A study presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology congress in late September put a number on something most dermatologists had suspected for years: of the top-performing Korean skincare and “glass skin” videos on TikTok, nearly 95 percent contained at least one misleading claim.
The researchers analysed 38 videos surfaced by five K-beauty search terms, using a neutral account with no viewing history to reduce algorithmic bias. Every single video was rated unreliable or of low reliability. None cited an external source.
The safety findings are the part worth reading twice. Of 38 videos, one mentioned the risk of skin irritation. Two mentioned sunscreen. None mentioned contact dermatitis risk, and none suggested consulting a dermatologist. Meanwhile 84 percent ignored differences between skin types entirely, 45 percent encouraged layering multiple actives without safety guidance, and 32 percent promised immediate results.
None of this means Korean skincare is bad. The researchers were explicit about that. What the study found is that a set of sound principles — gentle cleansing, hydration, barrier care — gets repackaged on social media as a one-size-fits-all routine with the safety information stripped out.
Why “One Routine Fits All” Fails
The ten-step routine format is the core problem. It assumes everyone starts from the same skin, which nobody does.
If you have oily, acne-prone skin and you add four layers of hydrating essence plus a heavy cream, you are creating an occlusive environment that favours the bacteria involved in breakouts. If you have rosacea or a compromised barrier and you add three actives in sequence, you are inviting irritation. The routine itself is not harmful; applying it without reference to your own skin is.
The Four Things the Videos Leave Out
1. Sunscreen is not optional
Two videos out of 38 mentioned it. This is the single most consequential omission. Every active ingredient that produces visible change — retinoids, acids, vitamin C — also increases photosensitivity. A routine built on actives without daily SPF will produce pigmentation that takes longer to fix than the original concern.
2. Irritation is a normal outcome, not a personal failure
One video out of 38 mentioned it. If you start a new active and your skin stings, flakes, or turns red, the correct response is to stop, not to push through. “Purging” is a real phenomenon with retinoids, but it is specific and time-limited. Burning is not purging.
3. Layering actives has a cost
Forty-five percent of the videos encouraged stacking actives. The issue is that some combinations are genuinely problematic — benzoyl peroxide with retinol, strong acids with retinoids in the same routine, vitamin C at low pH followed by niacinamide — and none of the videos flagged any of them.
4. Contact dermatitis is common and under-discussed
No video mentioned it. Fragrance, essential oils, and preservatives are among the most frequent causes of allergic contact dermatitis on the face, and a routine that layers eight products multiplies your exposure to all of them.
What a Barrier-First Routine Actually Looks Like
Strip the ten steps back to what the evidence supports, and it is short:
- Gentle cleanser — pH-balanced, no scrubbing, once or twice daily depending on your skin.
- One hydrating layer — a toner or essence if you like the texture, a hyaluronic acid serum if you prefer. Not both.
- One active, introduced alone — pick one: a retinoid, an acid, or vitamin C. Run it for four weeks before adding anything else.
- Moisturiser — matched to your skin type. Lighter for oily, richer for dry.
- Sunscreen every morning — SPF 30 or higher, enough to actually cover your face.
That is five steps, and it covers everything the ten-step routine claims to do. The glass-skin finish people are chasing comes mostly from hydration plus gentle exfoliation over time, not from the number of bottles.
How to Tell Whether a Routine Video Is Worth Following
- Does it name a skin type? If it claims to work for everyone, it is not describing your skin.
- Does it mention sunscreen? A routine video without SPF advice is incomplete by definition.
- Does it promise a timeline? “Results in three days” is a red flag. Barrier repair and retinoid adjustment both take weeks.
- Does it say who should not do this? Any routine that suits everyone also suits no one in particular.
- Is the creator selling something? Not disqualifying on its own, but it explains the number of steps.
The Bottom Line
The study’s finding is not that viral routines are dangerous in themselves. It is that they arrive without the context that makes them safe — no skin typing, no irritation warning, no sunscreen, no referral to a professional. Take the principles, drop the step count, introduce actives one at a time, and wear sunscreen. That is the whole routine, and it is the part the videos keep leaving out.
