This is a personal-use note, not medical advice. Kay bought this product herself. If this page later includes affiliate links, that will be stated here. Skin responses vary.
The context
My skin & test
- Skin
- Dry / Somewhat Sensitive
- Goals
- Anti-aging / Barrier Support
- Bought from
- Amazon / Olive Young
- K-beauty use
- K-Beauty, All My Life
Born in Korea and raised with Korean skincare
The short answer
My verdict
For my dry skin, four steps are usually enough; six is about my upper limit. The best routine is the one your skin can comfortably live with.
A 10-step Korean skincare routine sounds thorough. A two-step routine sounds refreshingly simple. But for my dry, somewhat sensitive skin, neither number tells me whether my skin will actually feel good.
Most nights, I use about four steps. When my skin feels like it needs more, I might use six. Beyond that, I haven’t found a benefit worth adding more products.
When I tried fewer steps
Because my skin is dry, cutting back on steps usually meant reaching for a richer moisturizer to make the hydration last. It did last longer, but the heavier texture could feel stuffy on my skin. At times, I also noticed small bumps.
That doesn’t prove the number of steps caused the bumps. The products I used changed too. What I learned was that a shorter routine with a heavy cream didn’t always feel simpler or more comfortable for me.
Why I sometimes layer lighter products
I tend to prefer building my routine with a few lightweight, hydrating products before moisturizer. On my skin, that combination can feel fresh and comfortable while keeping the dryness at bay longer than I might expect from such light textures.
But more isn’t automatically better. When I keep adding products past the point where my skin feels comfortable, it can start to feel overwhelmed, and I’ve noticed bumps then, too. That’s usually my cue to stop adding steps, not to find another serum.
Kay’s take: find your useful number
I don’t think everyone needs 10 steps. I also don’t think everyone should cut their routine down to two or three just because a shorter routine is trending.
For my dry skin, four steps are usually enough; six is about my upper limit. Your useful number might be different. I would pay less attention to the step count and more attention to how your skin feels over time: Is it comfortable? Does the hydration last? Are you adding something because it helps, or just because you feel you should?
The best routine isn’t the longest or the shortest one. It’s the one your skin can comfortably live with.