Hi, it's Paola
The first time my daughters showed me a viral twelve-step routine, my gut said no. Not because they shouldn't care for their skin, but because nobody in those videos was explaining why any of those steps mattered, or what that pile of jars would do to a young skin barrier.
So instead of saying no, I sat down and talked skincare with them. That's how Kareumi started, and honestly, it's how this journal starts too. This is where I'll share what we've learned at the sink, slowly and without the hype.
Kareumi is a word we made up, but every piece of it means something. The K is for Korean, because that’s where this whole journey started for us. In the middle is areum (아름), the Korean word for beauty and grace. And the I at the end is for inspired. Put together, it’s a name that’s entirely its own, just like your skin. For me, it’s a reminder that beauty isn’t something you buy, it’s something you cultivate, a little bit every day, with intention.
So for our very first entry, I want to start exactly where we started: with the basics. No ten-step routine, no shelf full of jars, nothing to study. Just the three steps your skin really needs, and why.
You don't need ten steps
The skincare industry wants you to buy fifteen products. Your skin barrier is quietly begging you to do less.
So many of the women who message us (and so many of the moms asking what's safe for their daughters) are stuck in the same loop. Skin acts up, they add something stronger, skin acts up more. The way out is almost always simpler than you think: stop fighting your skin, give it the basics every day, and let it calm down.
The three steps that actually matter
This is the whole routine. Two minutes at the sink, morning and night.
1. Cleanse
A gentle cleanser washes off sunscreen, sweat and the day without stripping your skin. If your face feels tight afterward, your cleanser is too harsh. At night, massage a small amount onto damp skin for about thirty seconds and rinse with lukewarm water. In the morning, a splash of water is often enough unless you're oily. We use the ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleanser because it cleans without that squeaky feeling.
2. Moisturize
Moisturizer is what keeps your barrier comfortable, and a comfortable barrier is a calm one. Use it morning and night on skin that's still a little damp, about the size of a pea for your whole face. The DR.ALTHEA 345 Relief Cream is our go-to, light enough for Miami humidity and soothing enough for sensitive skin.
3. Protect
If you only do one thing, make it sunscreen. It's the last step every morning, even when it's cloudy, and down here in South Florida that's not optional. Use about two finger lengths for your face and neck, and reapply if you're outside. The BEAUTY OF JOSEON Relief Sun SPF50+ feels like a light moisturizer, no white cast, which is why it's in every single Kareumi ritual.
When you're ready for more
Once these three feel automatic, you can add one thing at a time, like a toner after cleansing or a serum before your moisturizer. Give each new product a couple of weeks before adding another, so you know what's actually working. Slow is the secret nobody posts about.
Where to start
If you want these exact three steps without the guessing, that's our Tide Pool ritual: cleanser, cream and sunscreen, plus a sheet mask for the nights you want a little extra. Already have a cleanser and moisturizer you love? Moonrise adds the toner and eye step when you're ready. Breaking out? Moonrise Clarifying is made for that.
If you’ve seen our little pink starfish, you’ve already met Kareumi. My daughters designed and drew her, and Kareumi lives in the ocean, shaped by the tides. So when it came time to name our routines, the water just made sense. A tide doesn’t rush. It rises slowly, the same way every time, and that’s exactly how we think skincare should grow. Tide Pool is the shallow water where you can see all the way to the bottom, three simple steps for when you’re just starting out (and yes, it’s where you’d find a starfish). Moonrise is when the moon comes up and the water starts moving, five steps for when you’re ready for a little more. High Tide is the water all the way in, our fullest ritual for when you know what you love. Same steps, same rhythm, you just go deeper when you’re ready.
Not sure which one is you? Take our 2-minute skin quiz and we'll match you with a ritual and swap a step for whatever your skin is doing right now. Sign up on the site and your first order is 10% off.
Start with three, be consistent, and let your skin show you what it needs next. Skincare, minus the guesswork.
With love from Miami, Paola
