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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 distinct skincare brands rooted in different philosophies and traditions, with the former founded in South Korea in 2016 and the latter established in Japan in 1980. Skincare enthusiasts revere Medicube for its moisturizers, serums, toners, and masks featuring niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, while they cherish SK-II for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, restorative masks, clarifying toners, and gentle formulations powered by pitera. The Korean brand suits oily acne-prone skin and oily skin best by balancing excess sebum, whereas the Japanese brand suits dry sensitive skin and combination skin best due to its balancing and soothing nature. Ultimately, both offer specialized solutions, but they differ fundamentally in their core ingredients and target skin types.

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 Medicube routine · SAR 698.98 · 86% fitBuy SK-II routine · SAR 2,157.75 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Medicube vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · SAR 1,935.93 · 89% fitBuy Medicube routine · SAR 806.40 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Medicube vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · SAR 2,044.94 · 90% fitBuy Medicube routine · SAR 806.40 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or SK-II: which is better?

Medicube and SK-II are both great choices, with Medicube offering better results for packaging, convenience, and gentle soothing formulations, while SK-II excels at brightening and fading spots. For routine fit, SK-II is superior for combination skin, acne-prone skin, and dry sensitive skin, whereas both brands perform equally well for dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Medicube and SK-II?

Medicube is a South Korean brand owned by APR Corp. featuring active ingredients like Niacinamide, Collagen, and Hyaluronic acid, whereas SK-II is a Japanese brand owned by Procter & Gamble centered around Pitera. Reviewers note that Medicube offers better packaging convenience, lather, and gentle, soothing formulations, while SK-II performs better in brightening and fading spots.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medicube or SK-II for dry skin?

Both Medicube and SK-II achieve a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Medicube features deep hydration moisturizers and soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve moisture retention and skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medicube or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Both Medicube and SK-II offer moisturizers with a high fit for various skin types, but Medicube stands out for deep hydration moisturizers, while SK-II features fragrances free formulations built around Pitera. Medicube utilizes key ingredients like Niacinamide and Hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Medicube or SK-II?

Medicube is generally more affordable than SK-II, although reviewers for the products on this page note high price and cost issues for Medicube as well.

Medicube or SK-II for oily skin?

Both Medicube and SK-II are a High fit for oily skin. Medicube fits oily skin best with its brand-focused routines, while SK-II features a routine fit level of High.

Medicube or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both Medicube and SK-II are a High fit for sensitive skin. The products on this page for both brands are largely fragrance-free, which helps minimize irritation.

Medicube or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are a strong match for acne-prone skin, with SK-II achieving a Superior routine fit and Medicube reaching a High fit. Medicube relies on ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, which helps address blemishes and improves skin texture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medicube or SK-II for combination skin?

For combination skin, both Medicube and SK-II are strong options, with the products on this page for Medicube offering a High routine fit and SK-II reaching a Superior routine fit.

Medicube or SK-II for skin with dark spots?

Both Medicube and SK-II are a High fit for skin with dark spots. Medicube features key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation, while SK-II relies on its signature Pitera formulation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Medicube or SK-II for dry sensitive skin?

Both Medicube and SK-II achieve a High Lovi fit level for dry sensitive skin, with SK-II also reaching a Superior routine fit level for this skin type.

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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