The Korean skincare routine, in the right order

The "10-step Korean routine" is a marketing phrase more than a rule. Most people in Korea use four or five products, and so should you. What matters is the order, because each step is trying to do something the next one would undo.

Morning

1. Cleanser

A gentle wash to remove what your skin produced overnight. If your skin feels tight afterwards, the cleanser is too strong.

2. Toner

Modern toners are hydrating, not astringent. They add a light layer of water for the next steps to seal in.

3. Serum

The active step, and where most of the money goes. Vitamin C in the morning is popular because it pairs well with sunscreen.

4. Moisturiser

Holds everything underneath in place. Gel textures suit oily skin, creams suit dry.

5. Sunscreen

The step that does the most work. Everything above is undone without it. See sunscreens.

Evening

Same order, minus the sunscreen, plus a first cleanse if you wore makeup. An oil or balm cleanser removes makeup and sunscreen; the water-based cleanser then removes the oil. This is the "double cleanse", and it is the one extra step genuinely worth adding.

Sheet masks and exfoliants are occasional, not daily — twice a week is plenty.

If you only do three things

• Wash gently
• Moisturise
• Wear sunscreen every morning

That routine beats a ten-step one you abandon in a fortnight. Browse all skincare when you are ready to add to it.