Guides

The basics, in plain English — the actives, the routine, and where to buy.

Topic

The routineHow to build a Korean skincare routineThe famous ten-step Korean routine comes down to three or four steps that matter. A plain-English guide to building one for your skin — in the right order, and built around the one step that matters most.The routineA Korean skincare routine for mature skin, from cleanser to retinoidA Korean skincare routine for mature skin starts with a mild cleanser, a moisturizer and daily sunscreen. Once those are a habit, add one gentle retinoid at night, and give it a few months.The routineA Korean skincare routine for acne-prone skin, step by stepA short Korean skincare routine for acne-prone skin: a gentle cleanser, a light moisturizer, sunscreen and, at most, one exfoliant. Here's the order to put them on, and when to stop adding more.Skin goalsWhat Korean skincare can do for blackheads and clogged poresKorean routines handle blackheads with gentle steps: an oil cleanse each night, a mild wash, then a low-strength acid a few nights a week. Here's what a blackhead is, and why scrubbing and squeezing don't help.IngredientsKorean retinol vs retinal: the difference, and which to chooseKorean brands sell more retinal — retinaldehyde — than almost anyone, often at beginner doses in calm, fragrance-free bases. This guide covers how retinol and retinal differ, which is stronger, and which to start with.IngredientsNiacinamide: the quiet all-rounder in your Korean routineNiacinamide turns up in Korean toners, essences and exfoliants as a supporting player, a few lines down the ingredient list. Here's what this form of vitamin B3 does for skin, and the actives it sits happily beside.The routineA Korean skincare routine for dry and dehydrated skinSkin that feels tight isn't always short on oil — often it's short on water, and the two want different fixes. Here's the Korean way to layer hydration, and the step that stops it evaporating before the morning's out.IngredientsWhat Korean snail mucin does, and how to use it in a routineSnail secretion filtrate is the ingredient Korean brands like COSRX turned into a staple. Here's what it does for skin, what the evidence behind it supports, and how to layer it so dry skin holds the extra hydration.Sun & SPFWhat SPF and PA ratings mean on a Korean sunscreen labelKorean sunscreens carry two ratings you won't find on a US bottle: an SPF number and a PA rating in plus signs. One covers the rays that burn, the other the rays that age skin — here's how to read both.Skin goalsKorean skincare for dark spots and hyperpigmentationKorea treats an even, luminous tone as the point of a routine, and builds it with gentle brighteners you can use every day. Here's what fades dark spots, and why sun protection does most of the work.Skin goalsKorean glass skin: what it is, and how to get closer to itGlass skin — yuri pibu in Korean — is the name for a smooth, lit-from-within complexion. This is what moves the look, what's fixed by genetics and light, and the hydration doing most of the work.The mask stepKorean face masks: sheet, clay and sleeping, and which you needIn a Korean routine the mask is an occasional boost, and it turns up in three forms: sheet, wash-off and sleeping. Here's what each one does, and which your skin will get the most from.IngredientsAHA, BHA and PHA: how to choose a Korean exfoliating acidKorean skincare treats exfoliating acids as a gentle habit — AHA, BHA and PHA, each with a different job. How the three families differ, and which one your skin will get on with.The routineA Korean skincare routine for sensitive skinSensitive skin does best on fewer, gentler steps — the barrier-first approach Korean skincare is known for. Here's how to build a calm routine around ingredients like centella and heartleaf, and what to leave out.The routineWhere does sunscreen go in a Korean skincare routine?Sunscreen is the morning step people most often get out of order. In a Korean routine it's the final layer — on over your moisturizer, once your skincare has sunk in — and reapplying it is half the job.The routineA Korean skincare routine for combination skinCombination skin is really two skins on one face — an oily T-zone and drier cheeks. Here's how to build a Korean routine that treats each zone for what it needs, instead of fighting the whole face at once.The routineA Korean skincare routine for oily skinOily skin does best on a gentle, layered routine — the approach Korean skincare is known for. Here's how to build one that hydrates, balances oil and keeps shine down without drying your skin out.IngredientsWhat Korean heartleaf does for your skinHeartleaf — Houttuynia cordata — is the herb Korean brands like Anua built a sensitive-skin range around. This is what the research supports, how it differs from centella, and when it's worth reaching for.The treatment stepKorean essence vs serum: what each does, and do you need both?Essence and serum sit on the same treatment step, at different strengths. Here's what each does, whether you need both, and how to choose the one Korean active that suits your skin.The cleanse stepKorean double cleansing: do you really need two cleansers?Double cleansing — an oil wash, then a water-based one — is the cleanse step Korean skincare carried furthest. What each wash is for, when you need both, and how to do it without stripping your skin.