5 Best Medicube Products for Glass Skin by Morning

04.10.2025, 16:04 allure.com

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What I love most about Medicube is how it makes K-beauty skin care feel simple, effective, and totally approachable—both in routine and in price. These days, I’ve streamlined my lineup to the five best Medicube products for my skin, which deliver the same glass-skin glow as if I’ve done a full-blown 10-step routine (a huge win if you’re juggling kids and zero extra minutes, like I am). Because my dry skin is also sensitive and prone to melasma, I’m extra picky about what I use, but these formulas multitask beautifully without overwhelming my skin's barrier.

Medicube relies on ingredients that are practically synonymous with Korean skin care. You’ll find ingredients like polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN)—derived from salmon DNA—which are known for their regenerative benefits, helping with skin renewal and the appearance of uneven tone. Many of their products also feature Centella asiatica (a.k.a. cica), which has become a household name due to its soothing properties. “Sensitive skin is a very common skin type in Korea due to high pollution levels. As a result, sensitive-skin friendly ingredients, such as cica, are frequently seen in Korean beauty products to calm inflammation, redness, and irritated skin,” says Charlotte Cho, co-founder of K-beauty retailer Soko Glam based in New York City.

And beyond the ingredients, the textures also make everything by Medicube so fun—like a foam serum that feels like whipped bubbles, and a collagen cream that bursts on contact, releasing little pockets of hydration that melt right into your skin. They make your whole routine as enjoyable as it is effective.

That’s exactly why Medicube fits so seamlessly into my life: My five-step routine is all about pampering and resetting my skin after a long day. Even on nights when I’m completely wiped, I know each step is giving my skin the care it needs for a fresh start by morning.

Medicube

Amazon

Why it's worth it: I always kick off my skincare routine with the Medicube Zero Pore Capsule Cleansing Foam—it’s gentle enough for my sensitive skin yet still gives me that fresh, just-polished feel. The formula itself is quite thick, so I have to squeeze it a bit hard to get it out of the tube, but once it lathers, the micro-blue exosome capsules provide gentle physical exfoliation. Medicube also relies on chemical acids, utilizing AHAs like mandelic acid and BHAs like salicylic acid to prevent breakouts by keeping pores clear, along with cica to soothe irritation and green tea extract for an antioxidant boost. This cleansing foam never fail to leave my skin feeling clean, comfortable, and ready for the rest of my routine.

Allure contributing writer Christa Joanna Lee applying the Zero Pore Capsule Cleansing Foam

Lee after applying the Zero Pore Capsule Cleansing Foam

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Medicube

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Why it's worth it: Even though the Exosome Cica Calming Pads aren’t necessarily designed for makeup removal, I swear by the way they sweep away every last trace of foundation my cleanser misses (especially around my nose and under my chin). The size of the pads is also very generous: They’re big enough to cover most of my cheeks, so I sometimes just press them on like a mini mask for a quick soothing moment. Judy Hong-Jin Joo, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Cheongdam, Seoul, told me: “If you're like me and sometimes too lazy or exhausted from working late to even wash your face before bed, [toner pads are] a perfect morning emergency rescue mask for those times when you're too tired for an overnight treatment.” With cica to calm redness, niacinamide to smooth and brighten, and tea tree water to help keep pores clear, each swipe leaves my skin calm and balanced.

Lee applying the Exosome Cica Calming Pad

Lee after applying the Exosome Cica Calming Pad

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Medicube

Amazon

Why it's worth it: Korean skin-care brands are known for their sensorial textures, and the Collagen Glow Bubble Serum has to be one of the most fun I’ve ever tried. The airy mousse feels almost like a fluffy, bubbly shaving cream as it melts into skin. Beyond the playful application, it’s packed with benefits for all skin types, especially mature skin: Collagen and elastin work together to support skin’s firmness and bounce, while hyaluronic acid pulls in hydration to keep everything plump and dewy. True to its name, this “bubble serum” is featherlight yet deeply hydrating—instantly refreshing without a trace of grease.

Lee applying the Collagen Glow Bubble Serum

Lee after applying the Collagen Glow Bubble Serum

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Medicube

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Ulta Beauty

Why it's worth it: If you skimmed past it, “PDRN” in the PDRN Pink Vita Coating Sheet Mask is short for polydeoxyribonucleotides, which is an ingredient extracted from salmon sperm DNA that’s been getting buzz in skin care over the past few years. “It is a substance known for its regenerative and healing properties,” Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously explained. In this face mask, PDRN not only repairs a damaged skin barrier but also helps fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation, revealing a brighter, healthier-looking complexion. It’s also infused with collagen and pink vitamin B12 to soften fine lines, restore elasticity, and refine skin texture. The sheet’s just the right thickness; It’s not so flimsy that it folds over on itself, but not so thick that it feels stiff like it’s about to fall off. It contours to my face perfectly, stays in place, and makes my daily masking session feel super comfy and soothing.

Lee applying the PDRN Pink Vita Coating Sheet Mask

Lee after applying the PDRN Pink Vita Coating Sheet Mask

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Medicube

Amazon

Ulta Beauty

Why it's worth it: I end my abbreviated K-beauty routine on a fun note with one of their best-sellers: the PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream. The tiny pink capsules remind me of those popping bobas in bubble tea—they look firm at first but melt seamlessly into skin. Each one is designed to encapsulate PDRN, keeping it stable and potent until the moment of application. Once released, it combines with the rest of the gel-like formula, which contains collagen to support firmer-looking skin, hyaluronic acid for deep hydration, and niacinamide to help brighten uneven skin tone. After every application of this cream, my skin feels plumper, glowier, more refreshed—just as if I’ve gone through the whole 10-step routine, even when I’ve only done the basics.

Lee applying the PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream

Lee after applying the PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream

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