Medicube Red Foam Cleanser for sensitive skin
Salicylic Acid
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E
Glycerin
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Low
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
A weak match for sensitive skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 exfoliation for redness and irritation due to salicylic acid, which provides mild chemical exfoliation beneficial for your sensitive skin. Glycerin and Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract further support skin balance and soothing.
- This formula is highly suitable for normal skin, with salicylic acid aiding mild keratolytic action and glycerin providing humectant benefits to maintain skin equilibrium.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.8Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers with oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin highly rate this cleanser for its deep pore cleansing and sebum control. Most users report clearer skin and reduced breakouts, though some find it slightly drying if their skin barrier is compromised or not sufficiently oily.
Highlights
Deep cleansing Mostly Mentioned
- “Removes every trace of oil”
- “Skin felt squeaky clean”
- “Washed away excess oil completely”
Effective acne control Often Mentioned
- “Reduces pimples and clears skin”
- “Prevents new ones from appearing”
- “Complexion became more stable”
Gentle on sensitive Often Mentioned
- “Did not cause any irritation”
- “Gentle enough for sensitive skin”
- “Calms irritated skin beautifully”
Rich lather Sometimes Noted
- “Produces a reasonably soft lather”
- “Thick creamy white texture”
- “Bubbles up easily”
Drying or stripping Sometimes Noted
- “Skin feels quite dry after washing”
- “Felt too tight”
- “Strips off all the oil”
Difficult to rinse Rarely Noted
- “Takes time to wash off completely”
- “Residue would harden”
- “Felt a film left behind”
Medicinal scent Rarely Noted
- “Smell is medicinal”
- “Scent is strong”
- “Not a fan of the smell”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Residue would harden around the pump”
- “Pump nozzle clogging”
Sources: lovi.care, medicube.us, medicube.my, yesstyle.com, stylekorean.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is Medicube Red Foam Cleanser a weak match for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a weak match because it may not be gentle enough for sensitive skin. Cleansers for sensitive skin need soothing and hydrating ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to protect the skin barrier and prevent irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is a weak match for sensitive skin because it lacks the soothing and barrier-repairing ingredients, such as niacinamide and ceramides, that protect delicate skin from irritation.
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
What does Sophora Root Extract do for sensitive skin?
Sophora Root Extract helps calm and soothe red, irritated skin while protecting it from everyday stress. It is gentle enough for sensitive skin types because it helps keep the skin comfortable and balanced without feeling heavy.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, before your soothing toner. Sensitive skin needs a cleanser that gently washes away dirt while using soothing extracts and moisture-locking ingredients to keep skin calm and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but because it is a weak match for sensitive skin, it may cause irritation and needs a gentle, hydrating formula containing ceramides, glycerin, and soothing plant extracts to protect your skin barrier.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a weak match for sensitive skin, so it needs soothing ingredients like glycerin and plant extracts alongside very gentle cleansing agents to keep skin calm and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores, but because it is a weak match for sensitive skin, it may cause dryness and stripping. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle cleansing agents, soothing plant extracts, and extra hydration to keep skin calm and soft.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser may be too harsh for the very thin skin around the eyes, though it can generally be used on the body where skin is thicker. Sensitive skin on the face and body needs a gentle, fragrance-free formula with hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing botanical extracts to keep skin calm and comfortable.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Combining azelaic acid and matrine in dissolving microneedles at a 1:1 molar ratio achieved higher skin permeability, synergistic antibacterial rates above 95%, and no skin irritation compared to commercially available azelaic acid gel.
European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021Co-amorphous salt of ursodeoxycholic acid and matrine incorporated into dissolving microneedles enhanced aqueous solubility, skin permeation, growth-inhibitory effects against Cutibacterium acnes, and anti-inflammatory activity compared to single-component groups and topical gel in a murine acne model.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2026Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003
Ingredients
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Disodium Edta, Lauric Acid, Magnesium Nitrate, Magnesium Chloride, Myristic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate Vitamin E, Potassium Hydroxide, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Peg-8 Beeswax, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Bht, Methylisothiazolinone, Cocamide Dea
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
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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
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