I got up early to salt the nepa cabbage and the seasoning.
When I put a plate of it on the breakfast table and ate it with rice, it reminded me of Korea.
I'm glad it turned out tastier than I expected.
I've been seeing more and more posts lately from people who are burned out by the famous "10-step K-beauty routine."
Honestly, after looking into it, I think a lot of people outside Korea misunderstand what K-beauty was actually about.
Short answer: Not really.
The "10-step routine" became much more famous in the U.S. than it ever was in Korea.
Many people assume Korean women were religiously following 10 skincare steps every morning and night, but that's not how most people actually used skincare.
From what I've seen, most Koreans adjusted their routine based on their skin condition.
That's very different from following 10 products every single day.
One of the names most often associated with it is Charlotte Cho, co-founder of Soko Glam.
She helped introduce K-beauty to American audiences around 2014-2017 and frequently talked about the "10-step Korean skincare routine."
What's interesting is that she later clarified that the idea was never meant to imply that everyone should use 10 products every day.
The routine was originally more of a way to explain different skincare categories, not a strict daily requirement.
Back in the 2015-2020 era, beauty magazines often framed the 10-step routine as the secret behind Korean skin.
But more recently, many dermatologists and beauty publications have been saying the opposite:
"You probably don't need that many steps."
The conversation has shifted from "more products" to "use what actually works for your skin."
A lot of Korean consumers have moved toward "skip-care."
The idea is simple:
If a step isn't helping, skip it.
Many people now keep things much more minimal:
That's it.
I don't think skincare needs to be complicated.
Consistency matters more than the number of products.
A realistic K-beauty routine is probably something like:
And if you enjoy sheet masks, ampoules, essences, eye creams, or other treatments, great. Use them.
But I don't think they're mandatory for everyone.
To me, real K-beauty isn't about doing 10 steps.
It's about understanding your skin, adjusting when necessary, and being consistent over time.
Curious what everyone else thinks.
Did anyone here actually follow a full 10-step routine? And if so, did you stick with it, or eventually simplify?
I used to shop regularly on Olive Young Global, but the transition to Olive Young US was pretty frustrating for me.
Some products disappeared, sunscreen availability changed, and there was a lot of confusion overall. I ended up looking at other retailers for K-beauty purchases.
For those who were also Global customers:
Has Olive Young US improved?
Are you happy with it now?
Did you stay with Olive Young or switch elsewhere?
Just curious how everyone feels about it today.
I picked up the Torriden Dive-In Toner at Olive Young in Pasadena as a gift for a high school boy. He's dealing with some acne, so now I'm second-guessing my choice.
Would this toner be okay for acne-prone teen skin? Or should I have gone with the Round Lab Dokdo Toner instead?
If you've used either one, I'd really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
I've been shopping on the Global site for a long time and I'm not really interested in moving over unless there's a good reason.
Is Olive Young US actually better, or is it basically the same thing with different pricing and promotions?
Has anyone tried Easydew's 'DW-EGF'?
Ads for it keep popping up on my Instagram, and I’m really curious to give it a try...
It turns out it's made by a well-known Korean pharmaceutical company. It makes me wonder—is it okay for a pharmaceutical company to make cosmetics?
Your customers are not suckers.
Olive Young, the grand opening sale sign said 15% off. What it didn't say — not loudly, anyway — was that the real discount was capped at $9. I drove 3 hours round trip, twice, stood in line for an hour, and left feeling like I'd been played. Not for $3. For something harder to name than that. ...