Medicube Red Erasing Cream for oily skin
Niacinamide
Zinc Oxide
Squalane
Adenosine
Purslane ExtractAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 suitability for oily skin as zinc oxide provides mild astringent properties, while glycerin and purslane extract offer hydration and soothing effects.
- Niacinamide and tomato extract contribute to general skincare benefits, though stronger seboregulation ingredients would better address your oily shine.
- The product is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing agents like purslane extract and jojoba seed oil.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 3.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this barrier cream is highly praised by users with acne-prone and sensitive skin for its ability to fade stubborn acne scars and calm redness over time. Its thick, paste-like consistency and significant white cast make it strictly a nighttime treatment for most, as it can be difficult to layer under makeup.
Highlights
Fades acne scars Mostly Mentioned
- “helped fade my scars”
- “scars became noticeably lighter”
- “significant improvement in pigmentation”
Strong white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves a white cast”
- “whitins skin as much as sunscreen”
- “severe white cast”
Reduces redness Often Mentioned
- “calmed skin”
- “reduces redness”
- “inflammation has calmed down”
Thick/sticky texture Often Mentioned
- “thick and heavy”
- “feels sticky”
- “texture feels like an ointment”
Non-irritating Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation at all”
- “suits my acne sensitive prone skin”
- “mild and soothing”
Strengthens barrier Sometimes Noted
- “good for the barrier”
- “skin barrier has improved”
- “protect skin by forming a moisture barrier”
Pills under makeup Sometimes Noted
- “makeup won't set properly”
- “notice some pilling”
- “difficult to spread”
Hard to remove Rarely Noted
- “stubborn to remove”
- “difficult to wash off”
- “residue left behind”
Sources: lovi.care, yesstyle.com, oliveyoung.com, stylekorean.com, medicube.us, hwahae.co.kr, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Medicube Red Erasing Cream work for oily skin?
Medicube Red Erasing Cream works moderately well for oily skin because zinc oxide gives mild astringent help while glycerin and purslane extract calm and hydrate. It is safe and unlikely to cause irritation, though it lacks stronger ingredients to manage oily shine. An oily skin product needs ingredients like peptides and light hydrators, along with no heavy oils, to control shine without clogging pores.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Zinc oxide, glycerin, and purslane extract help make this cream an average fit for oily skin by offering mild astringent, soothing, and hydrating effects. However, a product of this type needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients, peptides, and lightweight, non-heavy oils to truly manage oily shine and best support this skin.
What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021
What does Zinc Oxide do for oily skin?
Zinc oxide helps calm oily and breakout-prone skin by reducing redness and targeting bacteria that cause blemishes. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help balance skin oil production.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Oily skin works best with products of this type that include stronger seboregulation ingredients to help manage shiny skin.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying it after your retinol step to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer alongside retinol may improve your skin's tolerance and reduce the likelihood of irritation.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment daily in your evening routine, as treatments fit best at night for extra safety around sun exposure. It is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation, though oily skin needs stronger oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on oily skin, as it contains soothing ingredients like purslane extract and jojoba seed oil without harsh irritants. However, because it offers only moderate suitability for your skin, an oily skin type needs a product with stronger oil-control ingredients to better manage your shine.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is generally safe to use around the eyes or on your body because it lacks harsh ingredients and contains soothing agents like purslane extract and jojoba seed oil. However, because skin thickness varies significantly across different body regions, reaching less than a millimeter on the eyelids and over a millimeter on the back, you should patch test first to ensure comfort on delicate areas.
Is this cream 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, 2017Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Topical lycopene-based emulgel significantly enhanced skin hydration and elasticity while reducing erythema, melanin, and sebum contents in human volunteers compared to a placebo formulation over 12 weeks.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2022Topical 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 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.
Biomedicines, 2025Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.
Nanomedicine, 2016Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Topical adenosine treatment significantly increased the anagen hair growth rate and thick hair rate compared to placebo in Japanese women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Adenosine and cordycepin stimulate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway through adenosine receptor and PKA activation, promoting cell proliferation, migration, and growth factor secretion in cultured dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021Topical purslane at 5% and 10% concentrations achieved alleviation of symptoms and lesion remission comparable to topical 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide in 34 subjects with oral lichen planus over 90 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2023Facial masks containing low-temperature extracted Portulaca oleracea protect sensitive skin from photothermal stimulation and improve skin barrier function during photorejuvenation.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2025Portulaca oleracea extract ameliorated skin barrier damage and inflammation induced by combined exposure to glycolic acid and UVB in HaCaT cells.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2022
Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Zinc Oxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Quaternium-18 Bentonite, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Beeswax, Sodium Chloride, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyl-Dimethicone-Methicone-Silsesquioxane-Crosspolymer, Purslane Extract, Triethoxycaprylyl Silane, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Adenosine, Jojoba Seed Oil, Squalane, Tomato 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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