Ever wondered how Korean women keep their skin so radiant through the chill of winter? We asked a Korean skincare expert to share the insider secrets behind cold-weather skin care.

Lauren Lee is a leading authority on Korean Beauty in Australia. A former corporate litigator, she swapped her legal career in Brisbane for the beauty labs of Seoul after discovering K-Beauty during a university exchange at Korea’s prestigious Yonsei University in 2011. What began as a side hustle soon evolved into a nationwide movement when she launched STYLE STORY in 2014, Australia’s first e-commerce platform dedicated to Korean Beauty.

Lauren is also the founder of Jello Ko and host of The Korean Beauty Show, the #1 globally ranked K-Beauty podcast, and is a trusted consultant for beauty industry professionals looking to navigate and break into the Korean beauty market.

As an Australian who moved to Seoul over a decade ago, I knew I had a lot to learn about winter. After all, the cold in Korea isn’t just brisk; it’s dry, bitingly cold and drags on for a good 4-5 months of the year.

Since then, I’ve had a front-row seat to how Koreans approach winter and their winter skincare. Here’s what Korean women do differently when the temperature drops.

Korean winter skincare philosophy

Korean beauty and the Korean approach to health and wellness generally are all about being proactive. They don’t tend to wait for problems to appear but instead tackle them head-on. The minute the seasons start to change, so does the skincare routine. This mindset reshaped not only how I take care of my skin but also my approach to wellness in general.

1. Cleansing is everything in winter

One of the first lessons I learned during the Korean winter was the importance of being gentle with your skin. And that all starts with the very first step, cleansing. I used to think cleansing didn’t matter all that much. After all, they’re only on your face for a few seconds, so how important could cleansers be?

It turns out that cleansing is the foundation of the entire routine. If your skin isn’t clean, then nothing you apply afterwards can truly do its job. Similarly, harsh, abrasive cleansing undoes all the good work of any hydrating or nourishing products you might apply. In fact, Koreans are so dedicated to being gentle with their skin that many even avoid using towels on their faces, considering them to be too rough.

Instead, they rely on a double cleansing method that’s both thorough and skin-friendly. It begins with an oil-based cleanser to melt away sunscreen, makeup and excess sebum. This is followed by a gentle, low-pH foam or gel cleanser to lift away any remaining residue. The result? Skin that feels truly clean but never tight, dry, or “squeaky.”

2. Forget using one cream – it’s all about the layers

Coming from Australia, I assumed that using one rich moisturiser would do the trick. I soon learned that I needed to approach my winter skincare more like you would a dry sponge. Koreans add layer after layer of lightly hydrating products to maximise absorption and then seal it all in with an occlusive layer.

Korea also taught me about the “7-skins method”. This involves layering one hydrating toner seven times. It sounds excessive, but after seeing my Korean friends’ skin look glowy in the middle of January, I gave it a go.

It turns out that toning in layers with a hydrating formula completely changed my skin in winter. It’s not about slathering on one thick cream and hoping for the best. It’s about building hydration from the ground up. Like reviving a dry sponge, Korean winter skincare is all about gently, consistently replenishing hydration.

3. Fight dry air like it’s the enemy

The first winter I spent in a Korean apartment with traditional floor heating (called ondol), my skin practically cracked open. It was so dry, I couldn’t figure out what was going on…until I noticed something. All of my co-workers had little humidifiers running on their desks. And not just them. Everywhere I went, from banks to cafés, there was a humidifier humming in the background.

That’s when it clicked: this wasn’t just about staying comfortable, it was about protecting their skin. In Korea, keeping moisture locked into the skin is a top priority, and humidifiers are one of their secret weapons in winter.

4. Sleeping masks are the real MVPs

And no, we’re not talking about the kinds of masks you pop on your eyes to get a good night’s sleep. These are especially for your face.

Unlike traditional night creams, which often come in rich, occlusive textures that work better for mature skin, Korean sleeping masks are made from a gel, which makes them perfect for skin of all ages. They’re designed to seal in hydration overnight and prevent transepidermal water loss.

Plus, unlike sheet masks, they’re also much more environmentally friendly, with one jar netting you months of masks. These are the quiet heroes of winter skincare.

5. Korean makeup is designed for glow, not control

As an Australian, I used to think that powder was the only way to finish off a makeup routine. In Korea, I learned that in winter, the goal isn’t to mattify but to glow.

Korean makeup artists taught me how to use dewy primers, BB creams and nourishing finishing sprays to add radiance, not dryness. The result is makeup that moves with your skin, not against it.

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Applying Korean skincare to the Aussie winter

Moving from humid Brisbane to the icy winds of Seoul was a shock to my system and my skin. But after a decade of observing, learning and living through Korean winters, my approach to skincare has evolved.

What Korean women do differently with skincare in winter isn’t necessarily complicated. What they really do is listen to their skin, respond to the climate and incorporate skincare in layers to maximise absorption. Rather than treating skincare like a one-off intervention after everything falls apart, they make it a part of their daily life.

So if you’re heading into winter in Australia and your skin feels tight, flaky or dull, take a page out of Korea’s book. Layer your hydration. Ditch the powder. Run a humidifier. Find a good misting spray. And never underestimate the power of a good sleeping mask. Your skin will thank you.

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Have you tried any Korean skincare products or techniques? Leave us a comment below!