Products are independently selected by our editors. We may earn an affiliate commission from links. I certainly did not have a simplified skin care routine on my 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 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. 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. 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.
The results were shocking. Within a week, my skin felt plumper, bouncier, and softer. But why? Ahead, a look at my simplified five-step skin care routine. 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. Sensibio H2O Micellar Water.
Just douse a cotton round, wipe, and go. No H2O necessary. La Roche-Posay. Toners and essences are essential to any Korean skin care routine. Both help skin absorb any skin care products that follow and promote plump, luminous skin.
