Why the products are numbered
K-Beauty is less a single product group than a sequence, which is why the items here are numbered. 01. Cleansing stands at the beginning, then come 02. Toner, 03. Serum and 04. Cream, and during the day 05. Sun Care is the last step. If you are starting from scratch, you simply work your way along that order rather than swapping individual steps around.
The order follows texture, from thin to dense. Toners are watery, serums are noticeably more concentrated and usually a little gel-like, creams form the densest layer and therefore come last. That is more or less the whole idea behind the Korean routine: no single product defines it, the order in which the steps follow one another does.
Where to start
The Routine Sets take the picking and choosing off your hands. They bundle the steps into one ready-made combination and are the usual way in if you have not yet worked through individual brands. If your routine is already settled, you go straight to the number you are currently missing instead.
The Add-Ons are not a stage of their own but additions. Toner pads take over the job of the toner from the bottle and save you the cotton pad, while sheet masks are usually slotted in between cleansing and cream. Both make good presents, because you do not need to know the recipient's usual routine; we have collected more gift ideas as well.
Korea beyond the routine
A lot of what is printed on the packaging is Korean, and Hangul is quicker to read than it looks: we have explained the Korean alphabet step by step. And if it is the food side of Korea that interests you rather than the routine, the rest of the range sits under Korean snacks.
