Most pore products ask you to choose between an acid that works and an acid that your skin can live with. The Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 tries to have both: 4.5% lactic acid doing the exfoliating, 0.45% salicylic acid getting into the pores, and panthenol, allantoin and hyaluronic acid sitting underneath to keep the whole thing tolerable.

This page covers what is actually on the pad, the version confusion that trips up buyers, how often you can realistically use them, and the sun-sensitivity warning that most listings quietly omit. Acids reward being understood and punish being guessed at.

Product Overview
Which Version Is This?
Key Benefits
Key Ingredients
The Dual-Textured Pad
Who Should Use It
Suitable Skin Types
How to Use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad
How Often Can You Use Them?
Where It Fits in Your Routine
What to Combine It With
Do Not Combine With
Realistic Results
Size and Value
Authenticity and Storage
Full Ingredient List
Warnings and Precautions
Product Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Should You Buy It?

Product Overview

Medicube is a Korean brand owned by APR Corporation, and the Zero Pore line is its best-known range. The Medicube Zero Pore Pad is the product that built that reputation — a tub of 70 pre-soaked pads, 155 g in total, used as the first step after cleansing.

Each Medicube Zero Pore Pad has two working faces. The embossed side provides light physical sweeping to lift dead skin; the silky side polishes and settles the essence into the skin afterwards. That two-sided design is the reason these are described as dual-textured rather than simply as toner pads.

The essence they are soaked in is where the chemistry lives: lactic acid as the AHA, salicylic acid and betaine salicylate as the BHA, willow bark extract as a natural salicylate source, and a long tail of fruit extracts, botanical extracts and soothing agents.

A spatula is not included, so use clean fingers or your own tweezers rather than dipping into the tub repeatedly with wet hands.

Which Version Is This? — the 2.0 question

Medicube has sold more than one pad under nearly the same name, and this is where buyers get caught out. What you want to know is which one you are holding.

This listing is the Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0. The reliable way to tell it apart from the original is panthenol, which appears in the 2.0 formula and not in the first version. Size does not help you — the original was also 70 pads at 155 g, so anyone identifying the version by the tub size is guessing.

Two further points worth knowing. Medicube’s own US site and several retailers sell the 2.0 formula under the shortened name “Zero Pore Pad” with no 2.0 in the title, so a missing “2.0” does not mean you are getting the older product. And the Zero Pore Pad Mild is a genuinely different product — a PHA and madecassoside formula, not AHA/BHA — despite also coming as 70 pads at 155 g.

Medicube Zero Pore Pad tubs, one open showing the pads inside

Key Benefits

Medicube states the following for the Medicube Zero Pore Pad:

Dramatically reduces the look of stretched pores
Helps reduce clogged pores
Helps reveal visibly clearer and smoother skin
Exfoliates dead skin cells and regulates the look of excess sebum
Dual-textured for exfoliating and pore-tightening in one step

These are cosmetic, appearance-level claims for the Medicube Zero Pore Pad. Exfoliating acids improve how skin looks and feels; they do not shrink pores permanently, because pore size is largely structural. What they do is clear what is sitting inside the pore, which is what makes pores look smaller.

Medicube Zero Pore Pad pore care information graphic

Key Ingredients

Lactic Acid — 4.5% AHA

The main exfoliating active in the Medicube Zero Pore Pad. Lactic acid is a larger molecule than glycolic acid, which means it penetrates more slowly and is generally better tolerated — a sensible choice for a pad you might use several times a week. At 4.5% this is a working concentration, not a token one.

Salicylic Acid and Betaine Salicylate — 0.45% BHA

Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so unlike an AHA it can get down into a sebum-filled pore rather than working only on the surface. That is the part of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad formula aimed at blackheads and congestion specifically.

Panthenol and Allantoin

The counterweights, and the reason the 2.0 formula exists. Panthenol supports the barrier and helps skin retain water; allantoin calms and softens. Acids without support ingredients are how people end up with a compromised barrier.

Sodium Hyaluronate and Trehalose

Hydration. Sodium hyaluronate holds water in the upper layers; trehalose is a sugar that helps skin resist moisture loss. Both offset the drying tendency of the acids.

Willow Bark, Centella and Botanical Extracts

Salix alba (willow) bark extract is a natural salicylate source. Centella asiatica is the well-known Korean soothing ingredient. Behind them sit oregano, cypress, baikal skullcap, purslane, evening primrose, elm root and kudzu root extracts, plus a lactobacillus/soybean ferment.

Alcohol Denat. and Citrus Oils — read this if you are sensitive

Being straight with you: the formula contains alcohol denat. fairly high in the list, and a group of citrus and herb essential oils — orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender — plus limonene.

For most people this is unremarkable, and it contributes to the fresh feel and fast-drying finish. If your skin reacts to alcohol or to fragrance compounds, this is the part of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad that will bother you, and no amount of acid tolerance changes that. Patch test.

The Dual-Textured Pad

The two faces of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad are not decoration, and using them in the wrong order wastes half the product.

The embossed side is the working face. Its raised texture provides gentle mechanical sweeping that lifts loosened dead skin as the acids do their part. This side goes first.

The silky side is the finishing face. Once the sweeping is done, it smooths the essence evenly across the skin and settles the surface. Think of it as the difference between scrubbing and polishing.

Medicube’s own instruction is explicit about sequence: embossed first, from the centre of the face outward, then silky for a final pass. Following that order is the whole point of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad design.

Who Should Use It

The Medicube Zero Pore Pad suits you if you are dealing with:

Pores that look enlarged because they are congested rather than genuinely stretched
Blackheads across the nose, chin and forehead
Rough, bumpy texture that makeup catches on
Excess oil through the day
Dullness from a build-up of dead skin
A routine where a separate exfoliating step keeps getting skipped

It is the wrong product for you if your skin is currently irritated or barrier-damaged, if you already use a prescription retinoid nightly, if you react to alcohol or fragrance, or if you are pregnant — Medicube itself advises against use during pregnancy because of the salicylic acid.

Suitable Skin Types

Skin type	Suitability
Oily	Excellent — this is the core user
Combination	Excellent
Normal	Excellent
Congested / blackhead-prone	Excellent — the BHA is the reason
Dry	Use sparingly — twice a week, follow with a rich moisturiser
Sensitive	Caution — alcohol and citrus oils are the issue, not the acids
Pregnant or breastfeeding	Not recommended by Medicube

Medicube describes the Medicube Zero Pore Pad as suitable for all skin types and proven to be low-irritating.

Skin close-up illustrating pore care results

How to Use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad

Cleanse first. These are the first step of care after washing, not a substitute for cleansing.
Take one pad with clean hands or tweezers, embossed side out.
Sweep with the embossed side from the centre of the face outward, following the direction of your skin texture. Avoid the eye and mouth areas — Medicube’s Korean instructions specify this, though the English version often drops it.
Flip to the silky side and pass over the face once more to polish and even out the essence.
Pat in what remains rather than rinsing. Do not wash it off.
Continue your routine — serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen in the morning.

How Often Can You Use Them?

Medicube’s own answer is that the pads are gentle enough for daily use, morning and night, and that very sensitive skin should start with a few times a week.

Our honest recommendation for the Medicube Zero Pore Pad is more conservative: start at two to three times a week and increase only if your skin is genuinely comfortable. Seventy pads used twice daily is a five-week tub; used three times a week it is a five-month tub. The slower approach is cheaper, and it is far less likely to leave you with a stripped barrier that takes a month to repair.

If your skin feels tight, looks shiny-red, or starts stinging when you apply anything else, you are over-exfoliating. Stop for a week and restart at a lower frequency.

Where It Fits in Your Routine

Step	Product	Notes
1	Cleanser	Oil cleanse then foam if wearing makeup or sunscreen
2	Medicube Zero Pore Pad	Embossed side, then silky side
3	Toner or essence	Hydrating, optional
4	Serum	Avoid strong actives on pad nights
5	Moisturiser	Important — acids increase water loss
6	Sunscreen	Morning, every morning, non-negotiable with an AHA

What to Combine It With

The Medicube Zero Pore Pad pairs well with hydrating toners and essences, hyaluronic acid serums, centella or panthenol soothing products, ceramide moisturisers, and a high-protection sunscreen the following morning.

Browse the rest of our exfoliators range, everything for oily skin and large pores, or the full Medicube collection to build a routine around it.

Do Not Combine With

Vitamin C ampoules. Medicube states directly that the Zero Pore Pads cannot be used together with its Vita C Ampoule. Separate them by routine.
Retinoids on the same night. Alternate nights instead.
Other AHA or BHA products. One acid step is enough.
Physical scrubs. The embossed side already provides mechanical action.
Immediately after waxing, threading or a professional peel.

Smoother skin texture after using the exfoliating pads

Realistic Results

First use of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad: skin feels immediately smoother and looks brighter. Some of that is the removal of surface dead skin, and it is genuine.

One to two weeks: texture improves and blackheads begin to look less obvious as congestion clears.

Four to eight weeks: pores look visibly less prominent, and oil through the day is better controlled.

What it will not do: permanently shrink your pores. Pore diameter is largely genetic and structural. What the Medicube Zero Pore Pad does is empty and refine them, which makes them look smaller — stop using it and congestion returns. Results vary between people.

Size and Value

Detail	Value
Pads per tub	70
Net weight	155 g / 5.46 oz
At 3 uses a week	Roughly 5 months
At once daily	Roughly 10 weeks
At twice daily	Roughly 5 weeks
Period after opening	12 months

The 12-month period after opening is what caps a tub used sparingly. At two or three uses a week you will finish the Medicube Zero Pore Pad comfortably inside that window.

Authenticity and Storage

This is authentic Medicube, made in South Korea and carefully selected from trusted suppliers and established distribution channels. We review packaging, labelling and condition before dispatch.

Store the Medicube Zero Pore Pad at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, with the lid closed firmly. Pads left exposed dry out and the essence evaporates. Medicube states a shelf life of 36 months from manufacture and 12 months after opening.

Full Ingredient List

Reproduced as published by Medicube:

Water, Methylpropanediol, Trometamin, Lactic Acid, Alcohol Denat., 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Glycereth-26, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Betaine, Trehalose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Allantoin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine Salicylate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil,

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Ethyl Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Limonene

Ingredients are subject to reformulation and vary slightly between market labels — always check the tub you receive.

Warnings and Precautions

Sunburn Alert. This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that may increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, wear sun protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards.

For external use only.
Avoid the eye and mouth areas.
Discontinue use if irritation occurs.
Do not use on wounded or broken skin.
Patch test first if your skin is easily irritated — the alcohol and citrus oils are the more likely trigger, not the acids.
Consult a specialist if red spots, swelling or itching appear on the treated area during or after use, particularly following sun exposure.
Keep out of reach of children. Not for use on children under three years of age.
Do not use together with a vitamin C ampoule.
Not recommended during pregnancy — Medicube advises against it because the formula contains salicylic acid.
Store away from direct sunlight and high temperatures.

Product Specifications

Specification	Detail
Brand	Medicube
Range	Zero Pore
Version	2.0
Product type	Dual-textured exfoliating toner pads
Count	70 pads
Net weight	155 g / 5.46 oz
Key actives	4.5% AHA (lactic acid), 0.45% BHA (salicylic acid), panthenol, allantoin, sodium hyaluronate
Fragrance	Contains citrus and herb essential oils, and limonene
Alcohol	Contains alcohol denat.
Skin types	All, with caution for sensitive skin
Concerns	Enlarged-looking pores, blackheads, excess oil, rough texture, dullness
Country of manufacture	South Korea
Manufacturer	Encos Co., Ltd.
Brand owner	APR Corporation
Shelf life	36 months from manufacture
Period after opening	12 months
Applicator	No spatula included

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the original Zero Pore Pad or the 2.0?
The 2.0. The reliable difference is panthenol, which the original does not contain — not the size, since both are 70 pads at 155 g.

How often should I use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
Medicube says daily use is fine. We suggest starting at two to three times a week and building up, which is gentler on your barrier and makes the tub last far longer.

Do I rinse after using the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
No. Pat the remaining essence in and carry on with your routine.

Which side of the Medicube Zero Pore Pad goes first?
The embossed side, sweeping outward from the centre of the face. The silky side follows as a polishing pass.

Do I need sunscreen with the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
Yes, and this is not optional. The formula contains an AHA, which increases sun sensitivity for up to a week after use.

Can I use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad with retinol?
Not in the same routine. Alternate nights.

Can I use it with vitamin C?
Medicube specifically says not to use these pads with its Vita C Ampoule. Keep vitamin C to a separate routine.

Will it permanently shrink my pores?
No topical product does. Pore size is largely structural. What these pads do is clear congestion so pores look smaller — a real, visible effect, but one you maintain rather than bank.

Is it safe during pregnancy?
Medicube does not recommend it, because the formula contains salicylic acid. Speak to your doctor.

Is the Medicube Zero Pore Pad vegan or cruelty-free?
We are not claiming either. Medicube publishes no vegan claim for this product and holds no certification we could verify, so we would rather say nothing than repeat an unsupported claim.

Is there a spatula in the Medicube Zero Pore Pad tub?
No. Use clean, dry fingers or tweezers, and avoid dipping wet hands into the tub.

Where is it made?
South Korea, by Encos Co., Ltd. for APR Corporation.

How long does delivery take?
We deliver the Medicube Zero Pore Pad across Bangladesh. Delivery charges and timelines are shown at checkout.

Should You Buy It?

Buy the Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 if congestion, blackheads and rough texture are your main complaints and you want one step that handles all three. The 4.5% AHA and 0.45% BHA pairing is well judged, the panthenol and allantoin make it liveable, and the dual-textured pad genuinely does something the flat kind does not.

Think twice if your skin reacts to alcohol or fragrance — the alcohol denat. and citrus oils are the real sensitivity risk here, not the acids. And do not buy it unless sunscreen is already a daily habit, because an AHA without sun protection is a step backwards.

Seventy pads. Two working faces. Authentic Medicube, delivered across Bangladesh by Lume & Layer.

You can read Medicube’s own product information on the official Medicube Zero Pore Pad page.

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Exfoliators

Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 70 Pads