The Olive Young Trap: Why You Don’t Need a 10-Step Skincare Routine

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In America, my skincare routine was simple: Wash face with a harsh scrub, dry with a towel, done. In Korea, skincare is not a routine. It is engineering.

You’ve heard the myths. “Koreans use 10 products every night!” “You need snail slime on your face!” So, you walk into Olive Young (the Korean Sephora/CVS hybrid), and you blackout. You wake up 30 minutes later with $200 worth of toners, serums, ampoules, and creams.

Welcome to Level 1. Let me tell you how I destroyed my skin barrier trying to get “Glass Skin,” and how I learned that less is actually more.

The Level 1 Logs: The Chemical Explosion

Flashback: 3 years ago. Olive Young “Big Sale” Day.

I wanted that famous “Glass Skin” (skin so clear it looks like a mirror). I watched a YouTube video and bought EVERYTHING.

  1. Oil cleanser
  2. Foam cleanser
  3. Exfoliator
  4. Toner
  5. Essence
  6. Serum
  7. Ampoule
  8. Sheet mask
  9. Eye cream
  10. Moisturizer

I slapped all of it on my face in one night. The next morning, I didn’t look like glass. I looked like a pepperoni pizza. My face was red, burning, and covered in bumps. I had overloaded my skin with too many chemicals.

Enter “Ssam” (The Skin Savior)

I met Ssam (my mentor) wearing a hat and mask to hide my face. “Ssam, K-Beauty is a lie! My face is on fire!”

Ssam looked at my shopping bag and sighed. “Alice, you are not building a skyscraper. You are washing your face.”

He explained the Golden Rule of K-Beauty: “The 10-step routine is marketing. Real Koreans focus on three things: Cleaning, Protecting, and Hydrating.“

Level 3 Wisdom: The Real Essentials (Save Your Money)

Ssam confiscated my 10 products and gave me the “Holy Trinity” of Korean skincare. This is all you need to start.

1. The Double Cleanse (Night Only)

This is the secret. You must wash your face TWICE at night.

  • Step 1: Oil Cleanser / Balm. It melts makeup and sunscreen. (Rub it on dry skin!)
  • Step 2: Water-based Foam Cleanser. It washes away the dirt.
  • Why: If you don’t remove the oil, your pores get clogged.

2. Sunscreen is Religion (Morning)

In Ohio, we wear sunscreen at the beach. In Korea, we wear sunscreen to check the mail.

  • The Texture: Korean sunscreens are amazing. They aren’t sticky. They feel like lotion.
  • The Rule: Wear SPF 50+ every single day. Rain or shine. This is why Koreans don’t age.

3. The Magic Sticker: Pimple Patches

If you get a pimple, DO NOT POP IT. Go to Olive Young and buy “Pimple Patches” (Trouble Patch).

  • What it is: A tiny clear sticker.
  • How it works: Stick it on the pimple before bed. In the morning, the white gunk is on the sticker, and the pimple is flat. It is sorcery.

Alice’s Bottom Line: Respect the Barrier

Don’t buy 10 products just because they are on sale. Start with a good Sunscreen and a Double Cleanse set. And if you see a Sheet Mask sale (1+1)? Okay, fine. You can buy 20 of those. They are great for hangovers.

Survival Hangul: Shopping at Olive Young

  • “테스터 있어요? (Tester isseoyo?)”
    • Meaning: “Is there a tester for this?” (Never buy without trying).
  • “지성용 / 건성용 추천해 주세요. (Jiseong-yong / Geonseong-yong chucheon-hae juseyo.)”
    • Meaning: “Please recommend something for Oily skin / Dry skin.”
  • “세일 언제 끝나요? (Sale eonje kkeunna-yo?)”
    • Meaning: “When does the sale end?” (Important financial planning).

Read This Next (Before You Make Another Mistake)

Your skin is glowing? Great. Now let’s fix the rest of your life.

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