Hanluvi — The Korean skincare routine (K-beauty): the | hanluvi.com
The full sequence from oil cleanse to sunscreen, what layers over what, and which steps you can drop on a busy morning.
The ten steps run in texture order, thinnest to thickest: oil or balm cleanser, water-based cleanser, exfoliant, toner, essence, serum or ampoule, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturiser, and — mornings only — sunscreen. Each layer absorbs before the next, heavier one seals it in.
Steps 1-2 are the double cleanse, and the order inside it is not interchangeable. The oil or balm goes first because oil dissolves oil: sunscreen, sebum and long-wear makeup lift off before the water-based cleanser touches sweat and water-soluble grime. Keep the second cleanse gentle — skin sits at pH 4.5-5.5, and cleansers above pH 7 disrupt the acid mantle and slow barrier recovery.
Steps 3-5 prepare the skin. The exfoliant (leave-on BHA at 0.5-2%) appears only two or three nights a week, toner re-dampens the surface, and essence adds a light treatment layer. On mask days the sheet mask slots in after essence: single use, 10-20 minutes, with most packs saying 15.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Steps 6-9 treat and seal. The serum slot carries the actives — niacinamide, vitamin C or retinol — then eye cream and moisturiser lock the stack in. Step 10, sunscreen, exists only in the morning and is always last; in sun it is reapplied every 2 hours.
The short morning version drops to five steps: water-based cleanse or a rinse, toner, serum, moisturiser, SPF. The oil cleanse moves to the evening because its job is removing the day's sunscreen, and exfoliants and sheet masks stay weekly events.
For the percentages behind step 6, see the companion guide to niacinamide, retinol and vitamin C strengths; for step 10, the guide to SPF and PA ratings decodes the label before you buy.
Further reading