This Is the Best Skincare Routine Order
for All of Your Products
From oil cleanser to sunscreen
Figuring out the best skincare routine order for all of your products can be a little tricky, especially when you have a closet full of toners and serums like we do. That’s why we sat down and sorted through each step to bring you the ultimate guide to getting the most out of your skincare products. Decoding every step of your K-beauty routine will ensure you’re layering your Beauty of Joseon skincare in the most effective way possible. So no matter where you’re at in your skincare journey (and how many products are currently crowding your bathroom cabinet), this guide will help you build the best routine possible.
A little tip: We like to follow the humectants-emollients-occlusives order that’s popular in Korea for the most radiant, glowy skin. To break it down further, humectants draw water into skin cells, emollients soften skin, and occlusives create a barrier to prevent moisture loss. Layering your skincare in this order makes sure you’re creating a healthy environment for your skin’s outermost layer, known as the epidermis.
Some products fall into more than one category, so an easier way to figure out your skincare layering order is to pay attention to texture. Apply products with lighter, watery consistencies first, followed by heavier ones to maximize hydration, elasticity, and skin protection. When it comes to your K-beauty skincare routine, this would mean starting with cleanser, then following it with toner, essence, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Ready to learn more? Ahead, we’ll dive deeper into each step with detailed tips and product recommendations tailored just for you.
Table Of Content
- Oil Cleanser
- Cleanser
- Face Masks
- Toner
- Serum
- Moisturizer
- Eye Cream
- Sunscreen
Oil Cleanser
Have you heard of double cleansing? It’s the most effective way to make sure you’re removing every trace of makeup and sunscreen before you apply your skincare—so if you’re not doing it already, start now. Like its name suggests, double cleansing involves using an oil-based cleanser to break down impurities and makeup, and then following it with a water-based cleanser to refresh skin.
Starting with an oil cleaner clears pores of makeup, sebum, and dead skin cells to keep your skin happy and healthy while preparing it to absorb the rest of your routine. Without it, your skin is prone to breakouts and irritation. For this first step of your skincare ritual, you have two options. Our Ginseng Cleansing Oil has a nourishing liquid consistency that strengthens the skin’s barrier as it dissolves impurities from the surface of your skin. If you want something easier to travel with or more moisturizing, our Radiance Cleansing Balm features a creamy balm texture that melts away every speck of waterproof makeup and sunscreen from your skin.
Cleanser
Next, we recommend reaching for a water-based cleanser to sweep away water-based impurities, like sweat, dirt, dust, and other environmental pollutants. Our Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser does just that with a gentle, slightly acidic formula that keeps your skin’s pH balanced, so your face doesn’t feel tight or stripped of moisture after you wash it off.
Face Masks
You won’t do this step every day, but whenever your skin needs an extra boost, this is where you’d apply a face mask in your skincare routine. When our pores feel clogged, we like to reach for our Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask to clear away dead skin cells and excess sebum. Our Centella Asiatica Calming Mask is a great soothing treatment for days when skin feels red or inflamed. And our Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask is kind of an all-around team player for days when you can’t quite decide what your skin needs. (This gentle rinse-off mask deeply hydrates, improves skin texture, and helps soothe inflammation at the same time.)
Toner
Whether you’ve just finished cleansing or are glowing from your face mask, it’s time to move on to the rest of your routine. Toner comes first because it has the thinnest consistency and helps rehydrate the epidermis after cleansing. Try our Green Plum Refreshing Toner to smooth away dead skin cells with gentle acids for brighter, softer skin. Or, reach for our Glow Replenishing Rice Milk to keep your skin glassy and glowing with intense hydration and sebum control. You can either wet a cotton pad with the toner of your choice and swipe it all over your face or sprinkle it directly onto your hand and pat it in. We recommend applying two or three layers of toner on dry skin for amplified hydration.
Serum
The next step of your routine is serum, which tends to have a thicker consistency than toner and essence. Serums act as targeted treatments for whatever your skin is going through. If you’ve been dealing with enlarged pores, inflammation, or breakouts, try our best-selling Glow Serum to soothe your skin and balance sebum production. Glow Deep Serum is best for anyone with pigmentation and texture concerns. If you’re looking for an anti-aging serum or need something to wake up your complexion after a long week, our Revive Serum boosts elasticity, moisture, and luminosity. Finally, our Calming Serum helps soothe redness, irritation, and sensitivity while strengthening your skin barrier. Choose one that suits your specific skin needs. You can also use separate morning and night serums if you want to double up on benefits.
Moisturizer
Effective moisturizing involves three stages: humectancy (drawing water into cells), emolliency (softening the skin), and occlusion (creating a barrier to prevent water loss). Our Dynasty Cream and Red Bean Water Gel combine all three functions while giving skin a nourished, non-greasy finish.
The best moisturizer for you will depend on your skin type. Dynasty Cream is a great pick for anyone with dry and mature skin, thanks to its indulgent formula that seals in long-lasting, skin-plumping moisture with ingredients like glycerin, honey, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and rice water.
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, try our Red Bean Water Gel instead. Its lightweight jelly-like consistency locks in moisture with red bean extract (a sebum-absorbing humectant), amino acids, and panthenol, while sunflower seed oil creates a protective shield that prevents water loss.
Eye Cream
We always recommend using a targeted eye product for the delicate, sensitive skin around your eyes. Apply this right after your moisturizer morning and night; in the morning, it can help depuff and refresh your eyes while helping your concealer slide on smoother. You’ll be obsessed with the lightweight, silky texture of our Revive Eye Serum : Ginseng + Retinal. Not only is it comfortable and hydrating, it’s also formulated to address the loss of collagen, enhance elasticity, and brighten without irritation.
Sunscreen
No matter what the weather looks like, sunscreen is an essential last step of your morning skincare routine. You should always apply sunscreen to protect your skin from UV damage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkle- and acne-causing inflammation, and the risk of skin cancer.
Here at Beauty of Joseon, we’re pretty confident about creating a sunscreen you’ll want to wear every day. Our Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics and Daily Relief Sunscreen deeply hydrate all skin types, especially dry skin. If you prefer your SPF to be more hydrating and lightweight, our Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh: Rice + B5 has a refreshing watery texture. (Be sure to check out our sunscreen guide for more details.) Our best on-the-go option is our Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort+Camelia, a sunscreen stick you can carry with you to reapply throughout the day. All of them feel just like skincare and don’t leave a white cast on any skin tones, so everyone under the sun can keep their complexion protected.
FAQs
Now that you’ve studied up on your skincare routine order, start layering. And if you still have more questions, we’ve rounded up answers to our most commonly asked skincare routine FAQs below: