Does K-Beauty have too many steps? If the famous 10-step Korean skincare routine has made Korean skincare feel complicated, expensive or impossible to maintain, here's something you need to know: most Koreans were never following it in the first place.
For years, K-Beauty has been presented as a long checklist: Oil cleanser, Foam cleanser, Exfoliator, Toner, Essence, Serum, Sheet mask, Eye cream, Moisturiser ,Sleeping mask.
Somehow, the list always reaches ten.
Now, "skinimalism" is being sold as the antidote to that, with many claiming that Korean beauty is bad for the skin and what it really needs is fewer skincare products, fewer steps and a much simpler way to achieve healthy-looking skin.
But that framing leaves out something a little important; namely that the rigid "10-step Korean skincare routine" was never particularly accurate in the first place. In fact, it was a western way of explaining why Korean skincare differed from a western routine, which typically involved 3 steps or products, namely a cleanser, toner and moisturiser.
Let's take a look at a few facts about Korean skincare and how many products Koreans actually use.
How many skincare products do Koreans actually use?
Recent Korean consumer data paints a very different picture from the elaborate K-Beauty routines popularised online.
The real Korean skincare routine
3.72 products in the morning
and
4.05 products at night
According to the Opensurvey Beauty Trend Report 2025, Korean women used an average of 3.72 skincare products in the morning and 4.05 in the evening.
The report found that a common morning routine included toner, lotion or emulsion and sunscreen. At night, commonly used combinations included toner, serum or ampoule and cream.
That's a far cry from applying 10 different skincare products twice a day.
Even having multiple types of skincare products in your rotation doesn't mean layering all of them every day in every single routine. Products can and are regularly switched up according to the season, time of day or how the skin feels.
The biggest myth about Korean skincare
Perhaps the biggest myth about Korean skincare is that results come from completing as many steps as possible.
In reality, the philosophy behind K-Beauty has nothing to do with a set of steps or even rules. It's really about paying attention to your skin, choosing products that suit it and adjusting your routine when those needs change.
You might use a lighter moisturiser in summer, add a hydrating serum during winter or reach for a sleeping mask when your skin feels particularly dry. Not every product needs to appear in every routine, every day.
So, does K-Beauty have too many steps? Only if you are following a prescriptive routine created for the internet rather than one created for your skin.
K-Beauty isn't about counting steps. It's about learning what your skin needs and giving it exactly that.
A Korean skincare routine should work around your skin
A flexible skincare routine works best when each product earns its place. That doesn't necessarily mean choosing the fewest products possible. It means choosing formulas that fit easily into your routine and can be used differently as your skin changes.
One serum, several ways to use it
Take White Truffle Soufflé Serum, for example. It combines the concentrated care of a serum with the comforting texture of a lightweight moisturiser, and the effects of a hydrating primer.
Use it underneath your moisturiser when your skin needs more hydration, or wear it alone when a heavier cream feels like too much. Its smooth, cushiony finish helps create the perfect hydrated base for makeup without requiring another dedicated prep product.
Your lip routine doesn't need three products either
The same principle applies beyond facial skincare.
Prevention Best of Beauty Award-winning Gelato Glaze Lip Mask can be used as a nourishing overnight treatment, a comfortable daytime balm or a glossy topper over lip colour.
Instead of choosing separate formulas for every occasion, use one product in different ways depending on what your lips need.
Forget the 10-step Korean skincare routine
Your skin doesn't know whether your routine has 3 products or 10, but it will know whether the products you're using are right for it.
A good K-Beauty routine might include a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. It may also include a toner and targeted serum. It might become lighter in summer, richer in winter or change completely when your skin is feeling sensitive.
But that's not "cutting corners"; it's simply doing skincare without unnecessary rules.
TL, DR: Korean skincare was never about "using ten products." The real lesson was learning what your skin needs and how to layer products to give you the best results.
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