Intro

At the heart of the Korean skincare philosophy lies one powerful truth: skincare isn’t just about achieving results — it’s a daily ritual of self-love and care. The iconic 8-step Korean routine has become a global beauty phenomenon, not because it’s complicated or trendy, but because it slows you down. It invites you to touch your face with intention, to learn its patterns, and to nourish it with kindness. While eight steps may sound overwhelming at first, each one serves a unique purpose in supporting your skin’s health, hydration, and long-term radiance. Think of it as building a relationship with your skin — one layer at a time.

1. Cleansing (Double Cleanse)

The journey begins with a cleansing duo: an oil-based cleanser to melt away makeup, sunscreen, and impurities, followed by a water-based cleanser to remove leftover sweat and grime. This two-step cleanse ensures a truly fresh canvas without stripping your skin.

2. Exfoliation

Next comes exfoliation — used a few times a week — to gently buff away dead skin cells and reveal a brighter, smoother complexion. Choose gentle chemical exfoliants (AHA/BHA) or very mild physical exfoliants depending on sensitivity.

3. Toner

It’s followed by a toner, not to dry out your skin, but to prep it: balancing pH levels and enhancing the absorption of every step that follows.

4 Essence & Serum

Then come the deeply hydrating heartbeats of the routine — the essence and serum. The essence is a watery, skin-loving layer that hydrates and promotes cell turnover, while serums are targeted treatments, loaded with actives like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, or snail mucin (shoutout to the iconic Cosrx snail mucin essence) to address your skin’s unique needs.

5. Sheet Mask

Next is the sheet mask, which adds a moment of indulgence and pushes hydration even deeper into the skin — a true ritual of pause and pampering.

6. Moisturizer

Moisturizer follows, sealing in all the previous steps and creating a cocoon of softness that lasts through the day or night.

7. Sunscreen / Sleeping Mask

The final step is sunscreen (in the morning) or a sleeping mask (at night). Koreans treat sunscreen as a holy grail step, never optional. It protects everything you just lovingly applied — and more importantly, it shields your skin from premature aging, pigmentation, and damage.

The magic of the Korean 8-step routine isn’t in its length — it’s in its layering. Each step builds upon the last like poetry, giving your skin exactly what it needs without ever rushing.

Customize Your Ritual

With Pookie Glow, you can create and track your own version of this ritual — whether you do all 8 steps or only 4 — because the glow lies in consistency, not perfection. Start simple: master cleansing and sunscreen, then layer in hydration and targeted treatments as your skin tolerates them.