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Medicube vs COSRX

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Medicube and COSRX are two distinct Korean skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, cleansers, and masks. While Medicube harnesses niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid to best suit dry and oily acne-prone skin, COSRX utilizes hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to ideally serve oily and acne-prone skin types. They differ primarily in their ownership, founding years, and targeted topical solutions, as the brand provides specific items like the AGE-R Booster Gel and the Deep Lifting Peptide Eye Cream, whereas both create dedicated regimens for diverse skin needs.

Medicube is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by APR Corp..

medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

This page compares some of the most popular Medicube and COSRX products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medicube vs COSRX products

People Say

MedicubeCOSRX
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels bouncier and hydrated — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “glass skin — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
  • Soothing and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “refreshing sensation — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs practically immediately — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “dries super fast — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedNot noted
    • “gave me instant glass skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “woke up with glowing skin — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “Dark spots go away faster — Medicube Deep Vita C Pad”
  • Pore Appearance and Oil Control Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “helps with whiteheads — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “whisking away that excess shine — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “noticed a real difference in pore visibility — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
  • Sticky and Heavy Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “feels slightly sticky — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
  • General Product Inadequacy Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lifted around the nose/eyes — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “didn't remove deep blackheads — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “hard to wash off completely — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “no change in circles — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Strong Fragrance and Scents Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly fishy smell — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “smells like old lady perfume — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”

Medicube vs COSRX routines for dry skin

Buy Medicube routine · CA$173.82 · 91% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$218.38 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Medicube vs COSRX routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · CA$288.29 · 92% fitBuy Medicube routine · CA$223.90 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Medicube vs COSRX routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · CA$271.24 · 91% fitBuy Medicube routine · CA$208.91 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or COSRX: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but COSRX is generally better for soothing, texture improvement, and oil control across the products on this page, while Medicube stands out for glow and brightening. COSRX also achieves superior routine fit levels for oily, combination, sensitive, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin types.

What is the difference between Medicube and COSRX?

COSRX outperforms Medicube for soothing formulas, skin texture, lightweight absorption, and pore and oil control, while both brands offer equal levels of hydration and moisture. Medicube features more products containing fragrance, whereas nearly all COSRX products on this page are fragrance-free.

Medicube or COSRX for dry skin?

Both Medicube and COSRX provide a Superior Lovi routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration, while hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture and aging signs.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

Medicube or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

Both Medicube and COSRX offer top-tier cleansers, but COSRX is noted for having more gentle and soothing formulas overall on this page. Medicube's Zero Foam Cleanser and Red Foam Cleanser deliver high fit levels for most skin types, including dry and oily skin. Meanwhile, the COSRX cleanser range includes highly rated options like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser which helps provide deep hydration.

Which is more affordable, Medicube or COSRX?

Both Medicube and COSRX are South Korean skincare brands founded in the 2010s, but the products on this page frequently mention small quantity and pricing issues as a drawback for Medicube, making COSRX generally viewed as the more affordable option.

Medicube or COSRX for soothing sensitive skin?

COSRX is generally better for soothing sensitive skin because the products on this page are rated Superior for sensitive skin fit, whereas Medicube's routine fit is High. COSRX also performs better in review themes for gentle formulas, and the brand uses key soothing ingredients like allantoin and panthenol across its formulas.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has more products with added fragrance, Medicube or COSRX?

Medicube has more products with added fragrance than COSRX, with 23 products listing fragrance compared to just 1 for COSRX.

Medicube or COSRX for improving skin texture and smoothing?

COSRX does better than Medicube for improving skin texture and smoothing based on reviewer feedback. COSRX features a higher concentration of exfoliating acids and smoothing ingredients across the products on this page that help refine the skin.

Medicube or COSRX for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to High for Medicube. COSRX also outperforms Medicube for pore appearance and oil control.

Medicube or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

Both Medicube and COSRX offer top-rated moisturizers, but COSRX is often preferred for gentler, lightweight absorption, while Medicube stands out for brightening and deep hydration. Both brands feature effective key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide across the products on this page.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Medicube or COSRX for sensitive skin?

Both Medicube and COSRX are well suited for sensitive skin, with COSRX offering a superior routine fit compared to Medicube's high fit. Reviewers note that COSRX provides soothing and gentle formulas with lightweight absorption.

Medicube or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer solid routines for acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating Medicube as High and COSRX as Superior. COSRX frequently wins out for soothing, gentle formulas and texture improvement across the products on this page.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated 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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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