Skincare Essentials
By Emma Carter
My honest 5-step
skincare routine.
I get asked about my skin more than almost anything else I post. So here it is — the actual five products I use, in the actual order I use them, with zero filler steps.
These aren't sponsored picks I was handed. I tried a lot of overpriced, overhyped serums before landing on this exact lineup — and I'm walking you through how to use every single one.
See my full routine ↓
"Invest in your skin. It's going to represent you for a very long time." — the sign in my living room I actually live by.
The Routine
The 5 products, and exactly how I use each one
step 1 ·night hydration
medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum
This is my "skin looks tired" fix. PDRN — a salmon-derived DNA fragment used in Korean skincare for supporting repair and hydration — paired with a five-type peptide complex.
After cleansing, 2–3 drops on slightly damp skin, pressed in (not rubbed) with my palms. I use this at night, every night — it's the one step I genuinely never skip.
step 2 ·2-3x weekly
MEDITHERAPY Retinal Skin Booster Serum
I was nervous about retinoids for years. This formula buffers retinaldehyde with niacinamide and centella asiatica (cica), which is exactly why I could finally introduce it without the reaction I was bracing for.
Pea-sized amount, only at night, 2–3 times a week to start (never daily at first). I apply it after my hydration serum, then follow with moisturizer. I always wear SPF the next morning — non-negotiable with this step.
step 3 ·every morning
EQQUALBERRY Vitamin Illuminating Serum
Niacinamide 4% with brightening vitamin C and hyaluronic acid — my go-to for mornings when I look more tired than I actually am.
3-4 drops every morning after cleansing, before moisturizer and SPF. I keep this on my counter, not in a drawer, because the bottles I can see are the ones I actually use.
step 4 ·morning & night
Anua Niacinamide 10 + TXA 4 Serum
If I could only keep one product on this list, it's this. Niacinamide 10% with tranexamic acid (TXA) 4% — a combination associated with supporting tone evenness and daily hydration.
Both morning and night, applied right after cleansing and before any other treatment serum. This is the layer that does the most consistent, quiet work — you won't see a dramatic before/after, you'll just notice your skin looks more even over a few weeks.
step 5 ·night only
Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
Ginseng extract and retinal, formulated specifically for the thinner, more sensitive under-eye area. I added this after one too many "you look tired" comments that had nothing to do with my actual sleep.
A rice-grain amount, tapped gently with my ring finger (never rubbed) under each eye, at night only, after my other serums. This is the smallest step in my routine and somehow the one people ask about most.
Sunday reset: candle lit, journal out, serums lined up. This is the whole vibe.
The order I actually layer these in
People ask me this constantly, so here's my real morning and night sequence:
- Morning: Cleanse → Anua Niacinamide + TXA (Step 4) → EQQUALBERRY Vitamin Serum (Step 3) → moisturizer → SPF.
- Night (most nights): Cleanse → medicube PDRN Serum (Step 1) → Anua Niacinamide + TXA (Step 4) → Beauty of Joseon Eye Serum (Step 5) → moisturizer.
- Night (2–3x weekly): Cleanse → MEDITHERAPY Retinal Booster (Step 2) → medicube PDRN Serum (Step 1) → moisturizer. Skip the eye serum on retinal nights until your skin adjusts.
None of this is complicated once you see it laid out — it just took me way too long to figure out the order actually matters as much as the products themselves.
If you start with just one step, make it #4. Everything else builds from there.
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