I followed a ten-step routine for a month with a dermatologist's notes

I asked a dermatologist in Seoul to look at the famous ten-step routine before I started, and then I followed it for thirty days. Half of it stayed. This is what she cut and why.

What stayed

• Oil cleanser, then water cleanser, at night only. She said the double cleanse is the one step that earns its reputation.

• A single hydrating toner. Two was marketing, not skincare.

• Sunscreen every morning, reapplied at lunch. Non-negotiable.

What got cut

The essence and the ampoule were doing the same job as the serum, so two of the three went. The sheet mask moved from daily to twice a week. The eye cream stayed only because I liked it, which she said was a fine reason as long as I did not expect results.

The two I would carry home

A gentle low-pH cleanser at 12,000 won and a mineral sunscreen at 18,000 won. Both were cheaper in Seoul than the same tubes online at home, and neither has a scent that survives the flight.

The routine that works is the one you actually do at eleven at night.