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Medicube vs SK-II

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

Medicube and SK-II are esteemed skincare brands originating from Korea and Japan, respectively. Medicube features thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, toners, and masks with niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, while the brand is known for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing masks, and refreshing toners anchored by pitera. Both suit dry skin best, though the former also targets oily acne-prone skin and the latter suits combination skin. They differ primarily in their core ingredients and targeted formulations, delivering profound results for various complexion needs.

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

medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular Medicube vs SK-II products

People Say

MedicubeSK-II
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels bouncier and hydrated — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “glass skin — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Packaging, Convenience and Lather Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Mochi-like foam — Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser”
    • “feels amazing and cooling — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “dries super fast — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “skin feels smoother — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Radiance and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gave me instant glass skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “woke up with glowing skin — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Gentle and Soothing Formulation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “refreshing sensation — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “Did not cause any irritation — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
    • “no tingling or burning — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “Watery consistency — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Brightening and Fading Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “My skin is glowing now. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Reduced sun spots — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “Dark spots go away faster — Medicube Deep Vita C Pad”
  • High Price and Cost Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “tube is tiny for the price — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “price is steep — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “price is a bit steep — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant Fragrance or Scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “slightly fishy smell — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “smells like old lady perfume — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Product Design, Quantity and Application Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cotton is too thick and heavy — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “messy — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
  • Irritation and Breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused redness and sensitivity — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
    • “woke up with whiteheads — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “caused tiny red bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Small bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Sticky and Heavy Residue Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “dried to a tacky finish — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “quite thick consistency — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”

Medicube vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitBuy Medicube routine · CA$173.82 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Medicube vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitBuy Medicube routine · CA$223.90 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Medicube vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitBuy Medicube routine · CA$208.91 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or SK-II: which is better?

Medicube fits dry skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin at a High level, while SK-II fits them at Superior, High, and High levels respectively, making SK-II slightly better overall across skin types according to the products on this page.

What is the difference between Medicube and SK-II?

Medicube and SK-II differ primarily in their origin, key ingredients, and pricing drawbacks. Medicube is a South Korean brand founded in 2016 that relies on key ingredients like niacinamide, collagen, hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, and centella asiatica, while SK-II is a Japanese brand founded in 1980 that centers its formulas on Pitera. Reviewers note that Medicube suffers from high price and cost issues, whereas SK-II faces product design, quantity, and application issues.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medicube or SK-II for dry skin?

Both brands are a strong match for dry skin, with Lovi rating Medicube as Superior and SK-II as Superior for this skin type. The products on this page for Medicube feature hydrating key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and collagen, while SK-II relies on Pitera.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Dermatology Practical & Conceptual, 2022

Medicube or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Medicube offers superior moisturizers for mature skin and dry sensitive skin like the Collagen Jelly Cream, while SK-II features well-regarded options such as the Facial Treatment Essence and Skinpower Advanced Cream. Lovi rates Medicube as a High fit for dry skin, whereas SK-II achieves a Superior fit for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, Medicube or SK-II?

Medicube products on this page have high price and cost issues mentioned by reviewers, but SK-II is generally known as a luxury, high-end brand with higher overall pricing.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Medicube and SK-II compare?

Medicube was founded in 2016 in South Korea and is owned by APR Corp., whereas SK-II was founded in 1980 in Japan and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

Which brand has more products containing fragrance, Medicube or SK-II?

Medicube has more products containing fragrance, with two products on the page listing fragrance, whereas SK-II has zero fragrance-containing products listed on its page.

What are the key active ingredients found across Medicube products versus SK-II products?

Medicube features Niacinamide, Collagen, Hyaluronic acid, Salicylic acid, and Centella asiatica across the products on this page, whereas SK-II relies on Pitera as its key ingredient. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation, and Hyaluronic acid benefits skin quality and signs of aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medicube or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, SK-II is the better fit, with a Lovi fit level of Superior compared to Medicube at High. SK-II's products on this page are well-suited to manage oil while maintaining hydration.

Medicube or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both Medicube and SK-II achieve a High Lovi fit level for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Medicube products help provide a gentle and soothing formulation.

Medicube or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, SK-II achieves a Superior routine fit level, while Medicube achieves a High fit level. The products on this page for SK-II include Facial Treatment Essence, which helps maintain balanced hydration.

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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