By popular request, here’s my current routine. As my Empties and Openeds Reviews can attest, I go through a lot of products and have a routine more than ten steps long, but by thinking in product categories I’m able to navigate a constantly shifting routine with relatively good outcomes. I think of skincare in terms of modules: different phases with different slots within them, and products that come and go accordingly. This lets me work through my enormous stash (pictures to come in subsequent posts) in a coherent way, with my skin generally being none the worse for it.

This post is not trying to say that your routine should look anything like my routine — but if you’re wondering what or how to add to your skincare practice, hopefully some of this is helpful. It’s certainly been helpful for my dry, dehydrated, sometimes irritated skin. Your mileage may vary based on skin type, skin concerns, budget, location and more.

Cleansers

Because I have dry skin and am lazy, I don’t cleanse in the morning. I do, generally, cleanse in the evening, but let’s be real — cleansing is the least fun part of a routine. I do believe in a double cleanse, however, especially if I’ve been out and about.

For a first cleanse, I prefer cleansing balms for two reasons: they seem to emulsify better, and I enjoy the sensorial experience. This Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm is a classic, but I’m pretty equal-opportunity. For my second cleanse, I need something non-stripping for my dry skin, which means that milk or gel cleansers are my go-to. This Biossance Squalane + Elderberry Gel Cleanser has been serving me well, and has the added bonus of being able to serve as the only cleanse, if applied to dry skin.

Masks

I don’t mask every day, and tend to reserve it for long baths mostly because that makes life easier. I really enjoy doing an exfoliating mask followed by a nourishing mask. I also typically apply a mask before showering, to help protect my skin from the hot water — for this I tend to prefer masks with a shorter wear time, since they start coming off pretty readily.

The Then I Met You Rosé Resurfacing Facial Mask is a gentle but effective exfoliant, while the Korres Greek Yoghurt Probiotic SuperDose Face Mask makes an excellent soothing follow-up. The PSA Light Up Vitamin C & E Flash Brightening Mask is my current shower mask, but I’ve found that even with my dry skin I can sometimes justify a clay mask, since it doesn’t stay on very long.

Toners and Essences

Hydrating toners and essences have been a real game changer for me. There are five in my routine and I use 1-2 layers of each every routine (unless I’m dashing out the door, in which case toning gets reduced to a couple mists).

I like starting with a “First Treatment Essence” — a galactomyces-centric one. I’m currently using the Son Reve Tri-Bio Treatment Essence, but have tried SK-II, Missha, Mizon and more. I then add two layers of a toner purely intended for hydration and calming like the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner. After that I go for a few layers of what I consider to be a treatment toner — not an exfoliant (when I do an exfoliating toner I do it before my first essence), but something gentle that helps treat my skin concerns, like the subtle brightening from the I’m From Rice toner.

I round out this phase of my routine with an essence. Realistically the lines between toner and essence have become quite blurred (exhibit A: the PKY essence toner), but it gives me a nice excuse to add an additional product with a lightweight texture that’s focused on an ingredient. I’m currently using the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and use three pumps, but with lighter weight essences I tend to do two layers.

Not forgetting the mist, I like to mist throughout my routine to keep my skin damp — it really does seem to help with product absorption. This d’Alba White Truffle First Spray Serum Mist is nice because it has some oil content to it, making it help with dryness as well as dehydration.

Serums

Serums are where things start to get wild. (“Start?” asks the incredulous reader. “This has been excessive for at least a paragraph already.”) At any given point, I have the following in rotation: a vitamin C serum, a ceramide serum, a propolis serum, a brightening/antioxidant serum without ascorbic acid, a skin barrier supportive serum which may contain ceramides but for whom it’s not the central focus, and a peptide or hydrating serum. I also frequently use an exfoliating serum. This gives me a stable of serums to trot out when needed or when I’m feeling a long routine, but also gives me things to cut if I’m running out the door or feeling more sensitive.

For vitamin C I like a middling percentage ascorbic acid, like the Good Skin Days C’s the Day Serum (was at 10%, newer formulations at 12%), which I use every morning immediately after toning. My first serum in the evening tends to be a light exfoliant like Stratia’s Soft Touch AHA — I like something gentle enough for daily use or use under a retinol, because skin cycling is annoying.

After that, I start with the lightweight, watery serums and go to creamier, heavier ones, making sure to wait a few layers before adding any peptides so the pH of the vitamin C or exfoliating acid doesn’t immediately denature them. Right now, that tends to mean the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum (my brightening/antioxidant serum), then the Some by Mi Propolis B5 Glow Barrier Calming Serum for propolis, then the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum (peptides/hydration). My skin barrier supportive serum at the moment is the Neogen Real Ferment Micro Serum — I figure it doesn’t hurt to give my barrier some more microbiome love. Lastly is my ceramide serum, currently the By Wishtrend Cera-Barrier Soothing Ampoule.

Oils and Creams

After the serums come the moisturizing products. The first step is usually eye cream (MIZON Snail Repair Eye Cream) on eyes, fine lines and lips, followed by lip balm (I Dew Care Plush Party Buttery Vitamin C Lip Mask).

In the morning, I then go for a midweight moisturizer like my holy grail Isntree Cica Relief Cream. After that I like a lightweight sunscreen of at least SPF 30, and I swear by k-beauty and j-beauty SPF, like the inexpensive Verdio UV Moisture Essence SPF 50+ PA++++. When I remember, I then put on my Rohto Mentholatum Water Lip Balm SPF 20 PA++, though because it lives in my purse with my sunstick (currently Innisfree Intensive Leisure Sun Stick), I often don’t. 10/10 would recommend keeping an SPF lip balm and sunstick in your bag, however, for reapplication on the go.

Evening is more complex, for reasons. After eye cream and lip balm, I apply facial oil — I find that a dedicated oil step helps with dryness, and I’ve been using the Peach & Lily Transparen-C Vitamin C Pro Spot Treatment before moisturizer because it’s not occlusive, it helps buffering my retinal, it uses a vitamin C derivative to help with brightening and frankly it does not make sense as the spot treatment it’s billed as. I then cocktail Vitamin A-mazing Bakuchiol Night Cream with the Isntree cream, mixing them together in my palm before applying — used in this way, I find that using daily in a routine with an exfoliant is no issue. After that is my holy grail Pyunkang Yul Ato Cream Blue Label, then a sleeping mask (I’m currently using a sample of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Face Mask) and, finally another layer of lip balm. Before I hop in bed, I tend to top off with the Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment, since being a mouth breather can be a real trial.

Does your routine look anything like this? Do you think I’m bonkers? Feel free to drag me in the comments. Also, if you have any hot tips for dry, dehydrated skin prone to redness and seborrheic dermatitis, you know my 2023 skincare budget is just waiting to get used, so let me know.