Ever bought a $17 snail mucin essence, used it twice, then found it three months later shoved behind the sheet masks in your bathroom drawer, half-forgotten and probably expired? I did exactly that with a bottle of COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence in early 2024, and it’s what pushed me to finally build a real tracking system instead of just buying products and hoping I’d remember to use them. The result is what I now call the Korean Glow Routine Tracker — a Notion template built specifically around the 10-step Korean skincare order that Charlotte Cho popularized in her 2015 book “The Little Book of Skin Care.” For 2026, I’ve rebuilt it with rollup properties, a patch-test log, and budget-tier product slots so you can actually see what’s working instead of guessing. This isn’t a generic habit tracker with skincare stickers slapped on — it’s structured around the exact order dermatology-adjacent K-beauty routines follow, step by step.
5 min read
In This Article
Key Takeaways
- Who This Tracker Is Built For
- The 10-Step Korean Skincare Order (What Goes in the Tracker)
- Inside the Notion Template: What Each Property Actually Tracks
- AM vs PM: How the Routine Cards Differ
Who This Tracker Is Built For
I built this for people who own more skincare than they use, which — based on the DMs I get on this site — describes most of us. If you’ve got a shelf of half-used toners from Innisfree and Klairs and genuinely can’t remember which ones you’re supposed to layer before or after your Beauty of Joseon serum, this template exists to solve that specific problem. It’s also for anyone managing a 10-step routine for the first time in 2026 and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of steps — the Notion structure breaks it into digestible daily cards instead of one intimidating list.
It works whether you’re using Notion’s free personal plan (blocks have been unlimited for individuals since the August 2021 pricing change) or a paid workspace, and it syncs across desktop, the web app, and the mobile app on both iOS and Android. I’d say it’s less useful if you’re a minimalist three-step person — a cleanser, moisturizer, SPF routine doesn’t need a 10-property database, and honestly you should skip straight to a simpler tracker instead of forcing this one to fit.
Parents juggling their own routine alongside a teenager’s first skincare steps will get extra mileage here too, since the template supports multiple linked databases — one for you, one for a teen just starting with something gentle like Etude House SoonJung pH 6.5 Whip Cleanser (around $14 for 150ml).
The 10-Step Korean Skincare Order (What Goes in the Tracker)
The order matters more than most people think, and it’s the backbone of every card in this template. Here’s the sequence, based on the double-cleanse structure Soko Glam and Charlotte Cho helped bring to Western audiences:
- Oil cleanser (removes sunscreen and sebum)
- Water-based cleanser (removes sweat, dirt, residue)
- Exfoliator (1–3x weekly, not daily)
- Toner (rebalances pH, preps skin)
- Essence (hydration and early actives)
- Treatment/serum/ampoule (targeted concerns)
- Sheet mask (2–3x weekly, 10–20 minutes)
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen in the AM / sleeping pack in the PM
Each step gets its own row in the database with a “Step Number” property (1–10), which is how the template auto-sorts your daily card into the correct sequence even if you add products out of order. I learned the hard way that skipping the toner step and going straight from cleanser to essence isn’t a disaster, but layering essence before toner genuinely does change how well the next serum absorbs — the toner’s job is to lower your skin’s pH back down after cleansing (most cleansers sit around pH 5.5–7, while healthy skin barrier function is happiest closer to pH 4.5–5.5).
Inside the Notion Template: What Each Property Actually Tracks
The database isn’t just a checklist — it uses seven property types to do real work. There’s a Select property for “Step Category” (cleanser, toner, essence, and so on), a Number property for price so you can see total routine cost at a glance, and a Date property called “Opened On” that pairs with a Formula property to calculate days since opening. That last one matters because of PAO (Period After Opening) labeling — most cosmetics sold in the EU and widely adopted elsewhere are required to disclose an open-jar symbol showing 6, 12, or 24 months of shelf life under EU Cosmetics Regulation EC 1223/2009, and the formula flags anything approaching that window in red.
There’s also a Rollup property that pulls your “Glow Score” (a 1–10 slider you fill in weekly) into a linked Gallery view, so over a 90-day span you can literally watch a trend line instead of relying on memory. A Checkbox property marks “Patch Tested” before anything gets added to your active AM or PM card — no product moves into rotation until that box is checked. Honestly, the streak counter formula (dateBetween(now(), prop(“Start Date”), “days”)) was the single feature that got me to actually finish a 30-day trial of Beauty of Joseon’s Glow Deep Serum instead of quitting after nine days like I usually do.
Every property links back to a master “Products” database, so if you use the same COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser (about $13 for 150ml) in both your AM and PM cleanse step, editing it once updates every reference — no duplicate data entry.
A Checkbox property marks “Patch Tested” before anything gets added to your active AM or PM card — no product moves into rotation until that box is checked.
AM vs PM: How the Routine Cards Differ
The template splits into two Board views because morning and night genuinely aren’t the same routine, just reordered. Here’s how the AM card looks in practice:
- AM Card #1: Water-based cleanser only (Etude House SoonJung Whip, ~$14) — no oil cleanse needed since you didn’t wear sunscreen or makeup overnight
- AM Card #2: Toner (Klairs Supple Preparation, ~$22 for 180ml)
- AM Card #3: Essence (COSRX Snail 96, ~$18 for 100ml)
- AM Card #4: Lightweight moisturizer
- AM Card #5: Sunscreen — non-negotiable, this is the step that actually prevents most visible aging from UV exposure
The PM card runs longer because it carries the double cleanse and the exfoliation/masking steps that only happen a few times a week:
- PM Card #1: Oil cleanser (Banila Co Clean It Zero, ~$29 for 100ml)
- PM Card #2: Water-based cleanser
- PM Card #3: Exfoliator (Monday/Thursday only, via a recurring Notion reminder)
- PM Card #4–6: Toner, essence, treatment serum
- PM Card #7: Sheet mask (Tuesday/Friday)
- PM Card #8–9: Eye cream, night moisturizer or sleeping pack
The template uses a Filter view so your PM card automatically hides the sunscreen row and shows the oil cleanser row instead — you’re not manually rearranging anything each night.
Budget Tiers: Essential, Better, Best Product Slots
Every step in the tracker has three linked options tagged by budget tier, because I don’t think a beginner should drop $150 before knowing if they even like a 10-step routine. Here’s how four of the steps break down:
| Step | Essential | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanser | COSRX Low pH Gel Cleanser – $13 | Etude House SoonJung Whip – $14 | Banila Co Clean It Zero + water cleanser combo – ~$40 |
| Toner | Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA Toner – $22 | Klairs Supple Preparation – $22 | Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner – $19 |
| Serum | Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum – $17 | COSRX Snail 96 Essence – $18 | Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence – $45 |
| SPF | Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF50+ – $16 | Same, backup bottle for gym bag – $16 | Two-sunscreen system (chemical AM, mineral reapply) – ~$35 |
On a tight budget, my honest advice is to skip the sheet mask step and the separate eye cream first — a good moisturizer can double up on the eye area in a pinch, and sheet masks are the most “nice to have, not need to have” step in the whole sequence. The essential tier above totals roughly $68 for four core steps, which is genuinely reasonable for a routine that’ll last most people 2–3 months of daily use.
Patch-Testing and Intro
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What makes this tracker different from a regular habit tracker?
Unlike generic habit trackers, this template is built specifically around the 10-step Korean skincare order. It structures your routine step-by-step, from oil cleanser to sunscreen, with dedicated slots for each product. This ensures you apply products in the correct dermatology-adjacent sequence for maximum efficacy, moving beyond simple checkmarks to a truly guided routine.
I have a mix of high-end and drugstore products. Can this template handle that?
Absolutely. The template includes budget-tier product slots (Essential, Better, Best) so you can log different products you own or are testing. This feature allows you to track the performance and cost-effectiveness of each item, helping you build a routine that works for your skin and your budget without any confusion.
How does the tracker help me remember to use my products?
The tracker provides a clear, visual layout of your entire AM and PM routine. By logging your products directly into the template, you create a personalized guide that eliminates guesswork. This system is designed for anyone who has ever forgotten a product, helping you establish consistency and finally get the most out of your skincare investments.
Is there a way to track if a new product is causing a reaction?
Yes, a dedicated patch-test log is included. Before fully integrating a new product into your routine, you can record patch-test dates, locations, and any reactions. This proactive feature helps you identify irritants or allergens early, ensuring you only introduce safe and effective products to your sensitive facial skin.