I certainly did not have a simplified skin care routine on my 2024 bingo card, simply because I really love curating a beauty regimen. I used to take the approach of squeezing in any serum, treatment, or ingredient that sounded good. And suddenly I had amassed a mini Sephora in my bathroom and a 22-step bedtime routine.
While this extensive ritual served me for a period—as both a radical act of self-care and a meaningful way to research loads of products simultaneously—the process became quite cumbersome. On a singular day, I might apply an exfoliating toner, oil-reducing clarifying serum, moisturizer for acne-prone skin, and retinol—all in an effort to prevent breakouts and alleviate my oiliness. Reactive is how I’d describe my skin’s state after all of this—more prone to blemishes, super oily, and honestly a little tender to touch.
It never really occurred to me that all the treatments I was giving my skin only exacerbated the very concerns I was hoping to treat. But one day, after hearing a skin expert wax on about the importance of skin-barrier repair for the umpteenth time, I had the aha moment that maybe I wasn’t giving my skin the protection and care it so deserved by using so many harsh ingredients. And so I sought to limit myself to only the essentials.
To pare my routine down, I revisited a nugget of advice a dermatologist once told me—your skin care regimen only requires four things: a cleanser, a serum, a face cream, and SPF. I couldn’t help but add in a toner or essence, too, as a way to practice the K-beauty philosophy. The results were shocking. Within a week, my skin felt plumper, bouncier, and softer. Since practicing this streamlined routine, I rarely have blemishes and don’t get nearly as oily as I used to. But why? “By minimizing the use of potentially irritating or drying products, your skin may have balanced its natural oils, leading to improved hydration levels and a softer skin texture,” California-based board-certified dermatologist Divya Shokeen, MD, FAAD, explains. New York City–based board-certified dermatologist Brendan Camp, MD, agrees, emphasizing that “allowing skin sufficient time and space to receive products and recover from their impact” can lead to healthier skin.
Ahead, a look at my simplified five-step skin care routine. If you’re considering a similar approach, here’s a little food for thought from Dr. Shokeen: “A streamlined routine promotes better adherence to essential steps that give you the biggest improvement, leading to consistent care and improved skin health over time.”
Step One: Cleanser
The French approach to cleansing—or rather, not cleansing—kick-started my simplified regimen. Turns out not washing my face in the morning was a helpful way to keep my skin soft and balanced. I found a healthy sweeping of micellar water across my skin in the morning useful then a double cleanse at night to remove all traces of makeup.
Step Two: Toner
Toners and essences are essential to any Korean skin care routine. Alicia Yoon, Korean skin care expert and founder of Peach & Lily, previously explained that the former is designed to balance skin’s pH, while the latter boosts hydration levels. Both help skin absorb any skin care products that follow and promote plump, luminous skin. That said, I have been testing an array of hydrating toners and am sure to use one of the below morning and night.
Step Three: Morning Serum
Vitamin C is one of the most acclaimed skin-brightening, antioxidant ingredients out there—the “gold standard” as Alabama-based board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman puts it. So, true to his advice, I prioritize incorporating it into my morning regimen. Consistent with my hydration agenda, I also like to incorporate a hyaluronic-acid serum. Each morning I’ll use one or the other.
Step Three: Night Serum
At night, I basically swap my morning serums for my night serums. This is when I incorporate the best retinol creams or any exfoliating treatment my skin might need. I’ve found it useful to do these treatments at night to sandwich between a toner and a generous dollop of moisturizer.
Step Four: Moisturizer
If I were stranded on a desert island with only one product, it would be face moisturizer. (I think.) The below lock in hydration and, thanks to intelligent formulations, offer multipurpose benefits like softening skin texture and smoothing wrinkles. My face moisturizer is essential to seal in all the goodness from the toners and serums that preceded it.
Step Five: Sunscreen
I’m not particularly fussy about sunscreen. I just look for something with a SPF level of at least 50 and a creamy, cast-free white finish. Oh, and because I’m wearing it in the AM, it needs to sink into skin and sit well under makeup.