Medicube Zero Exosome Shot for oily acne-prone skin
Lacto Exosome
Niacinamide
Betaine Salicylate
Adenosine
Hydrolyzed Sponge
High
- SuperiorOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 excellent suitability for your oily skin, as niacinamide helps regulate sebum and betaine salicylate provides keratolytic action to address acne, blemishes, and breakouts. Gluconolactone further aids in evening skin tone and smoothing texture through moderate exfoliation and unclogging pores.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
- This product provides a good balance of treatment and safety for your specific skin concerns.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your PM routine. Start 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2 to 3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on clean, dry skin to help manage your blemishes safely.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsUsers describe this ampoule as a potent texturizing treatment that delivers a glass skin finish by minimizing pores and smoothing roughness. While highly effective for many in tightening pores and boosting radiance, the sensation is polarizing, often described as a prickly or tingling feeling that can be intense for sensitive skin.
Highlights
Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
- “bumpy texture is finally smooth”
- “skin feels silky smooth”
- “makeup glides on easier”
- “glass-like skin”
Prickly sensation Mostly Mentioned
- “feels like fiberglass”
- “stinging all over”
- “uncomfortable prickly feel”
- “like tiny needles poking”
Pore minimization Often Mentioned
- “black dots on my nose have all but disappeared”
- “pores are the smallest they've ever been”
- “immediate and certain pore tightening”
- “pores looked teeny tiny”
Radiance and glow Often Mentioned
- “radiates with a healthy glow”
- “skin looked noticeably brighter”
- “complexion looks clearer”
Enhanced absorption Sometimes Noted
- “makes all my serums work better”
- “acts as a pathway to enhance absorption”
- “products sink in deeper”
Skin irritation Sometimes Noted
- “led to redness and breakouts”
- “left me feeling raw”
- “too intense for sensitive skin”
- “caused irritation”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “skin looking the exact same”
- “didn't really work for me”
- “not sure what exactly this is doing”
Unpleasant texture Rarely Noted
- “sticky after-feel”
- “heavy on sensitive skin”
- “feels a bit tacky”
Sources: lovi.care, stylekorean.com, skinsort.com, medicube.us, instyle.com, newbeauty.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes MEDICUBE Zero Exosome Shot a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
MEDICUBE Zero Exosome Shot is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because niacinamide helps control oil while betaine salicylate and gluconolactone gently clear out pores and smooth your texture. The formula is also very safe and is unlikely to cause irritation.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Skin Research and Technology, 2023
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide and betaine salicylate make this serum a great fit because they help control oil and clear up acne and breakouts. Gluconolactone further supports this by gently unclogging pores and smoothing out your skin texture.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Skin Research and Technology, 2023
What does Lacto Exosome do for oily acne-prone skin?
Lacto Exosome helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness, breakouts, and swelling while supporting a healthy skin barrier. These benefits make it a great option for clearing up acne and soothing irritated skin.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2025The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 2025
What does Niacinamide do for oily acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oil production, calms redness, and is unlikely to irritate oily, acne-prone skin while improving blemishes. Clinical tests show it reduces excess oil and helps clear up both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne breakouts.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine, placed after cleansing and before your moisturizer. You can start using it once a week, and then carefully use it more often if your skin handles it well.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying this product first and waiting until it absorbs before layering your retinol. Because both products work on skin texture and breakouts, starting slowly with alternate nights helps avoid irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you can carefully use it more often. It is very unlikely to cause irritation for your oily acne-prone skin because it contains no harsh ingredients.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This treatment is a great fit for your oily acne-prone skin because niacinamide helps control oil, while betaine salicylate and gluconolactone help clear breakouts and unclog pores through gentle exfoliation. It has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients, though reviewers often mention a prickly sensation from the formula.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Skin Research and Technology, 2023
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Gluconolactone 14% solution significantly improved mild to moderate acne by reducing inflamed and non-inflamed lesions similarly to 5% benzoyl peroxide, but with fewer side-effects in 150 patients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Combining 10% gluconolactone chemical peeling with oxybrasion or microneedle mesotherapy increased skin hydration and decreased sebum, pH, and TEWL in twenty-one Caucasian women, with no significant differences between the two methods.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Lactobacillus-derived exosome therapy combined with microneedling reduced acne severity, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and atrophic scarring in three patients, with high satisfaction and minimal adverse effects.
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 2025Topical 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 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, 2021A nano-encapsulated spicule system delivering Wharton's Jelly MSC secretome enhanced transdermal penetration, promoted cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in vitro, and reduced wrinkles and pigmentation in clinical evaluation.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2025Deer antler velvet extract formulated in sponge spicule micro-blend cream applied to healthy humans for 14 days enhanced macromolecule skin permeation by 1.94-fold, decreased melanin content and erythema, and increased skin elasticity and hydration without causing irritation.
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 2019Marine sponge spicules enhanced the skin delivery of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell exosomes by a factor of 5.87 and combined with them produced significant anti-photoaging effects in mice compared to exosomes alone.
International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Sponge, C12-14 Alketh-12, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside, Disodium Edta, Panthenol, Calcium Silicate, Lactobacillus Extracellular Vesicles, Campsis Grandiflora Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Sodium Silicate, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone
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
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