Routines
Skin through the seasons: the Korean way, adapted for the Saudi year
In Korea, skincare changes with the seasons, from dust-day double cleansing to richer winter creams. Here's how it works, and a simple swap list for the Saudi year.
15 October 20266 min read
Koreans often say their country has four distinct seasons, and skincare there follows the calendar: the routine for a humid August isn't the routine for a cold January. The Saudi year is shaped differently, but the idea travels well. Here's what changes in a Korean routine as the seasons turn, and a simple swap list for our own year.
How a Korean routine moves with the seasons
- 1
Spring: yellow dust and fine dust
Spring brings 황사 (hwang-sa), yellow dust blown in from the deserts of Mongolia and northern China, and days of 미세먼지 (mi-se-meon-ji), fine dust. A thorough evening cleanse, often a double cleanse, becomes the priority.
- 2
Summer: humidity and the rainy season
Summers are hot and humid, with a monsoon season of heavy rain called 장마 (jang-ma). Heavier creams give way to light gels, and oil control moves up the list.
- 3
Autumn: the dry turn
As the air cools and dries, skin that felt oily all summer can start to feel tight, so moisture gets topped up.
- 4
Winter: cold air, richer creams
Winters are cold and dry, and indoor heating dries the air further. Richer creams come out, and humidifiers are a common sight at home.
Notice what changes: mostly textures, not habits. Korean shelves often split creams into two families, the light 수분크림 (su-bun-keu-rim), or moisture cream, and the richer 영양크림 (yeong-yang-keu-rim), or nourishing cream. Moving from one to the other as the air turns cold is one of the simplest seasonal swaps there is.
The Saudi year: heat, dust and air conditioning
Saudi Arabia doesn't split neatly into four seasons, but your skin can tell the months apart. Summer is long and intense, and it isn't the same everywhere: in coastal cities like Jeddah and Dammam, the heat comes with heavy humidity, while inland, in Riyadh, it's dry. Dusty days and sandstorms blow in from time to time, and inland winter nights turn cool and dry. Indoors, the air conditioning barely rests, drying the air whatever the weather outside.
A seasonal routine isn't a new routine: the habits stay, and the textures change.
Summer: what to swap
- Cleanser: a light gel or foam that rinses clean without leaving your skin tight. Even on sweaty days, gentle is enough.
- Toner: watery and hydrating, or soothing after a day in the heat. In Riyadh's dry heat, pat in two layers; in humid Jeddah or Dammam, one is often plenty.
- Moisturizer: a gel cream or light lotion. On the coast, that may be all you need; inland, add a hydrating essence underneath.
- Sunscreen: a gel, fluid or "aqua" texture, or a matte finish if you tend to shine by midday.
- Weekly care: a clay mask on oily areas or a gentle exfoliant once a week, and a soothing sheet mask after a long day in the sun.
Winter: what to swap
- Cleanser: a cream, milk or low-pH gel cleanser, with lukewarm water rather than hot. If your skin feels tight after washing, your cleanser is too strong for the season.
- Toner: hydrating layers, the Korean way. Pat in a watery toner two or three times, and use acid toners less often if your skin feels dry.
- Moisturizer: a richer cream at night, ideally with ceramides. On the coast you may only need it on cooler nights; inland, it can become a nightly step.
- Sunscreen: a creamier, more moisturizing formula. The winter sun feels gentler, but it hasn't gone anywhere.
- Weekly care: trade one exfoliating session for a hydrating sheet mask or an overnight sleeping mask.
Dusty days, the Korean way
On dusty days, or after a sandstorm, borrow the Korean fine-dust habit: double cleanse at night, even if you haven't worn makeup. Massage a cleansing oil or balm onto a dry face to loosen sunscreen, sebum and the dust clinging to them, rinse, then follow with a gentle water-based cleanser. Skip scrubs that evening; skin that's spent the day in the dust doesn't need extra friction. Finish with a soothing toner and your usual moisturizer.
What stays the same all year
- Sunscreen every morning, in every season, as the last step of your routine, topped up when you're outdoors.
- Gentle cleansing, with a double cleanse in the evening whenever you've worn sunscreen or makeup.
- A layer of hydration: air conditioning dries the air all year, so a hydrating toner or essence earns its place even in humid months.
- A calm barrier: exfoliate once or twice a week at most, and don't start several strong actives at once.
When the weather turns, switch slowly. Koreans have a word for the weeks when one season gives way to the next, 환절기 (hwan-jeol-gi), and it's often when skin feels out of balance. Change one product at a time, starting with your night cream, and give your skin about two weeks before the next swap. And if dryness, redness or breakouts don't settle, see a dermatologist.
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