My Full 2025 Routine (Korean Skincare Routine for Brown Skin)
AM Routine
PM Routine
- Beplain Mung Bean Oil Cleanser
- Dokdo Foam Cleanser
- Centella Ampoule
- Anua TXA Pads (2–3 nights/week)
- Dr. Althea 345 Cream
- Sheet mask when needed
I used to avoid mirrors. No joke. Every time I saw my reflection, I’d zoom in on the dark spots left by old pimples, sun damage, and whatever else life threw at my skin. Makeup was my armor, but it felt like a losing battle because the spots just kept multiplying.
Hyperpigmentation on brown skin is stubborn, dramatic, and loves sticking around like a bad ex. After trying turmeric pastes, burning scrubs, and every “miracle product” that TikTok threw at me… I finally found the routine that ACTUALLY worked for my brown skin in 2025:
✨ A Korean skincare routine focused on calming, hydrating, and brightening, NOT attacking my skin.
This is my real beginner-friendly routine with the exact products I used, my honest results, and the TikTok hype that pushed me into trying half of these.
Step 1: Melt It All Off (The Step I Ignored for YEARS) & Wash Without Damaging (Apparently That’s a Thing?)
My first big mistake in the past? Scrubbing like a madwoman. My brown skin would flare up, and the dark spots looked worse. This time, I started with double cleansing.
- Oil-based cleanse: I melt off makeup and sunscreen, giving my skin a gentle reset.
- Water-based cleanse: Wash away sweat, dirt, and all the stress of the day.
Beplain Mung Bean Oil Cleanser (My first step and my favorite surprise)
When I first bought this, I didn’t expect much. It looked too simple. But listen… this thing MELTS sunscreen and makeup like it was personally offended by them.
My experience:
It feels silky, not greasy.
Didn’t break me out (rare for me).
Didn’t sting my eyes AT ALL.
After one week, my skin stopped feeling tight after cleansing.
My texture looked smoother — which made my dark spots less dramatic.
As a beginner, this was the first product that made me say:
“Ohhh, THIS is what cleansing is supposed to feel like.”
If you’re wearing sunscreen daily (which you absolutely should), this oil cleanser is clutch.
Round Lab Dokdo Foam Cleanser (The second cleanse that didn’t strip me)
Foam cleansers used to terrify me because many of them made my brown skin look gray, tight, and dry. But the Dokdo cleanser? Different breed.
My experience:
Ultra gentle — no tight feeling.
Light creamy foam, not that squeaky-stripping type.
Helped calm redness around my dark spots.
My skin barrier actually stayed intact (shocking, I know).
Cleanses deeply without irritating — essential for avoiding new hyperpigmentation.
This became my daily “reset button.” Every night after using it, my skin felt clean but soft, the perfect base for the rest of my routine.
I also added SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule right after cleansing. At first, I thought, “Does this really do anything?” But within a week, my skin felt calmer, less irritated, and hydrated. It was the first time my skin actually thanked me.
I used to think cleansing didn’t matter. Girl… it matters SO much more than I knew. Once I switched to the Korean double-cleanse method, my skin legit stopped punishing me.
Step 2: Exfoliation (The Gentle Way)
I used to think harsh scrubs were the answer. Spoiler: they’re not. They just made my dark spots darker.
Anua Niacinamide + TXA Brightening Pads
Then I found Anua Niacinamide + TXA Brightening Pads. I started using them 2–3 times a week, and I swear, it felt like magic. My dark spots slowly began fading without any redness or irritation. The brightening blend (niacinamide + tranexamic acid) helped fade post-acne marks and uneven tone without harsh stinging or redness. After a few weeks, I genuinely noticed some spots looking softer and less obvious. One morning, I caught a glimpse in the mirror and thought, Wait… is that spot actually smaller? Small victory, but thrilling.
Step 3: Calm the Battlefield
Essences used to confuse me. “Do I really need another watery step?” I wondered. But adding SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule again as an essence completely changed my skin.
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule
It’s lightweight, absorbs fast, and delivers gentle hydration and barrier support. When I started using it nightly after cleansing, my skin felt calmer, less irritated, and overall more balanced which was a big deal because my skin used to freak out whenever I tried brightening serums.
It was like giving my face a refreshing drink. Dull spots softened, my complexion brightened, and my skin actually started looking healthier overall. I realized hydration wasn’t optional, it was essential for fading pigmentation.
Step 4: Adding Back the Glow
Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum
Brown skin can look dull FAST — especially when dealing with pigmentation.
This serum was my glow insurance.
What I noticed:
Lightweight, layers easily
Made me look alive in the morning
Boosted the brightening effects
Didn’t sting or irritate
On no-makeup days, this serum carried me.
It was “you look well rested” in a bottle.
Step 5: Moisturizers That Put Me in My Soft-Skin Era
Let me be honest:
I tried Dr. Althea because it was ALL OVER TikTok.
Like… every time I opened the app it was:
“345 Cream changed my skin!”
“This is my new holy grail.”
“Run, don’t walk.”
And you already KNOW I ran.
Dr. Althea 345 Cream (The TikTok-Hyped Moisturizer That Actually Worked)
I fully expected this to be overhyped, but the joke was on me because it worked so well I had to shut up.
My honest actual results:
Unreal hydration without heaviness
Skin looked plump-plump, like juicy
Didn’t clog my pores
Made my skin feel bouncy + calm
Sat perfectly under sunscreen
Gave that “clean girl glow” TikTok keeps romanticizing
It’s literally the moisturizer that made me think,
“Okay yeah… maybe TikTok skincare girlies actually know things.”
This became my everyday moisturizer because it checked every box AND didn’t undo all the brightening work I was doing.
Step 6: Sunscreen – My Non-Negotiable Step
Here’s the truth: no matter how perfect your routine is, skipping SPF ruins everything.
Meanwhile my dark spots were getting darker like they were leveling up.
When I finally got serious about SPF — everything else in my routine basically doubled in effectiveness.
And these are the sunscreens that actually worked for me, in real life, as a brown-skinned beginner:
ISNTREE Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel
(This one had me in a chokehold in 2024–2025 TikTok.)
This sunscreen is THAT girl.
The first time I used it, I literally said:
“Why is this applying like moisturizer?? Hello??”
My real results:
Zero white cast (like… NONE)
Hydrating but not greasy
No pilling
Gave a soft, fresh glow
Never broke me out
Wore beautifully under makeup
This is the sunscreen that made me stop skipping sunscreen out of laziness.
It feels too good.
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun
If sunscreens were influencers, this one would have a million followers.
TikTok was OBSESSED.
And honestly? Fair.
What I loved about it:
Absorbs instantly
Dewy but not oily
Undetectable on brown skin
Didn’t sting my eyes
Never caused irritation
This was my “everyday sunshine” SPF.
Perfect for casual days, errands, skincare-only mornings.
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Sunscreen (“My Sensitive-Skin Safe Option”)
Some days my skin wakes up and chooses chaos.
On those days, this sunscreen saved me.
My experience:
Extremely gentle
Calming, not shiny
No white cast (brown-skin approved)
Perfect for irritated or active-exfoliant nights
Smoothed out redness
This is the sunscreen I reach for when my barrier is feeling fragile but I still need full protection (which is always).
The Lessons I Learned
- Start gentle. I focused on barrier care first before diving into actives.
- Consistency beats intensity. A few products used regularly worked better than a dozen products used randomly.
- Sunscreen is mandatory. There’s no shortcut here.
- Celebrate small wins. Every faded spot felt like a tiny victory and kept me motivated.
Final Thoughts
Fading hyperpigmentation on brown skin isn’t an overnight miracle it’s a journey. But with the right routine, beginner-friendly products, and a bit of patience, it’s absolutely possible.
For me, Korean skincare in 2025 wasn’t about perfection; it was about building a routine I could stick to, seeing small but real changes, and finally feeling confident in my own skin.
And honestly? That first time I saw a dark spot noticeably fade… I smiled so hard, I almost ran to show my reflection to a friend. That’s how you know it’s worth it.