TO: the product-addict who’s still stuck at square one.
Skincare is a team effort.
No, I don’t mean a team of 10 products.
The 10-step skincare routine has become the be-all-end-all, crème de la crème mother of all skincare routines…over a decade ago.
It’s taken over shelves, wallets, and bathroom counters, sold to us as the ultimate key to glowing skin.
Here’s a question very few have asked in this decade of 10-step worship: Is it actually necessary?
It’s suppposed to be the best kept eastern secret to glass skin, rivaling some painful, expensive, and exclusive treatments available only in few skin clinics around the world.
Right?
Wrong.
It’s mostly predatory marketing.
Most Koreans aren’t even aware of a “10-step glass routine”.
So, in line with the question above, here’s a shift that screws with half the skincare industry’s business model and one-hour routine maxis: What if you don’t need 10 steps at all?
Or even half that.
Breaking The Illusion
I used to think that more was better.
And that having perfect skin was just one toner, serum, mask (or all of them) away.
In reality, it was a perfect shitstorm of marketing, pro-consumerist, and digital events that led to the birth of an amalgamation that is making people waste an hour (twice a day) in front of the mirror.
The beauty industry has a fetish for convincing us that more products equal better skin.
It’s simple: the more complicated something is or sounds, the more confused we get, the more we purchase, and the more they profit.
This is two thirds (confusion, chase) of the Triple C loop I keep talking about.
The truth is, simplifying your routine will save you time, money, and ultimately – your skin.
This isn’t some clickbait propaganda post looking to make quick ad money off of you (as you have (hopefully) noticed, I don’t run ads on on this blog).
So, after a 10+ years obsessing over the science of skincare, working inside the industry, learning from aestheticians, and hearing the “ancient secrets” from Korean friends with perfect skin, I’ve realized that the 10-step routine is one of the biggest beauty fads ever sold to us.
Pure marketing genius, terrible skincare advice.
And we bought it.
We bought the lie that glowing skin requires finding the right combination of half a dozen or more steps, half your paycheck, and your soul.
The good news is, realizing this is one of the most liberating moments in anyone’s skin journey.
It made my skin better over the long run.
And I hope this post does the same for you.
If any part of you feels tingling reading these paragraphs – or, at the very least, you’re approaching my words with a dose of open-minded skepticism, then maybe you’re half way there already.
Myth: More Products = Better Skin
Here’s the truth: the beauty industry doesn’t just sell skincare products.
As the people working for beauty companies like to say “we sell emotions.”
On the surface that’s prestige, luxe, “feel-good” emotions.
In reality the industry sells insecurity wrapped in “you’re not good enough” messaging.
Not only does that mess with your skinxiety (yes, I came up with this term – no, I don’t care if it’s not in the dictionary. Mark my words: it will be.), but it fuels an entire economy built on your insecurity.
If that resonates in any way, shape, or form – as in, if these lines land where your overpriced serum didn’t – help me make skinxiety the next “buzzword”.
Let’s stop pretending this sh*t is normal.
That said…
Back to the More Products = Better Skin Myth:
Invent a problem that never existed, slap a hefty price tag on it, then target and exploit a vulnerable audience.
With digital advancements, TikTok, and our screen times hitting new highs in both usage and the level of stimulation within the content, this is easier than ever.
Ultra obvious take, but bear with me: the more steps you add, the more products you buy, and the more money companies make.
Pretty straightforward.
But here’s the kicker: most of these products are doing the exact same thing.
Think – Hydration with a fancy label.
Different consistencies, but same purpose.
I lived in Korea for over six years.
Nobody, and I mean nobody – is obsessing over a “10-step glass skin routine.”
Heck, most Koreans don’t even have a name for it. It’s not a concept over here.
What they are is consistent and proactive.
Most of us in the West are the opposite.
We wait for a problem, then throw products at it.
We want max results with minimum effort – ROI skincare.
It’s just the way the two cultures condition their people.
Even I use terms like “Return on Your Skin”.
Not because I believe skin should be optimized like a stock portfolio (if you’ve read my posts you’ll know it’s quite the contrary), but because that’s the language I’ve been wired to think in.
Koreans stick to the minimum: cleanser, toner, moisturizer, sunscreen.
Especially sunscreen.
That’s their “secret.”
I’m not telling you that that’s all there is to having flawless skin.
Koreans East Asian people in general have:
- lower obesity rates
- more fermented foods in their diet
- more balanced meals overall
- a cultural bias toward moderation over overeating
That’s just the diet part of the equation.
And I wouldn’t fixate on the baby fat thing. That is one of the few things we can’t control.
So let’s focus on what we can.
As for the rest of the list, we actually have a ton of control over it.
I only mentioned the diet-related stuff here, because there are dozens – if not hundreds – of other factors that play a role in having great, worry-free skin for life.
I sprinkle those throughout different posts, because let’s be honest – most people’s attention spans nowadays are too short to even go through my regular 1,500-3,000-word articles.
Scroll fatigue is real. And if I crammed everything into one post, I would basically be writing a novel no one would finish. And speaking of ROIs – that’s a pretty bad one.
You likely realized in the giveaway bit from earlier that I offer a premium service for those looking to level-up their skin with real knowledge and full context – not marketing fads. It kills all the guesswork from your entire skin care game (notice how I’m not saying products) for a skinxiety-free decade.
And my clients get to benefit from async access to me from anywhere in the world.
If you me to help you kill all the guesswork, and a done-for-you approach that builds your routine with full context about your skin in mind (not someone yelling at you on TikTok), you can check out Save My Skincare.
(If there are still slots open – I cut my availability in half for summer.)
Note:
I open my weekly slots on Tuesdays, and these days they fill up in under 48 hours.
Transparency is a big value of mine. So, in order to cope with the increasing demand, starting August(ish?), after the giveaway event, I’ll be increasing the price for the base service by $100, and removing the readers’-only discount code next month (July).
Demand has been more than I can realistically handle (and this summer heat is turning my brain into a pulp), and I’m not willing to compromise quality.
Check it here.
The Hidden Costs of a 10-Step Routine
Time:
The average woman spends 22.5 minutes a day on skincare. That’s over 2 hours a week. 8 hours a month.
Nearly 5 full days a year.
Imagine spending 5 entire days layering products that may not even be helping your skin. You could sleep more, exercise, or spend time doing something that actually gives you that glow.
Time wasted – check.
Money:
This one’s obvious.
Toners, mists, essences, serums, ampoules, masks…
- all of the products that didn’t work for your skin.
- products that we buy on a whim when every influencer on tiktok is promoting the same thing, hyping it up to be the next holy grail.
- products we use a couple of times before setting them aside and forgetting they exist. (guilty…)
- products we want to implement into our routine but don’t know how
- products we buy, then ditch when a new one in the same category comes out
Here’s a ballpark figure how this might look like:
low-to-mid-range products can cost $20–$40 each. Multiply that by 10 steps, and you’re easily spending $300–$500 every few months.
Over a year that’s thousands.
(Update: American women spend over $3,700 yearly on skincare and beauty-related purchases. That figure is projected to grow rapidly YOY until 2032)
Half of those are redundant, designed to sell you more of the same thing under a different label.
Adding the time spend on top of that, you can easily go to a premium, money-aint-a-thing 5-day getaway.
Every. Single. Year.
Or add those 5 days to your existing trip.
Or, spend that money in a smarter way with an infinitely better ROI on your skin, like Save My Skincare (My writer brain would explode if I didn’t make use of this placement opportunity). 1/6 the cost of a derm rodeo.
Point is – we either stop the financial bleed, or we stay stuck in this cycle of spending and disappointment.
Money wasted – check.
Potential Skin Damage
Overloading your skin can, and will, harm it.
Most skinfluencers yelling at you on TikTok choose to ignore this.
Layering too many actives or products can lead to irritation, breakouts, or even long-term sensitivity.
Your skin barrier – the only thing keeping your face from turning into a war zone of flaky, pissed-off, shitty skin – gets overwhelmed.
When it does, well…bad news.
Your skin repairs and recovers from the daily stressors when you sleep. It doesn’t need an overkill routine on top of that to recover from as well.
It needs balance.
Lifestyle > Products
If you’ve come this far, here’s my favorite skincare advice to follow.
I’m including it in this post because no one else will.
They would, if they could package sleep or exercise in an aesthetic bottle and slap a $30 tag on it.
No amount of products is going to give you perfect skin.
The same way you cannot out-train a poor diet, you cannot out-product a poor lifestyle.
Your skin will show it, no matter what you put on it.
Skincare isn’t just about what you put on your face. It’s about how you treat entire system as a whole.
They are called skincare PRODUCTS for a reason.
They are just a part of the whole that is skin care.
Sleep. Hydration. Diet. Stress management.
These are the real heavy lifters when it comes to your skin.
Products are and should be treated as complements to good great lifestyle habits.
And if you get the basics right on top of staying consistent with your products, your skin will absolutely show it.
Before you add any fancy stuff, start with the basics.
Cleanser, Toner (optional, depending on your needs), Moisturizer, SPF.
That’s your core team.
But, here’s the thing: no product can outdo bad habits.
So don’t look for external solutions (products), when your internal systems are cooked.
Side-note:
I’ve seen and experienced it firsthand. Every time I come home from Korea, my skin clears up. I can stuff myself with dairy, gluten – it doesn’t matter. My skin is good. Better, actually.
And it’s not because of some magic serum. It’s the environment, cleaner air, better sleep, and lower stress.
Your lifestyle sets the foundation for healthy skin.
Products can help, but they’ll never replace what your body does naturally.
Complicated ≠ Consistent
Complicated routines – like the 10-step skincare routine – are impossible to stick to.
I’ve been there. Every time my routine had more than 5 products, I’d be all-in for a week. After, I’d skip steps, get lazy, and eventually stop altogether. Goodbye 200$+.
If you’re someone that loves doing a 30+ minute routine every morning and evening, feel free to skip to the next section.
Overly complex routines are just unnecessary (and just bad for your skin).
For many, adding too many steps makes skincare feel like a chore.
And the harder it is to keep up, the less likely you are to stay consistent.
The good news is: skincare doesn’t have to be complicated to work. The simpler your routine, the more consistent you’ll be.
And consistency is where the real results happen.
And everything ties together:
- good lifestyle habits are connected to consistency
- Koreans, as mentioned earlier, are consistent and have good skin
- Overloading your skin with products does more harm than good (especially if you’re young)
- Consistent routines save money, time, and are often easier on the skin
- The fewer steps you have, the easier it is to stay consistent
And, of course, the more consistent you are -> the better the results
When you focus on consistency, everything clicks into place. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things and doing them well.
If I wasn’t obvious enough, this applies to everything in life, not just skincare.
Get consistent. Build good habits.
Then, if you want to add more, you can – but only if it makes sense for your skin.
I had a section prepared about the beauty industry’s role in overcomplicating skincare. But this post is already getting way too long. So, I turned it into a mini-guide. (note: that “mini-guide” ended up becoming The Skin Reset – going through 12 iterations, to become the Ultimate Industry Insider Guide)
If you haven’t already, subscribe to the letter and get the The Skin Reset – the 22-pager on how the beauty industry overcomplicates skincare on purpose, and what to do instead. If you’re into skincare beyond the consumerism and want to know how marketing creates FOMO, how brands exploit insecurities, and how to break free from the hype and have better skin without the BS, I’ll send it to your inbox.
P.S. the readers’-only code I mentioned earlier for Save My Skincare is inside. 🙂
Trust Your Skin
Your skin needs your support – not some product’s.
I know it’s not what you want to hear – but that’s why I’m writing this blog.
Because the beauty and cosmetic industry wants you to believe you’re one product away from perfection.
Our skin is smarter than it gets credit for.
It knows how to heal, protect, and repair itself.
And that is such an amazing stack of abilities.
All of the complicated processes a product or a pill cannot replicate. They can only assist the skin and watch it doing what it does best.
Unfortunately, most people nowadays don’t play the assist game. They, influenced by predatory marketing, unwillingly/unknowingly nuke it.
I know I’ve been more critical of the industry throughout this post than others, but it’s because I care deeply about it, and about helping people navigate it better.
If I didn’t believe in its potential, I wouldn’t be writing this.
The 10-step glass routine was my first disillusionment with skincare.
Simplify your routine. Focus on good habits. Trust your skin to do what it’s made to do.
Again, check the mini-guide I couldn’t fit into this post if you want a glimpse inside the beauty industry – covering everything they don’t want you to know about marketing, FOMO, and how they profit off insecurity.
Let’s make this the year of good skin.
-K. Hoe