Anatomy of an evening ritual

The 'ten-step routine' was a magazine's framing, not a Korean commandment. Seoul bathrooms run on rhythm, not step counts: remove, treat, seal.

Remove is always two steps — oil first for sunscreen and the city, then a low-pH wash. This is the only non-negotiable pair.

Treat is where personality lives: an essence for glow, an ampoule for flare-ups, a ferment for texture. One or two, not five — actives argue when overcrowded.

Seal according to season: gel-cream in July, ginseng cream in January, a sleeping mask before deadlines.

Then take the silk headband off and put the phone face-down. That's the tenth step nobody lists.