The 10-step Korean skincare routine in order, and which steps you can skip
Updated October 22, 2026
The 10-step Korean skincare routine, in order, is oil cleanser, water-based cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, serum or ampoule, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer and, in the morning, sunscreen. You don't have to do all ten: a cleanser, a moisturizer and morning sunscreen are the core, the exfoliator and sheet mask are once-or-twice-a-week extras, and the rest are optional layers you add for a reason.
This is a researched guide built from current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested these products; texture descriptions are the brands', and the advice comes from comparing formulas, directions, sizes and prices. Each step below gets one stocked product that fits it.
What are the 10 steps of Korean skincare in order?
Oil cleanser (night): loosens sunscreen, makeup and excess oil on dry skin.
Water-based cleanser (night, optional in the morning): a foam or gel that washes away what the oil lifted.
Exfoliator (night, once or twice a week): a peeling gel, acid liquid or pad.
Toner (morning and night): a watery first layer after cleansing.
Essence (optional, morning and night): a light hydrating layer, slightly thicker than toner.
Serum or ampoule (optional, morning and night): a concentrated step chosen for one goal.
Sheet mask (night, once or twice a week): a sheet soaked in essence, left on for a set time.
Eye cream (optional): a small amount tapped around the eyes.
Moisturizer (morning and night): a cream or gel cream that sits over the earlier layers.
Sunscreen (morning only): the last skincare step before makeup.
What is the correct Korean skincare routine order?
The correct order is cleanse, exfoliate if it's that night, tone, then leave-on layers from thinnest to thickest, ending with moisturizer at night and sunscreen in the morning. Watery products go first because a thin liquid spreads easily over bare skin, while a cream applied first leaves a film that watery layers slide over.
A sheet mask sits after serum in the classic list because its leftover essence is patted in, not rinsed off.
When a product's own directions disagree with the classic list, follow the label; the eye cream answer below is one example.
The ten steps, with one product that fits each
1. Oil cleanser
An oil cleanser goes on a dry face with dry hands and turns milky with water. Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, 200ml is built on ethylhexyl palmitate, two emulsifiers (sorbeth-30 tetraoleate and sorbitan sesquioleate) and plant oils including sunflower, macadamia, olive and jojoba, with heartleaf extract further down. Anua's directions: two or three pumps massaged in small circles, a little lukewarm water, then a thorough rinse. This original version contains added fragrance; compare the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil Mild, 200ml if fragrance bothers you. The original is $15.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026.
2. Water-based cleanser
The second cleanse washes away the oil. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Cleanser, 150ml is a cream that Round Lab says turns into a dense foam with water and is slightly acidic. The list starts with water, sodium cocoyl isethionate and glycerin, with sea water, panthenol, allantoin, ceramide NP and several forms of hyaluronic acid further down. Work a small amount into a foam in wet hands, massage over damp skin and rinse. It's $11.99, checked October 2026.
3. Exfoliator
Exfoliating is a weekly step, not a nightly one. Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel, 100ml is a rinse-off gommage with 8% cellulose and 19% plum blossom water, according to the brand. Use it once or twice a week on completely dry skin after cleansing: a dime-sized amount, about 20 seconds of very gentle massage away from the eyes, then a thorough rinse. The rolls are mostly the gel's own cellulose, so don't scrub harder to make more. It's $9.09, checked October 2026.
4. Toner
Toner is the first leave-on layer. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner, 200ml is a water-type toner: purified water, butylene glycol, glycerin, pentylene glycol and propanediol lead, followed by red algae (chondrus crispus) and sugarcane extracts, sea water, protease, betaine, panthenol and allantoin. Round Lab suggests sweeping it on with a cotton pad, or soaking pads and leaving them on for five to ten minutes as a short moisture step. It's unscented and $12.99, checked October 2026.
5. Essence
Essence follows toner and is usually a touch thicker. Mixsoon Bean Essence, 50ml opens with lactobacillus/soybean ferment extract, followed by fermented pomegranate, barley and pear ingredients. Mixsoon describes it as lightweight and says the pomegranate ferment supports gentle exfoliation, so count it as a texture step if you already exfoliate. Tap a few drops in, morning or evening, until absorbed. The brand lists it as fragrance-free and alcohol-free. It's $20.99, checked October 2026.
6. Serum or ampoule
A serum or ampoule is the step for one specific goal, so pick one rather than stacking several. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule, 55ml has seven ingredients, listed on SKIN1004's own product page as water, glycerin, butylene glycol, centella asiatica extract, 1,2-hexanediol, cellulose gum and ethylhexylglycerin, with no added fragrance. SKIN1004 describes a watery, slippery texture for dry or delicate-feeling skin. Pat it in, then moisturize. It's $9.99, checked October 2026.
7. Sheet mask
A sheet mask is an occasional extra. I'm From Rice Sheet Mask, one sheet holds 20ml of milky essence; rice extract is listed first, with niacinamide, adenosine, squalane, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate in the formula. I'm From's directions: cleanse, tone, leave the sheet on for 10 to 20 minutes, then pat in what's left. The brand says it has no artificial fragrance, essential oils or silicone. It's $3.50 a sheet, checked October 2026.
8. Eye cream
Eye cream is optional; many people use their face moisturizer around the eyes instead. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Eye Cream, 30ml names glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, bacillus ferment and adenosine as key ingredients, and Round Lab says it's fragrance-free. Tap a small amount from the inner to the outer corners without rubbing. It's $22.99, checked October 2026.
9. Moisturizer
Moisturizer is the layer that holds the lighter steps in place. Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream, 200ml is a face-and-body cream whose list opens with water, butylene glycol, glycerin and dimethicone, with ceramide PC-104, cholesterol and ceramide NP further down. Illiyoon describes a lightweight, non-sticky feel and says there's no added artificial fragrance. At $20.00 for 200ml, checked October 2026, it's the largest tube in this routine.
10. Sunscreen
Sunscreen is the last skincare step every morning. Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, 50ml is labeled SPF50+ PA++++, with rice extract (30%) listed second and chemical UV filters including diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate and ethylhexyl triazone. A tube reading Rice + Niacinamide is the same formula under the new name, per the brand. Apply generously to the face, neck and other exposed areas, and reapply at least every two hours. It's $12.99, checked October 2026.
Do you have to do all 10 steps?
No. The ten steps are a menu, not a rule, and most routines work with three to five. The shortest routine that covers the basics is a cleanser and moisturizer at night, and moisturizer plus sunscreen in the morning.
Add a step only when it has a job:
Wear sunscreen or makeup daily? Add the oil cleanser at night, which is what double cleansing means.
Skin feels tight after washing? Add a toner or an essence, not both at once.
Have one clear goal, such as dullness or dehydration? Add one serum.
Want smoother-looking texture? Add an exfoliator once or twice a week, after checking that nothing else in your routine already exfoliates.
The steps most people can skip are the essence (a toner or serum often covers the same ground), the eye cream (your moisturizer can do that job) and the sheet mask (a pleasant extra, not a requirement). The one we wouldn't skip is morning sunscreen.
Which Korean skincare steps are for morning and which for night?
Morning is the shorter routine: a gentle cleanse or a water rinse, toner, any serum, moisturizer, then sunscreen. Oil cleansing is mainly an evening step, because there's no sunscreen or makeup to remove when you wake up.
Night holds the longer routine: oil cleanser, water-based cleanser, the exfoliator on the nights you use it, toner, essence, serum, the occasional sheet mask, eye cream and moisturizer. Sunscreen drops out at night.
Common mistakes with a long routine
Doubling up on exfoliation. A peeling gel, an acid toner, a texture-smoothing essence and toner pads can all overlap. Use one exfoliating step at a time.
Adding every step in the same week. Introduce one new product at a time so you can tell which one your skin likes.
Rushing the layers. None of these brands give a waiting time; their directions say to pat or tap until absorbed, then move on.
Putting sunscreen under moisturizer. It goes last, applied generously.
Quick answers
Does essence go before or after toner?
Essence goes after toner. Toner is the most watery leave-on layer, so it goes first; essence is slightly thicker and follows it, before serum. Our toner vs essence guide covers the difference in more detail.
Where does sunscreen go in a Korean routine?
Sunscreen goes last in the morning, after moisturizer and before makeup. Beauty of Joseon's Relief Sun directions call it the final morning skincare step and say oily skin may skip moisturizer underneath.
Does eye cream go before or after moisturizer?
Either works, so follow the product. The classic list puts eye cream before moisturizer; Round Lab's directions for its Dokdo Eye Cream say to apply it after moisturizer.
How often should you use a sheet mask?
I'm From doesn't publish a weekly frequency for the Rice Sheet Mask; once or twice a week is its usual place in a 10-step routine, for the 10 to 20 minutes the brand directs.
Build a Korean skincare routine around cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. Learn the morning and evening order, optional steps and when to add a product.
10-Step Korean Skincare Routine Order, Explained | Sleepy Hello
