Serums

A serum is the step where you actually treat something. Everything else in a routine cleans, hydrates or protects — this is the one carrying actives at a concentration high enough to change how your skin behaves.

Which is also why it is the easiest step to get wrong. Two or three actives layered on the same night is how most people end up with a stinging, flaking barrier and conclude that Korean skincare does not work for them. One serum, one job, most nights.

Pick by concern rather than by ingredient list: PDRN and peptides for firmness, niacinamide and vitamin C for tone, hyaluronic acid for plumpness, retinal if you want the fastest results and can handle it. Apply to damp skin, then seal with a moisturiser.