One Step Too Far

The hype of the ten-step skincare routine has gained traction with men, but many are still struggling to cope with the basic three steps. Are these men missing out?

- Wilson Lim

When did the basic three-step skincare regime turn into ten steps? Men have the Koreans with their impeccable “North-Star” level glowing skin to blame. Now that K-wave has spread across the world, everyone is looking to South Korea for inspiration, even emulating the looks of their idols. When pressed to share their secrets to youthful, glowing skin, the male idols revealed their obsession with hydration. That obsession peaks with the double dosage of products that essentially perform the same function, resulting in a multiplying effect and the ten-step routine.

If one is wondering if the ten steps entail slathering ten products on the face in one sitting, the answer is yes. So how does the tenstep regime really work? Here is an analogy to illustrate the point: You are out drinking with the lads, and in that night, you started with beer then moved on to martini, white wine, red wine, dessert wine, brandy, whisky, tequila, vodka, and capped it off with champagne. The aim was to get wasted (for maybe the entire of the next week), and that has been overachieved with such a potent cocktail of alcohol. Would you do this every weekend? I hope your answer is no, but the point is nobody can commit to a ten-step skincare regime unless the whole point of his existence is centred on looking like a K-pop star. Also, if you keep loading your skin with hydrating skincare products, being high on hydration, it will definitely appear plump.