The korean 10 step skincare routine arrived in English-language beauty writing about a decade ago and immediately became shorthand for excess: ten bottles, half an hour before bed, porcelain results. The reality is less dramatic and more useful — there is real logic in the sequence, but it does not suit everyone.
Where the number came from
Ten is a marketing figure, not a tradition. What it packages is a genuine philosophy: prioritise cleansing and gradual layers of hydration over one high-strength active. Instead of hitting a concern hard, the routine builds results in gentle increments.
The steps, honestly counted
- Oil or balm cleanser — dissolves makeup and sunscreen
- Foaming or gel cleanser — removes the rest
- Exfoliant — once or twice weekly, not daily
- Toner — restores pH
- Essence — light hydration
- Serum or ampoule — the targeted active
- Sheet mask — one to three times weekly
- Eye cream
- Moisturiser or emulsion
- Sunscreen in the morning, sleeping mask at night
Count again: the daily steps number six or seven. Steps 3 and 7 are periodic, and step 10 splits by time of day. The famous ten is partly an accounting choice.
What genuinely works here
Double cleansing is the single best export. Oil dissolves what water cannot, the second cleanser clears the rest.
Hydration in layers. Several light watery layers under a cream hold moisture better than one thick cream on dry skin.
Gentleness over intensity. Lower concentrations, applied consistently, irritate far less.
Sunscreen treated as daily, not as a beach product.
Who should skip it
- Sensitive or reactive skin. More products means more chances to meet an ingredient that does not agree with you, and less chance of identifying which one.
- Oily, breakout-prone skin. Nine occlusive layers rarely help.
- Anyone who will not keep it up. A routine abandoned in a fortnight achieves nothing.
- Beginners. Starting with ten products teaches you nothing about any of them.
The version worth trying
Borrow two things: double cleansing at night, and one extra hydrating layer — a toner or essence — before your moisturiser. That is most of the benefit at a third of the effort. Add a sheet mask weekly if you enjoy it, not because a list says to.
Faberlic carries first-step cleansers, toners and masks across its series, with the catalogue refreshing roughly every three weeks; see the current catalogue on faberlic.com. Individual steps are broken down in the skincare section.
Neither ten steps nor three treat skin conditions. See a dermatologist for anything persistent.