our 5-step glass skin routine shows how far a short routine can go.
Check with a dermatologist if
- Your skin has become persistently red, stinging or flaky since you added more products.
- You develop small bumps around the mouth or nose that don’t clear when you simplify.
- A new product causes an itchy rash or swelling.
- Acne keeps getting worse despite a consistent, simple routine.
Frequently asked questions
Do Korean women really do 10 steps?
Routines in Korea vary as much as anywhere else. The 2014 ten-step list was written for American readers as a guide to product categories, not as a description of what every Korean person does each day.
What is the minimum Korean skincare routine?
Cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning; cleanser and moisturizer at night. That matches the AAD’s three-step baseline, and you can add one targeted product if you have a specific goal.
Is the 10-step routine bad for your skin?
Not necessarily, if every product is gentle and well tolerated. The risk is cumulative: more products mean more chances of irritation or allergy, which is why dermatologists usually recommend fewer.
How long should a Korean skincare routine take?
A few minutes is enough. If a routine takes so long that you skip it on busy nights, it’s too long. Consistency matters more than the number of layers.
Sources
- Cho C. “The 10-Step Korean Skincare Routine.” Into The Gloss, 2014. intothegloss.com
- Cleveland Clinic. “Korean Skin Care Routines: What You Need To Know.” Health Essentials. health.clevelandclinic.org
- Poelhekken M, van der Bent SAS. “Dermatologists’ Perspectives on Skincare Routine Trends.” Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2026. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- American Academy of Dermatology. “Skin care on a budget.” AAD. aad.org
- American Academy of Dermatology. “Should I apply my skin care products in a certain order?” AAD. aad.org
- American Academy of Dermatology. “How to safely exfoliate at home.” AAD. aad.org
- American Academy of Dermatology. “How to test skin care products.” AAD. aad.org
This guide is general information, not medical advice. If a product irritates your skin, stop using it and check with a dermatologist.