Medicube Zero Pore Pad review: 2.0 or Mild, and how often?
Updated October 22, 2026
Buy Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 if your skin is oily or combination, already tolerates acids, and you want lactic acid and salicylic acid in one swipe. Start with Zero Pore Pad Mild if your skin stings easily or you're new to exfoliating pads, because it swaps those acids for a gentler PHA and leaves out the alcohol and essential oils that appear in the 2.0 ingredient list.
The two jars cost almost the same, so price shouldn't decide it. Frequency matters more: Medicube's 2.0 directions allow daily use but tell very sensitive skin to begin a few times per week, and that's the pace we'd suggest for either pad at the start.
This is a researched review of current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested either pad; texture descriptions are Medicube's, and the buying advice comes from comparing formulas, directions, sizes and prices.
What is the difference between Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 and Mild?
The difference is the acid. Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0, 70 pads uses lactic acid and salicylic acid, while uses gluconolactone, a PHA. Both are jars of 70 dual-textured pads soaked in a leave-on toner, both hold 155 g, and both are aimed at visible pores, excess oil and rough texture.
A short glossary helps. Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), a water-soluble acid that loosens the dead cells sitting on the skin's surface. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA); it's oil-soluble, which is why it's the acid most associated with pores and blackheads. Gluconolactone is a polyhydroxy acid (PHA), a larger molecule usually described as the gentlest of the three, and it also attracts water.
Zero Pore Pad 2.0: the formula
The 2.0 ingredient list opens with water, methylpropanediol (a solvent that also holds moisture), tromethamine (a buffer that sets the acidity), lactic acid, alcohol denat., 1,2-hexanediol, panthenol, glycereth-26 and salicylic acid. Further down it adds betaine salicylate (a related BHA-type ingredient), trehalose, allantoin, sodium hyaluronate, centella asiatica extract and willow bark extract.
Two details matter if your skin is reactive. Alcohol denat. sits fifth, which is high for a toner. And the list includes orange, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot oils, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender oils, and limonene, a fragrant component of citrus oils. Medicube says skin feels "balanced and refreshed" after both sides of the pad.
Zero Pore Pad Mild: the formula
The Mild list opens with water, propanediol, methylpropanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, glycereth-26, butylene glycol, saccharide hydrolysate, tromethamine, gluconolactone and panthenol. It then adds pear fruit extract, madecassoside (a compound from centella), rose flower water, centella asiatica extract and several forms of hyaluronic acid.
There's no alcohol denat., essential oil or limonene on the list. Medicube's listing describes Mild as fragrance-free, made with sensitive skin in mind and tested for low irritation; the details of that testing aren't published. Rose flower water and a long run of plant extracts are still present, so "mild" doesn't mean there's nothing to react to.
Acid strength, pad sides and price
Neither page publishes acid percentages or a pH. Ingredient order hints at relative amounts but can't give you a concentration, so we can't say in numbers how much stronger 2.0 is. What we can say is that 2.0 uses two acid types that are stronger in kind than Mild's single PHA.
Each pad has an embossed side and a smoother side. On 2.0, Medicube says the embossed texture is for the first sweep and the silky side is the finishing pass, with a moisture-replenishing role. Mild uses the same two-step sweep.
At Sleepy Hello, 2.0 costs $19.99 for 70 pads (about 29 cents a pad) and Mild costs $20.99 for 70 pads (30 cents a pad), checked October 2026. A one-dollar gap is small enough to ignore; choose by formula.
How do you use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
Use one pad on clean skin: sweep the embossed side outward from the center of your face, flip it, sweep again with the softer side, then pat in what's left.
For 2.0, the directions are:
After cleansing, use a pad in the morning or evening.
Sweep the embossed side from the center of your face outward, avoiding the eye area and freshly shaved or irritated skin.
Flip the pad and sweep once more with the silky side.
Pat the remaining liquid until it absorbs. Leave it on rather than rinsing.
Follow with a hydrating serum or moisturizer if your skin feels dry.
The 2.0 directions also allow sweeping a pad over rough or oily areas on the neck, chest, back or underarms, on intact, unirritated skin only.
Mild's directions add two useful details. Close the jar promptly after taking a pad so the rest don't dry out. And if one area needs extra attention, you can leave a pad resting there for 5 to 10 minutes as a short mask, then discard it and continue with serum, moisturizer or sunscreen.
Press lightly; the embossed side already works like a textured cloth. On evenings when you've worn sunscreen or makeup, a first cleanse such as Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Deep Cleansing Oil, 205 ml ($17.99, checked October 2026), followed by your usual gentle cleanser, gives the pad a clean surface to work on.
Can you use the Medicube Zero Pore Pad every day?
Yes for 2.0, according to Medicube: its directions permit daily use, once in the morning or the evening, but tell very sensitive skin to begin a few times per week. The Mild page we checked doesn't state a frequency; it's positioned as the gentler version, which makes daily use realistic for more people, but that's our reading rather than a published direction.
Our suggested ramp for either pad:
Weeks one and two: three evenings a week, on nights without another exfoliant or a retinoid.
After that: every other day, then daily if your skin stays comfortable.
Step back at the first sign of stinging that lingers, tightness, flaking, or cheeks that look shiny and feel tender.
"Morning or evening" reads as one pad a day, not two. Using 2.0 twice daily doubles the acid exposure, and nothing in the directions suggests it. If daily 2.0 turns out to be too much, two middle options are 2.0 three or four times a week, or Mild on most days with 2.0 on one or two. Our Korean exfoliator guide compares pads with peeling gels and liquids if you want a different format.
Yes, but not on the same evening while you're starting out. Medicube doesn't publish guidance on pairing the pads with retinol, so this is our take: retinol and acid exfoliants can each cause dryness and peeling, and stacking them on the same night is a common reason a routine starts to sting.
Two ways to combine them:
Split by time of day: pad in the morning, followed by moisturizer and sunscreen, and retinol at night.
Split by night: retinol on some evenings, the pad on others, and a moisturizer-only night whenever your skin feels tight.
Mild is the easier pad to run alongside a retinoid, since PHA is the gentlest of the three acid types. If you use a prescription retinoid or acne product, follow your prescriber's directions before adding either pad. Our Korean retinol guide covers gentler starter formulas.
The same logic applies to the Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask, 100 ml ($15.99, checked October 2026). It's a wash-off clay mask you leave on for 3 to 5 minutes until dry, but its ingredient list includes glycolic acid, salicylic acid and gluconolactone. On mask nights, skip the pad.
What do you use after the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
Follow it with a hydrating serum or moisturizer, and in the morning, sunscreen. Both sets of Medicube directions point to those steps.
Within the same line, Medicube Zero Pore One Day Cream, 50 ml is the matching moisturizer ($22.99, checked October 2026). Medicube describes it as a lightweight, quick-absorbing cream with a non-sticky feel. The product page states 5% panthenol, 2% niacinamide and 0.1% salicylic acid, plus several forms of hyaluronic acid, and its ingredient list opens with water, panthenol, butylene glycol, propanediol, cetyl ethylhexanoate and octyldodecanol (two emollients). The page also notes that fragrance appears in the full ingredient list.
That 0.1% salicylic acid is a small amount, but it does put a little more BHA on top of 2.0. If your skin is easily irritated, a plain moisturizer without acids is the simpler partner for 2.0; the One Day Cream sits more comfortably after Mild or on nights you skip the pad.
While you're building up, don't follow either pad with another exfoliating toner, a peeling gel, a strong vitamin C serum or a retinoid. One exfoliating step per routine is enough.
Is the Medicube Zero Pore Pad good for sensitive skin?
Mild is the version for sensitive skin; 2.0 is a harder fit. Mild is described as made with sensitive skin in mind and fragrance-free, and it leaves out alcohol and essential oils. 2.0 combines two acids with alcohol denat. high in the list, seven essential oils and limonene, and its own directions tell very sensitive skin to begin a few times per week.
Even with Mild, try a pad on a small area, such as along the jaw, for a few days before sweeping your whole face. Skip both pads on skin that's freshly shaved, sunburned, peeling from a retinoid or already stinging. If your skin reacts to many products, or you have a diagnosed skin condition, check with a dermatologist before adding any acid.
Who should skip 2.0 outright: anyone avoiding essential oils, limonene or drying alcohol. Who may not need either pad: dry skin without pore or texture concerns, which usually gets more from a moisturizer than an exfoliant.
Quick answers
Do you rinse after the Medicube Zero Pore Pad?
No. Medicube's 2.0 directions say to pat the remaining liquid in and leave it on, and Mild's say to let the toner absorb before the rest of your routine.
Can you use the Zero Pore Pad in the morning?
Yes. The 2.0 directions say morning or evening. In the morning, follow with moisturizer and sunscreen, since lactic acid is an AHA.
Can you use Zero Pore Pad 2.0 on your body?
Yes, within limits. The 2.0 directions allow sweeping rough or oily areas on the neck, chest, back or underarms, on intact, unirritated skin. Leave freshly shaved underarms alone.
How long does a 70-pad jar last?
About 10 weeks at one pad a day, or roughly four to five months at three or four pads a week. Close the lid after each pad so the rest stay soaked.
Does the Zero Pore Pad contain fragrance?
The 2.0 ingredient list doesn't name fragrance (parfum), but it includes citrus, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender oils plus limonene, which are fragrant ingredients. Mild is described as fragrance-free and lists none of those oils.
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 is the stronger two-acid pick for oily skin, COSRX costs less per pad, and Mild suits sensitive skin. Compare acids and prices.
Round Lab Dokdo Toner adds mild exfoliation for oily, textured skin; Anua Heartleaf 77 is the calmer hydrator. Formulas, pads and price per ml compared.
