Korean Nighttime Skincare Routine to Rejuvenate Your Skin

• Night is the perfect time to give your skin some extra care.
• Sleep allows your skin to repair and regenerate itself.
• Tailoring your Korean skincare night routine for maximum rejuvenation benefits is key.

The day’s end is here, and your bed is calling. That urge to skip skincare and just sleep? We get it! Yes, one night may not cause a breakout, but you’re missing a vital opportunity for skin healing and renewal.

You see, your skin shifts into repair mode while you sleep. Blood flow increases, skin cells turn over quicker, and your body fixes damage from the sun, pollution, and all the bad stuff.

Your skin needs all the help it can get during this time, and luckily, the Korean skincare night routine is designed for exactly this.

Let’s walk through the essential steps of a Korean nighttime routine that works with your skin’s natural rhythm to restore, hydrate, and rejuvenate.

1. Oil Cleanser

Any proper Korean nighttime skincare routine starts with an oil-based cleanser. These cleansers melt the day away, removing makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum, and all that daily grime. Thanks to the “like attracts like” rule, oil binds to oil, which makes them especially good at drawing out grease and clogged-up gunk without stripping your skin.

We love K-beauty cleansers because they are packed with skin-loving ingredients like jojoba, grape seed, and rice bran oils to nourish while they clean.

Oil cleansers are also a great alternative to harsh makeup removers. A great example is the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil, which uses micellar cleansing technology. This helps gently lift away impurities, even stubborn waterproof makeup, without irritating your skin.

2. Water-Based Cleanser

Once your oil cleanser has done the heavy lifting, it’s time to wash off the residue. A water-based cleanser is your second step in the Korean nighttime skincare routine. It ensures that sweat, dirt, and anything the oil didn’t catch are cleared away.

The goal is deep, thorough cleansing that doesn’t stress your skin out. So look for low-pH, sulfate-free formulas that keep your barrier happy and intact.

For a gentle, non-irritating option, we love the Mixsoon Centella Cleansing Foam which contains Centella extract. It’s an excellent calming product to add to your Korean skincare night routine.

3. Exfoliator

Exfoliation removes dead skin and reveals fresh, smooth skin. In your nighttime skincare routine, Korean exfoliators gently boost cell turnover, unclog pores, and improve skin texture.

K-beauty favors chemical exfoliants. Of these, popular types include enzymes, AHAs (alpha-hydroxy acids), and BHAs (beta-hydroxy acids).

Enzymes are generally the gentlest, making them ideal for sensitive skin. AHAs are great for hydration and improving texture, so this is what to reach for if your skin is dry or looking dull.

BHAs, like salicylic acid, are best for oily, acne-prone skin as they penetrate pores. If this is what you’re dealing with, try the COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. It’s gentle yet effective, plus enriched with Willow Bark Water and Niacinamide.

4. Toner

Add a Korean toner to your nighttime skincare routine on days when you skip exfoliation. It balances your skin’s pH after cleansing and lays the groundwork for everything that follows.

Also, many Korean toners are packed with beneficial ingredients like hyaluronic acid, green tea, Centella, and rice extract.

We’re currently loving the TIRTIR Milk Skin Toner, which is deeply hydrating and rich in ceramides and panthenol—both excellent ingredients for supporting your skin barrier.

5. Essence

An essence has a thicker, more concentrated formula than a toner but is still lightweight, so no worries about your Korean nighttime skincare routine becoming too heavy with this step.

Choose an essence based on your skin's current needs. Want a brighter complexion? Look for ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C. Need more hydration? Hyaluronic acid is your friend.

An all-around superstar is the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which soothes sensitive skin, repairs barrier damage, and rejuvenates your complexion.

6. Serum/Ampoule

You’ll continue to address specific skin concerns in this step of your Korean skincare night routine. Korean serums are concentrated treatments that target issues like hyperpigmentation, aging, or dullness.

Ampoules are even more potent than serums and so are meant for shorter-term use. Add them to your Korean nighttime skincare routine when your skin needs that extra boost. This is also the time to use stronger actives like retinol.

If your skin is feeling dry and tired, try something like the Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum with rice and alpha arbutin. For calming and repair, SKIN1004’s Centella Ampoule uses 100% Centella Asiatica to soothe irritation, hydrate, and heal—ideal for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

To apply, pour a few drops of the product onto your palms and gently pat it into your skin.

7. Eye Cream

The skin around your eyes is thinner and more delicate, so it needs a little extra love, particularly at night when puffiness and dryness can set in.

Adding a good Korean eye cream to your nighttime skincare routine will hydrate the area without feeling heavy. Also, these creams come with beneficial ingredients like ginseng, peptides, and Centella to brighten, rejuvenate, and soothe tired eyes.

One of our go-to picks is the Madagascar Centella Probio-Cica Bakuchiol Eye Cream by SKIN1004. It’s enriched with star ingredients like squalane, shea butter, ceramides, and bakuchiol—nature’s retinol.

8. Moisturizer

After layering all that hydration and skin-loving goodness, it’s time to lock things in with a moisturizer. This step of your Korean nighttime skincare routine will create a protective barrier that prevents moisture loss overnight.

Look for deeply hydrating formulas that include ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and panthenol to calm, repair, and cushion the skin.

If you have oily skin, opt for a lightweight, gel-based formula like the popular Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream. It deeply hydrates without feeling greasy. For dry skin, a richer, more occlusive cream is best.

Bonus: Sleeping Mask

The final step in your Korean nighttime skincare routine is a bonus: the sleeping mask. This is an overnight treatment that seals everything in as you sleep while also delivering a boost of nutrients.

Like sheet masks, Korean sleeping masks have a high concentration of nourishing ingredients, but they’re a little different in that you don’t need to take them off. Simply apply a thin layer after all the other products from your Korean skincare night routine have been absorbed.

For example, the viral Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask is a unique sleeping mask that dries down to a film. This locks in its powerful blend of collagen extract, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid.

Use your sleeping mask two or three nights a week to wake up with plump, dewy skin that looks like you just had a facial!

Shop Authentic Korean Skincare Products at EYURS

No matter your skin type or goals, making this ritual part of your evening is a simple way to end the day on a high (and hydrated) note.

You don’t need 12 steps every night, just customize your Korean nighttime skincare routine based on what your skin needs that day.

Shop all your Korean skincare online at EYURS today to get started with your new and improved routine!