Journal

The gold-standard anti-ageing ingredient — what it does, how to start gently, and how K-beauty made it kinder. No skincare ingredient is more proven than retinoids — and none is more feared. Ask around and you'll hear stories of peeling, redness and "my skin hated it." Almost all of those stories come from the same mistake: starting too strong, too fast. Used properly, a retinoid is the closest thing skincare has to a time machine. So let's take the fear out of it. What retinoids actually are "Retinoid" is the family name for vitamin A in skincare. Inside that family sits a ladder of strengths, and understanding it is the whole secret: Bakuchiol & bio-retinol — plant-derived alternatives that mimic retinol's effects, gentlest of all. Retinol — the classic; effective, well-studied, moderate. Retinal (retinaldehyde) — one step stronger; works faster because your skin converts it more directly into the active form. Prescription retinoids — dermatologist territory, not sold in shops. Whatever the rung, the job is the same: retinoids speed up cell renewal and support collagen — which over months softens fine lines, refines texture, clears congestion and evens tone. The difference between rungs is speed and intensity, not the destination. Why K-beauty retinoids are gentler Korean formulators took the world's most irritating hero ingredient and asked: how do we make this liveable? Two answers define the K-beauty approach. First, encapsulation — enclosing the retinal in liposomes that release it slowly into the skin instead of all at once. Less shock, less irritation, same result. Second, pairing — retinoids formulated alongside soothing, barrier-loving ingredients like fermented rice, ginseng and black rice, so the formula calms while it works. That's why a well-made Korean retinal can be both potent and wearable. How to start (this is the part that matters) Night only. Retinoids degrade in sunlight and make skin more sun-sensitive. Twice a week at first. A pea-sized amount for the whole face. After two or three weeks without irritation, move to every other night, then nightly if your skin allows. The sandwich trick: moisturiser → retinoid → moisturiser. It buffers the effect beautifully for sensitive skin. Expect an adjustment period. Mild dryness or a few small breakouts in the first weeks is normal — it passes. Genuine burning or persistent redness means stop and step down a rung. Don't mix with strong exfoliants (AHA/BHA) on the same night while you're adjusting. Patience. Real results show at 8–12 weeks. This is a marathon ingredient. The two non-negotiables SPF every morning, no exceptions. A retinoid at night without sunscreen by day undoes its own work — and in a climate like ours, that rule is doubled. (Read our guide: "Sunscreen in the Canaries".) Not during pregnancy or breastfeeding. All vitamin-A retinoids (retinol, retinal, bio-retinol included) should be avoided when pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive. This is the one hard stop in skincare. If that's you, bakuchiol is your friend — similar benefits, plant-derived, and widely considered the safe alternative (as always, confirm with your doctor). Finding your rung — from our shelves Pregnancy-safe / ultra-sensitive: the EQQUALBERRY Bakuchiol Plumping Serum for the face, and the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream for the eye area — retinol-like benefits, none of the restrictions. First retinoid: the NUMBUZIN No.3 Blue Bio-Retinol Pore Refining Serum eases you in gently, or step up to the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Night Knight Retinol Serum — a classic retinol cushioned by black rice. Ready for retinal: the K-Secret Seoul 1988 Cream Retinal Liposome 1% + Fermented Rice is the comfortable entry, and the K-Secret Seoul 1988 Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng Serum is the step up when your skin has earned it. The eye area: start with the Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal — gentle and beginner-friendly — and graduate to the K-Secret Seoul 1988 Eye Cream Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean for the advanced route. Browse all our anti-ageing treatments → The honest summary Retinoids reward the patient and punish the greedy. Start low, go slow, wear your SPF, and skip them entirely if you're pregnant. Do that, and the most proven ingredient in skincare quietly gets to work — and a few months from now, your skin will show you why every dermatologist keeps recommending it.

The science behind Korean skin's signature luminous finish — and how to work towards it. "Glass skin" is the look that launched a thousand routines: a complexion so smooth, even and luminous it appears almost translucent, like glass. It's the aesthetic most associated with Korean beauty — and it's surrounded by more myth than almost any other skincare idea. So let's be clear about one thing from the start: glass skin isn't a product you can buy, and it isn't magic. It's the visible result of a few specific, understandable things happening in the skin. Understand those, and you can genuinely work towards it — whatever skin type you're starting with. What "glass skin" actually is That glass-like glow comes down to how light behaves when it hits your skin. On rough, dry, or uneven skin, light scatters in all directions — the surface looks dull. On smooth, well-hydrated skin, light reflects evenly back — and that even reflection is what we read as "glow." So glass skin isn't about being shiny or oily. It's about a surface that's smooth enough and hydrated enough to reflect light evenly. Everything below is just the practical route to that. 1. Deep, layered hydration This is the single biggest factor. Plump, water-rich skin cells sit evenly and reflect light beautifully; dehydrated cells shrink and sit unevenly, scattering it. The Korean approach is layered hydration — thin watery layers, one after another, rather than a single heavy cream. Hyaluronic acid is the key ingredient here: it holds many times its weight in water and draws moisture into the skin. From our shelves: the TORRIDEN Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum uses low-molecular HA to hydrate at multiple depths, while the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule Serum pairs hydration with skin-renewing PDRN. 2. A smooth surface Even the most hydrated skin won't look glassy if the surface is rough. Gentle, regular exfoliation clears the build-up of dead cells that scatters light and leaves skin looking dull — revealing the smoother, more reflective skin beneath. The key word is gentle. Over-exfoliating damages the barrier and does the opposite of what you want. Once or twice a week is plenty. From our shelves: the AXIS-Y PHA Resurfacing Glow Peel uses PHA — the mildest exfoliating acid, suitable even for sensitive skin; the MEDICUBE Zero Pore Pads refine texture in a convenient format; and for skin that tolerates a little more, the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner offers a slightly stronger resurfacing step. 3. A healthy barrier Here's what most "glass skin" tutorials miss: none of it lasts without a healthy skin barrier. The barrier is what holds water in. If it's compromised, hydration escapes as fast as you apply it, and skin looks dull and feels tight no matter how many serums you layer. Ingredients like heartleaf, centella and probiotics calm and strengthen the barrier — which is why they appear throughout K-beauty. From our shelves: the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence supports the barrier while it hydrates; the Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner calms and reinforces reactive skin; and the MIXSOON Soondy Centella Asiatica Essence harnesses centella, K-beauty's most trusted soothing botanical. 4. The essence step If there's one step most associated with glass skin, it's essence — a lightweight, watery layer applied after toner. Essences deliver a surge of lightweight hydration and active ingredients that sink in fast, building exactly the kind of plump, even base glass skin depends on. From our shelves: the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is a cult classic for hydration and repair; the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water adds a nourishing, antioxidant-rich layer; and the NUMBUZIN No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner brings PDRN and NAD+ together for glow and firmness in one step. 5. Radiance from within Once skin is smooth and hydrated, brightening actives take it the final step — evening out tone and adding genuine luminosity. Niacinamide, vitamin C and rice extract all help skin look clearer and more radiant over time. From our shelves: the NUMBUZIN No.5 Vitamin Concentrated Serum is a vitamin-rich brightening favourite; the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum: Rice + Alpha-Arbutin builds radiance gently; and the K-Secret Seoul 1988 Glow Serum Niacinamide 15% + Yuja pairs high-strength niacinamide with vitamin-C-rich yuja for a visible glow. And, always: protection Nothing undoes glass skin faster than sun damage. UV exposure roughens texture, drives uneven pigmentation and breaks down the very structure that keeps skin smooth. Daily sunscreen isn't a separate goal from glass skin — it's part of the same one. From our shelves: the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ protects with a lightweight, glow-friendly finish. The honest truth about glass skin Two things worth saying plainly. First, genetics and skin type play a role. Naturally dry or textured skin can absolutely become smoother, more hydrated and more radiant — but "flawless translucent glass" as seen in filtered photos is often exactly that: filtered. The goal is your skin, healthier and glowing — not someone else's edited version. Second, it comes from consistency, not intensity. Glass skin is the reward for treating your skin gently and hydrating it well, day after day. There's no single product that delivers it overnight — but there's a genuine, science-backed path that gets you there. That path is the whole of Korean skincare in miniature: hydrate deeply, exfoliate gently, protect the barrier, and never skip sunscreen. Do that consistently, and the glow follows.

Chemical vs. mineral, how much, how often — and why living on these islands changes the rules. If you take one thing from everything we write, let it be this: sunscreen, every morning, all year. It's the single most effective anti-ageing product ever made, the guardian of every result your other products achieve — and here in the Canaries, it isn't seasonal advice. It's daily life. Why the Canaries change the rules Our islands sit closer to the tropics than to Madrid — and the UV index shows it. While northern Europe drops to UV 1–2 in winter, Lanzarote rarely leaves the moderate-to-high range, and summer days routinely hit UV 10–11. Add the amplifiers: sunlight reflecting off the sea and pale stone, the trade winds that keep skin cool while it burns, and the calima haze that feels like cloud cover but lets UVA straight through. That's the part most people miss: you don't feel UVA. It doesn't burn — it quietly drives pigmentation, loss of firmness, and most of what we call ageing. A comfortable, breezy, even overcast island day is still a high-exposure day. Which is why the question isn't whether to wear sunscreen here — it's which one, and how. Chemical vs. mineral — the honest difference All sunscreens do the same job — stop UV from damaging skin — but they do it two different ways: Chemical filters absorb UV and convert it to harmless heat. Modern Korean chemical sunscreens are the reason "I hate sunscreen" is disappearing: featherlight, invisible, no white cast, beautiful under makeup. Mineral (physical) filters — zinc oxide, titanium dioxide — sit on the surface and reflect UV away. They start protecting the moment you apply them, and they're the classic choice for very sensitive, reactive, or post-treatment skin. Neither is "better." Chemical wins on texture and invisibility; mineral wins on gentleness and immediacy. The best sunscreen is — genuinely — the one you'll happily wear every single day. Decoding the label: SPF50+ and PA++++ SPF measures protection against UVB — the burning rays. SPF50 blocks roughly 98% of them. PA measures protection against UVA — the ageing rays — and PA++++ is the highest grade. Every sunscreen we stock is SPF50+ PA++++: maximum on both scales, because anything less doesn't make sense at this latitude. How much, and how often — where everyone goes wrong The famous studies assume far more product than most people use. The rule that works: two full finger-lengths of sunscreen for face and neck — about a quarter teaspoon. Applied as the last step of your morning routine, over moisturiser. And reapplication: for an office day by a window, your morning layer plus common sense is fine. But on a beach day, terrace lunch, or any real time outdoors — reapply every two hours, and after swimming or heavy sweating, always. A sunscreen that performed brilliantly at 9 a.m. is not protecting you at 4 p.m. Three myths, quickly buried "My makeup has SPF." At the amount of foundation anyone actually wears, you're getting a fraction of the label. It's a bonus, never the plan. "It's cloudy today." Up to 80% of UV passes through cloud — and calima is not a parasol. "Sunscreen stops vitamin D." Real-world studies keep showing that normal sunscreen use doesn't cause deficiency. Your skin gets incidental exposure regardless. From our shelves — matched to your skin The everyday icon: the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ — the chemical sunscreen that converted a generation of sunscreen-haters. Light, dewy, invisible. For oily and combination skin: the NUMBUZIN No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence SPF50+ — a watery essence texture with a soft-focus finish, brilliant under makeup and in the heat. For dry, sensitive, or barrier-stressed skin: the Celimax Dual Barrier Watery Sun Cream SPF50+ — a mineral zinc formula cushioned with five ceramides; sun protection that doubles as barrier care. The pure mineral choice: the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Sunscreen SPF50+ — 100% mineral filters, black rice antioxidants, and remarkably little white cast for a zinc formula. Browse all our sunscreens → The honest summary Every serum, essence and cream in your routine is an investment — and unprotected sun exposure is the leak in the account. Two fingers of SPF50+ every morning, a fresh layer when the day is truly outdoors, and the ingredient doing the most for your skin in ten years' time will have cost you thirty seconds a day. On these islands, sunscreen isn't a skincare step. It's the ground the routine is built on.

Four hydration steps that confuse almost everyone — explained simply. Toner, essence, serum, ampoule. If you've looked at a Korean routine and wondered what the difference actually is — and why anyone needs all four — you're in good company. It's the most common source of confusion in K-beauty, and the honest answer is reassuring: they sit on a spectrum, and you don't need all of them. Think of it as a scale from lightest and most watery (toner) to most concentrated and potent (ampoule). As you move along it, the texture gets richer, the active ingredients get stronger, and you use less. Here's each one, in the order you'd apply them. Toner — the preparation step Comes first, right after cleansing. Forget the stripping, alcohol-based toners of the past. A Korean toner is a watery, hydrating first layer that rebalances the skin after cleansing and preps it to absorb everything that follows. Some also gently exfoliate or target a specific concern. Applied to slightly damp skin, a toner makes every later step work better. It's the lightest of the four and the foundation they build on. From our shelves: the Anua Rice 70+ Glow Milky Toner hydrates and adds a soft glow; the NUMBUZIN No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner adds glow-boosting actives; and for gentle exfoliation, the AXIS-Y Daily Purifying Treatment Toner. Browse all our toners → Essence — the hydration step Comes after toner. An essence is the heart of a Korean routine — a lightweight, watery layer packed with hydration and active ingredients that sink in fast. It's more concentrated than a toner but still light and fluid, designed to build that plump, dewy base K-beauty is known for. If you only add one "extra" step beyond the basics, make it an essence. It's the step that does the most for hydration and glow. From our shelves: the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is a cult classic for hydration and repair; the MIXSOON Bean Essence is a single-ingredient favourite; and the VT Cosmetics PDRN Essence 100 pairs hydration with skin-renewing PDRN. Browse all our essences → Serum — the targeted treatment Comes after essence. This is where you treat a specific concern. Serums are more concentrated than essences, with a higher dose of active ingredients chosen for one job: brightening dark spots, calming redness, boosting hydration, refining pores. Thicker than an essence, but still designed to absorb rather than sit on the skin. A serum is where your routine becomes yours — you pick the one that matches what your skin actually needs. From our shelves: for dark spots, the Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Corrector Serum; for hydration, the TORRIDEN Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum; for redness, the Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol; and for firmness, the COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum. Browse all our serums → Ampoule — the concentrated booster Comes after serum, when you want extra support. An ampoule is the most concentrated of the four — think of it as a serum turned up. Higher potency, more targeted, and used when your skin needs an intensive boost: before an event, during a stressful period, or as a short "course" of treatment. You don't need an ampoule every day, and you don't need one at all when you're starting out. It's the step you reach for when you want to go further. From our shelves: the COSRX Full Fit Propolis Light Ampoule gives a soothing, glow-boosting concentrate; the TORRIDEN Cellmazing Brightening Vita C Ampoule targets radiance; and the VT Cica Reedle Shot 100 delivers an intensive, texture-refining treatment. Browse all our ampoules → So, do you need all four? No — and this is the part most guides won't tell you. The four aren't a compulsory sequence; they're a spectrum you choose from. Just starting? A toner and a serum, alongside your cleanser, moisturiser and SPF, is a complete routine. Want more hydration? Add an essence between them. Targeting something specific and intensively? Add an ampoule. The rule that ties it together is simple: lightest to heaviest, thinnest to thickest. Toner → essence → serum → ampoule → (then moisturiser to seal it all in). Water-based before oil-based, always — because a richer texture applied too early blocks the lighter ones from absorbing. The one thing to remember You're not meant to use every product every day. A toner and a well-chosen serum will serve most people beautifully. Essences and ampoules are there for when you want to hydrate more deeply or treat something intensively — wonderful tools, not obligations. Understand the spectrum, pick the steps that suit your skin, and layer them light to rich. That's the whole secret.

The K-beauty foundation — and the step most people get wrong. If you've ever wondered why Korean skincare routines start with two cleansers instead of one, the answer is simpler than it sounds: they're not doing the same job. Most of what ends up on your face by the end of the day falls into two categories. There's the oil-based layer — sunscreen, makeup, sebum your skin produces naturally, pollution particles that cling to it. And there's the water-based layer — sweat, dust, general grime. A single cleanser can't remove both properly, because oil and water don't mix. That's not a marketing claim; it's chemistry. Double cleansing solves it by using the right tool for each layer. Step one: the oil cleanser An oil-based cleanser (an oil or a balm) dissolves what's oil-based. This works on the principle that like dissolves like — the cleansing oil binds to your sunscreen, makeup and excess sebum and lifts them away without scrubbing. You apply it to dry hands and a dry face, massage for around 30–60 seconds, then add a little water. The oil emulsifies — turning milky — and rinses away clean, taking the day with it. This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that matters most if you wear SPF daily. Modern sunscreens are designed to resist water and sweat, which is exactly what makes them so difficult for a water-based cleanser to remove. If your skin still feels faintly coated after washing, this is usually why. From our shelves: the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil is a gentle, soothing choice for most skin types, while the Celimax Derma Nature Fresh Blackhead Jojoba Cleansing Oil is better suited to congested or blackhead-prone skin. Step two: the water-based cleanser Once the oil layer is gone, a water-based cleanser — a gel or foam — removes everything left: sweat, dust, and any residue from step one. This is the step that leaves your skin genuinely clean rather than merely de-makeuped. Use lukewarm water, work it into a light lather, and keep it brief. Thirty seconds is plenty. Hot water and vigorous scrubbing strip the skin barrier, which is counterproductive — a compromised barrier leads to more irritation, more oil production, and more of the problems you were cleansing to avoid. From our shelves: the AXIS-Y Quinoa One-Step Balanced Gel Cleanser respects the skin's natural pH; the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel gently refines texture as it cleanses; and the Anua Heartleaf Quercetinol Pore BHA Deep Cleansing Foam pairs naturally with the Anua oil for blemish-prone skin. When should you double cleanse? In the evening — always, if you wear sunscreen or makeup. That's the whole purpose of the ritual. In the morning — usually not. Overnight your skin has only produced a little sebum. A single gentle water-based cleanse is enough, and for dry or sensitive skin, even plain water can be sufficient. Double cleansing morning and night is a common beginner mistake and tends to leave skin tight and irritated. Does everyone need two cleansers? Not necessarily. If you don't wear makeup and use a lighter sunscreen, a well-formulated single cleanser can be enough — and there are excellent all-in-one options designed exactly for this. From our shelves: the AXIS-Y Quinoa One-Step Balanced Gel Cleanser is formulated at pH 5.5 to remove makeup and impurities in a single wash. The one thing to remember Double cleansing isn't about washing your face twice as hard. It's about washing it twice as thoughtfully — dissolving the oil-based layer first, then clearing what's left, gently. Done properly, your skin should feel comfortable and soft afterwards, never tight or squeaky. That comfortable, unstripped feeling is the foundation everything else in a Korean routine is built on. Get this step right and every serum, essence and moisturiser that follows works better.

Why K-beauty uses more steps — and how to start with just five. You've probably seen the photos: ten products lined up on a bathroom shelf, each one promising something different. It's the image that makes Korean skincare look intimidating, and it puts a lot of people off before they begin. Here's the truth: almost nobody in Korea uses ten products every day. The famous "ten-step routine" is not a daily prescription — it's a menu. It describes every step that exists, not every step you need. Most people use four or five, adding a mask or a treatment when their skin asks for it. So why more steps than a Western routine at all? The philosophy: layers, not force Western skincare has traditionally leaned on a few strong products to fix problems after they appear. Korean skincare takes the opposite approach — many gentle layers, applied consistently, to keep skin healthy so problems don't develop. That's the whole logic. Instead of one heavy cream doing everything, you apply several lightweight layers that each do one thing well. Thin layers absorb better than thick ones, they're less likely to irritate, and they let you adjust one element without rebuilding your entire routine. It's also why K-beauty is unusually kind to sensitive skin. Gentleness isn't a compromise in this system; it's the point. Your five-step starting routine If you're beginning, ignore the ten. Start here. 1. Cleanse In the evening, remove the day properly — an oil cleanser first if you wear sunscreen or makeup, then a water-based one. In the morning, a single gentle cleanse is enough. From our shelves: the Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil for step one, and the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Triple AHA Gentle Cleansing Gel for step two. Prefer one product? The AXIS-Y Quinoa One-Step Balanced Gel Cleanser handles both in a single wash. (We've written a full guide to this — see "Double Cleansing Explained".) 2. Tone Forget the astringent, alcohol-heavy toners of the past. Korean toners are hydrating — they rebalance your skin after cleansing and prepare it to absorb everything that follows. Applied to slightly damp skin, they make every subsequent layer work harder. From our shelves: for calming sensitive or reactive skin, the Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner is one of Korea's most loved. For glow, the Anua Rice 70+ Glow Milky Toner. For pure hydration, the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner for Sensitive Skin. Browse all our toners → 3. Treat This is your targeted step — a serum or ampoule chosen for what your skin actually needs, not what's trending. Dark spots, dehydration, enlarged pores, redness: pick one concern and address it properly. From our shelves: for dark spots, the Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Dark Spot Corrector Serum. For dehydration, the TORRIDEN Dive-In Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum. For pores and texture, the NUMBUZIN No.3 Blue Bio-Retinol Pore Refining Serum. For redness, the Anua Azelaic Acid 10% + Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum. Browse all our serums & treatments → 4. Moisturise A moisturiser seals everything you've just applied and supports the skin barrier overnight. Lighter textures in the morning, richer at night — and yes, oily skin needs this step too. Skipping moisturiser often makes oiliness worse, because dehydrated skin compensates by producing more sebum. From our shelves: the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream is a nourishing all-rounder for evening, while the MEDICUBE Deep Vita C Capsule Cream adds a brightening boost — a good lighter option for daytime. Browse all our moisturisers → 5. Protect Sunscreen, every morning, without exception. This is the single most effective anti-ageing step in any routine, anywhere in the world — and in a climate like ours, it isn't optional. UV exposure drives pigmentation, loss of firmness and the majority of visible ageing. From our shelves: the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ is a daily favourite and a lightweight chemical formula; the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Pure Mineral Sunscreen SPF50+ is a mineral option for those who prefer one. (For the full picture — chemical vs. mineral, how much, how often — read our guide: "Sunscreen in the Canaries".) Browse all our sunscreens → Beyond the core five Beyond the core five, these are the steps to add as your routine grows — some daily, some occasional: Eye care — the skin around the eyes is thinner and shows fatigue and fine lines first, so it benefits from a product formulated specifically for it. Worth building into your routine early rather than waiting until you see changes. (Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream for a gentle daily option, or the MEDICUBE Salmon DNA PDRN Pink Peptide Eye Serum for hydration and dark circles.) Browse all our eye care → Exfoliation — once or twice a week, not daily. Over-exfoliating is the most common cause of a damaged barrier. (AXIS-Y PHA Resurfacing Glow Peel, MEDICUBE Zero Pore Pads) Browse all our exfoliants → Essence — a lightweight hydrating layer between toner and serum. (COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, MIXSOON Bean Essence) Browse all our essences → Sheet masks — a weekly treat, genuinely effective for a hydration boost. (Anua Heartleaf Soothing Collagen Sheet Mask, Medicube Collagen Lifting Mask) Browse all our sheet masks → Ampoules and boosters — concentrated treatments for when your skin needs extra support. The MEDICUBE One Day Exosome Shot Pore Ampoule comes in two strengths — 2000 to start, 7500 for a more advanced boost — while VT's reedle shots range from the gentle VT Mild Reedle Shot 50 to the stronger VT Cica Reedle Shot 100. Browse all our ampoules → The order, and why it matters The general rule is thinnest to thickest. Water-based products go on before oil-based ones, because a thick cream applied early will block everything after it from absorbing. Cleanse → tone → treat → moisturise → protect. That's it. Layer anything extra in the middle, keep the ends fixed. Start with the essentials, build from there Beginning a routine should feel exciting, not overwhelming. The easiest way to start is with the three essentials every routine is built on: a cleanser, a moisturiser and a sunscreen. Master those and you already have a routine that works. From there, adding a step is simple. A hydrating toner to prep the skin, then a treatment serum chosen for your main concern — introduced whenever you're ready. Building gradually lets you get to know how your skin responds and makes each new product feel like a considered upgrade rather than a guess. And if you'd rather begin with a complete routine from day one, our Build Your Bundle lets you put together a curated set at a saving — everything you need, chosen to work together. Korean skincare is really a habit — treating your skin gently and consistently, over years. It's not about rushing or doing everything at once; it's about finding the products that suit you and making them part of your day. Start with a few, enjoy the ritual, and let your routine grow with you.