The Korean multi-step skincare routine is famous for a reason — each product has a specific job, applied in a specific order. Here’s the typical sequence and the Korean word for each step, roughly from first to last.

The Routine, Step by Step

Each product layer is meant to build on the one before it — lightest textures first, richest last.

Not every step is used every day, and plenty of people skip essence or use a simplified routine — but knowing these words means you can actually read what a Korean skincare product is for, rather than guessing from the packaging alone.