Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum for oily acne-prone skin
Niacinamide
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Sodium DnaAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate moisturizing and treatment for your oily skin due to the presence of hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which hydrate and plump the skin, while niacinamide offers some seboregulation.
- While supportive for general skincare benefits, the formula lacks targeted ingredients to specifically address your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this AM and PM routine every day to help clear your skin. Always remember to finish with SPF in the morning.
- Apply the moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your SPF during the day.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and avoid rubbing to keep pores clear.
- Apply on clean, slightly damp skin to help the product absorb better and control oil.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a simple patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 2.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly praised for delivering intense hydration and a radiant "glass skin" glow, with users frequently reporting immediate improvements in skin plumpness and elasticity. The viscous texture is often noted for its barrier-repairing qualities. A polarizing feature is the distinct scent, described as floral and fishy, which some users find unpleasant.
Highlights
Deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels bouncier and hydrated”
- “keeps it plump for hours”
- “wake up with soft, plump skin”
- “deeply moisturized underneath”
Radiant glow Often Mentioned
- “healthy, dewy glow”
- “creates a natural inner glow”
- “skin looks radiant”
- “glass skin effect”
Smoother texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feels smoother”
- “refined skin texture”
- “fine lines look softer”
- “makeup applies better”
Soothing and gentle Sometimes Noted
- “no tingling or burning”
- “calmed redness”
- “zero irritation on sensitive skin”
- “feels gentle and soothing”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “slightly fishy smell”
- “strong floral fragrance”
- “scent is underwhelming”
- “can't get past the smell”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “small pimple appeared”
- “broke me out”
- “caused acne”
- “bumps on cheek”
Small quantity Rarely Noted
- “runs out pretty quickly”
- “wish they offered a larger version”
- “small bottle for the price”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “slight sticky feeling”
- “heavy finish”
- “tacky residue”
- “feels a bit sticky”
Sources: lovi.care, oliveyoung.com, iherb.com, ulta.com, medicube.us, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum work for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum works moderately well for your oily, acne-prone skin by providing hydration and helping manage oil, but it lacks specific ingredients to target breakouts. A product of this type needs specialized ingredients that clear blemishes and balance oil without clogging pores to truly suit this skin type.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid and glycerin hydrate and plump your oily skin, while niacinamide helps control oil. Oily acne-prone skin needs products with ingredients that target breakouts and blemishes while balancing oil and providing lightweight moisture without clogging pores.
What does Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Hydrolyzed Collagen do for oily acne-prone skin?
Hydrolyzed Collagen is unlikely to suit oily acne-prone skin because it tends to be too heavy and lacks the oil-controlling and pore-clearing benefits this skin needs. To care for oily acne-prone skin, look for ingredients like niacinamide that help calm inflammation, balance oil, and clear breakouts without clogging pores.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though it can also be used in the morning or twice a day. It is safe for your oily skin and helps keep it plump, but oily acne-prone skin also needs targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and oil-balancing actives.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to hydrate your skin and following it with your retinol. This product is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation, though an oily acne-prone skin ultimately needs a treatment with targeted breakout-clearing ingredients.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this serum in your evening routine, applying it once a day. Daily application helps keep your skin hydrated, but to properly manage oily acne-prone skin, this type of product also needs targeted ingredients that specifically clear breakouts and blemishes.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause irritation on oily acne-prone skin, but it may cause breakouts for some since it lacks targeted ingredients to actively clear blemishes. Oily acne-prone skin of this type needs a formula with dedicated blemish-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Can I use this serum around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this serum on your body and around your eyes because it is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation. For the very thin skin around the eyes or on the body, a product of this type needs lightweight hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin along with soothing ingredients.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical application of TAC/Collagen postbiotics gel improved skin moisture score and inflammation index, and reduced porphyrins and brown spots in 20 volunteers with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical collagen tripeptide application improved skin wrinkles, elasticity, and density while reducing advanced glycated end products in 22 Asian women over 4 weeks.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Marine collagen extracted from Greenland halibut skin showed a non-cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells and provided a slight skin hydration effect when incorporated into cosmetic hydrogel formulations at dosages of 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% in 23 healthy volunteers.
Marine Drugs, 2023Topical application of Low-Peony PDRN enhanced barrier recovery and improved periorbital skin elasticity in human subjects.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025Polydeoxyribonucleotide promotes skin regeneration by increasing ERK phosphorylation, collagen accumulation, and cell proliferation and migration in fibroblasts while inhibiting ERK phosphorylation and inflammatory cytokine expression in keratinocytes.
Molecular Medicine Reports, 2023A topical mixture of polydeoxyribonucleotide, vitamin C, and niacinamide delivered via a microneedling therapy system decreased skin pigmentation and increased skin elasticity by attenuating melanogenesis and the destruction of collagen and elastin fibers in a UV-B-radiated animal model.
Molecules, 2022
Why other moisturizers fit oily acne-prone skin better
A Tris/Arg-formulated cleanser significantly decreased noninflammatory and inflammatory acne and pore size with keratotic plugs compared to an AEC/AC cleanser in male Thai subjects with mild to moderate acne over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992A peel-off facial mask containing myoinositol and trehalose-loaded liposomes improved adult female acne by decreasing lesion counts, sebum production, GAGS scores, and local androgen levels while increasing beclin-1 levels.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Disodium Edta, Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Dna, Milt Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Glyceryl Acrylate Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm Ma Copolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycereth-26, Adenosine, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Isopropyl Myristate, Ubiquinone, Caprylyl Glycol, Tromethamine, Sodium Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Oleate, Atelocollagen, Salmon Egg Extract
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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