Medicube Zero Pore One Day Serum for combination skin
Aha
Bha
Pha
NiacinamideAverage
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other products fit it better.
- Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 your combination skin, with gluconolactone, lactic acid, and glycolic acid effectively refining texture and addressing oily shine. Glycerin and Centella Asiatica Extract provide supportive hydration and soothing benefits, though specialized pore-targeting ingredients are limited.
- The formulation is excellent for combination skin, utilizing gluconolactone and salicylic acid to refine pores and manage oiliness.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients for your combination skin.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product in your PM routine starting once a week, then increase frequency carefully if your skin feels fine.
- Apply this exfoliant step after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and wait a minute before layering.
- Apply the exfoliant to clean, dry skin to help control your oily shine comfortably.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily and combination skin frequently praise this serum for refining rough texture and minimizing enlarged pores, often describing a blurring effect that serves as a good makeup base. While the 'one day' claim is often viewed as marketing hyperbole, consistent use reportedly yields smoother skin and reduced sebum production, though the product's sticky finish is a polarizing feature.
Highlights
Smoothes texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin felt smoother”
- “peel-off egg skin”
- “makeup sits better”
- “texture is refined”
Sticky finish Mostly Mentioned
- “pretty sticky”
- “leaves a sticky finish”
- “stickiness is intense”
- “hair sticks to face”
Tightens pores Often Mentioned
- “pores looked smaller”
- “reduced appearance of open pores”
- “pores visibly minimized”
- “pore tightening effect is visible”
Controls oil Sometimes Noted
- “reduction of sebum”
- “less oily T-zone”
- “makeup lasted longer”
- “oil balance is under control”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “refills moisture”
- “leaves a dewy finish”
- “hydrating without stripping”
- “skin feels plump”
Causes irritation Sometimes Noted
- “stings”
- “caused breakouts”
- “tingling on sensitive skin”
- “too strong for me”
Price vs quantity Rarely Noted
- “bottle can't be opened”
- “expensive for size”
- “small amount”
- “finished too quickly”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is like a bond”
- “scent is strong”
- “chemical smell”
- “smells like glue”
Sources: lovi.care, oliveyoung.com, stylekorean.com, influenster.com, yesstyle.com, medicube.us, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Medicube Zero Pore One Day Serum work for combination skin?
Medicube Zero Pore One Day Serum works moderately well for combination skin, offering gentle texture refinement and oil control with acids and soothing plant extracts. A product of this type needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, and propolis to enhance radiance, regulate oiliness, and provide balanced hydration without any risk of irritation or unsuitability.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
This serum works for combination skin using gluconolactone, lactic acid, and glycolic acid to smooth texture and manage oily shine. Glycerin and Centella Asiatica extract also help by providing soothing moisture without feeling heavy. Combination skin of this type works best with products that include ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA to boost radiance and balance oiliness without irritation.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Alpha Hydroxy Acid do for combination skin?
Alpha hydroxy acid helps balance combination skin by clearing out pores and removing dead skin cells while keeping the skin hydrated. It smooths out rough spots and keeps the skin feeling fresh and soft.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015
What does Bha do for combination skin?
BHA helps clear breakouts and calms oily areas while keeping combination skin smooth, as it reduces blemishes and excess oil with a low risk of irritation. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients and gentle hydrators to balance combination skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Experimental Dermatology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting once a week and using it more often only if tolerated well. Combination skin also needs targeted pore-clearing ingredients and soothing hydration to fully address oiliness and texture.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this exfoliant first in your routine and following with retinol on alternate nights to avoid irritation. This product needs specialized pore-targeting ingredients and targeted blemish-clearing actives to best fit combination skin.
How often should I use this serum?
Use this serum once a week in the evening routine, and if your combination skin tolerates it well and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. Combination skin of this type needs targeted pore-clearing ingredients and balancing hydrators to work best.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause clogged pores or breakouts on combination skin because it contains ingredients like salicylic acid and gluconolactone that help clear out pores and manage oiliness. However, since it offers only an average fit, combination skin may benefit more from products with specialized pore-targeting ingredients.
The Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 1992Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016A 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, 2017Gluconolactone 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, 1992Glycolic 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, 2019Combining 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, 2023Cryotherapy 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, 2024Topical 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, 2005
Ingredients
Water, Gluconolactone, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Polyglycerin-3, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Lecithin, Allantoin, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Dextrin, Indigofera Tinctoria Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Gardenia Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Trisodium Phosphate, Of Myosotis Sylvatica Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Lactobacillus Lysate Ferment, Dandelion Leaf 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
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