The BEat by Kara Alloway October Edition
The K-Beauty Equation: Skincare, Solved
The beauty world has been having a full-blown love affair with Korean skincare for years. At its heart, K-beauty isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about layering hydration, protecting and repairing the skin barrier, and treating specific needs.
But with so many products (essences, emulsions and toners - oh my) packaged to look more like candy than science, the whole thing can feel confusing.
Remember math class, when we learned BEDMAS (brackets, exponents, division…) as the order of operations? That same tidy principle applies to K-beauty. It’s all about sequence. Once you know the order, the routine makes sense, the chaos fades, and your bathroom counter stops looking like a chemistry lab.
Here’s the real-life breakdown to build your K-beauty routine.
Step 1: Cleanse (…and maybe double cleanse)
Double cleansing isn’t mandatory, but it’s worthwhile if you’ve been wearing a full face of makeup, or that waterproof SPF. The idea: start with an oil cleanser to melt away the longwear products.
Follow with a water-based or “foam” cleanser to sweep away pollution and debris. Don’t get hung up on the word foam. The right cleanser should be gentle, ph balanced and not leave your skin feeling tight.
K-beauty pro tip: skip the towel and let your skin stay a little damp after cleansing.
Step 2: Tone
These are not the astringent toners of our teen years. K-beauty toners are hydrating; they plump, prep, and soften the skin, like misting the soil before you water a thirsty plant. You can’t expect skin to absorb all the good stuff if you don’t prime it first.
Step 3: Essence and Serum
Yes, this is technically “one step,” but it can involve multiple products. The rule: apply from thinnest to thickest. Ingredients might include:
Antioxidants: fight free radicals (pollution and stress).
Niacinamide: brightens and evens tone.
Hyaluronic acid: hydration hero, makes skin look juicy.
Peptides: signal your skin to firm up and smooth out fine lines.
This is where K-beauty flexes its innovation muscles.
Step 4: Eye Cream
The skin around your eyes is paper-thin, treat is accordingly. Tap a grain-of-rice–sized amount around the orbital bone with your ring finger (the weakest finger).
K-beauty pro tip: tapping and patting are the key motions in every step, except cleansing, for max absorption.
Step 5: Emulsion (Optional)
Think of emulsions as moisturizer-lite. Traditional K-beauty routines layer an emulsion before a thicker cream, especially in winter. You can skip it. But if your skin is Sahara-level dry, this step can add a cushion of hydration. Oily skin? You might stop with emulsion and call it a day.
Step 6: Moisturizer
This is the sealant. Moisturizer locks everything in and protects your skin barrier. Pat it in so the skin truly absorbs rather than just wearing it like a mask.
Step 7: Sunscreen (Day) or Sleeping Mask (Night)
If it’s morning: sunscreen, every single day. Yes, even when it’s cloudy, even when you’re indoors. UVA rays creep through windows, clouds, and your excuses.
If it’s evening: swap sunscreen for a sleeping mask a few nights a week to seal in everything and keeps overnight bacteria at bay. Sheet or peel off - they supercharge your skincare routine while acting like Tupperware for your products.
The Prayer Parallel
It’s funny how prayer, like skincare, has a few key component parts. I’m not saying your prayers aren’t heard if you don’t do every step. God isn’t grading us on technique. But some mornings, I honestly don’t know where to begin. I feel like I have so many things to ask of Him, to share, to work out with Him… how do I even warm up? Launching into my laundry list of requests feels hollow and doesn’t represent the personal relationship I want with the creator of the universe.
Fortunately, our heavenly Father knows our hearts and understands our humanity. It’s helpful to remind myself He just wants a conversation with me. When I turn to Jesus’ lesson on how to pray in Matthew 6:9 -13, it gets very clear:
Praise: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name” (I start with acknowledging who He is).
Surrender: “Your kingdom come, your will be done” (because it’s always so much better when I let Him take the wheel).
Request(s): “Give us today our daily bread” (bringing Him both the big needs and the small, the roses and the thorns).
Forgiveness: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (awkwardly difficult to ask forgiveness when I’m carrying some doozy grudges. Wiping the slate clean on both ends is healing.)
Thanks and trust; “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory” (ending with gratitude and perspective).
And that’s the framework: not a rigid formula, but a rhythm. It’s there when I want structure, but it flexes with the moment. Pro tip: if you’re ever called upon to lead a group in prayer, and nerves or on-the-spot fears get the best of you, or if the day has overwhelmed you so much that you can’t make the words to pray, just paraphrase the Lord’s prayer, put it in your own words. It’s all in there.
Most days my skincare routine is the full seven steps, sometimes it’s more like three. My prayer life mirrors that: sometimes a longer sit-down, sometimes just quick check-ins, whispered requests, and little thank-yous along the way.
Yes, I’ve been known to disappear into my bathroom for no less than twenty minutes at night - just long enough for my husband to check whether they’ve finally found that Oak Island treasure (they haven’t).
Prayer or skincare don’t have to overwhelm. It’s about leaning into the consistency: lighter to heavier in skincare, regular and rhythmic in prayer. The transformation may not be instant, but the result is beautiful.
My Current Tried and Tested K-Beauty Favorites
Cleanse: Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil and Cosrx LowPH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
Tone: Medicube Triple Collagen Toner Serum: Medicube Deep Vita C Capsule Cream (daytime only) Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum, Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Barrier Essence, Allbiz Snail Mucin Power Essence
Eye Cream: Mary & May Gluathation and Tranaxemic Acid Cream, Beauty of Joseon revive Eye Serum (Ginseng & Retinal) (Nighttime only)
Emulsion: Soon Jung 10 Free Moist Emulsion, Curel Emulsion Moisturize: Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, Dr Althea 147 Barrier Cream
Masks: Tosowoong Ral Collagen Fit Peel off Mask and Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask
