Medicube Zero Pore Pad vs COSRX One Step Clear Pad: which pore pad to buy?
Updated October 22, 2026
Buy Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 if your skin is oily, already handles acids, and you want the stronger formula of the two: it pairs lactic acid with salicylic acid. Buy COSRX if you'd rather pay less and use a simpler pad, because the One Step Original Clear Pad lists 1% betaine salicylate and the 100-pad Blemish Pore Clear Pad works out to 18 cents a pad at Sleepy Hello.
If your skin stings easily, neither of those is the jar we'd open first. Medicube's Zero Pore Pad Mild swaps the acids for a gentler PHA, and its ingredient list has no alcohol denat. or essential oils.
This is a researched comparison of current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested any of these pads; texture descriptions are the brands' own, and the buying advice comes from comparing formulas, directions, sizes and prices.
What is the difference between Medicube Zero Pore Pad and COSRX One Step Clear Pad?
The main difference is the acid. uses two exfoliating acids plus a long list of fragrant plant oils, while uses one mild acid in a 14-ingredient formula. Both are jars of pre-soaked, two-sided pads that you sweep over clean skin and leave on.
Three acid families come up in this comparison. An AHA (alpha hydroxy acid, such as lactic acid) is water-soluble and loosens dead cells on the surface. A BHA (beta hydroxy acid, such as salicylic acid) is oil-soluble, which is why it's the acid people reach for when the concern is oily pores and blackheads. A PHA (polyhydroxy acid, such as gluconolactone) is a larger molecule usually described as the gentlest of the three.
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
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, allantoin, sodium hyaluronate, centella asiatica extract and willow bark extract.
It also lists orange, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot oils, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender oils, and limonene, a fragrant component of citrus oils. Medicube doesn't publish the acid percentages or a pH. Medicube says the embossed side is for the first sweep and the silky side is a finishing pass with a moisture-replenishing role.
COSRX One Step Original Clear Pad
The original COSRX list is short: willow bark water, butylene glycol, glycerin, betaine salicylate, 1,2-hexanediol, arginine (a pH adjuster), PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil (which keeps the oils dispersed in water), panthenol, allantoin, ethyl hexanediol, orange peel oil, tea tree leaf oil, sodium hydroxide and sodium hyaluronate. The product page states 1% betaine salicylate, a salicylic acid derivative that COSRX uses as its BHA.
There's no alcohol denat. on the list, but orange peel oil and tea tree leaf oil are both present. COSRX describes the embossed side as a more textured pass and the soft side as a lighter sweep that collects what's left. This 70-pad jar is $15.99 at Sleepy Hello but was out of stock when we checked in October 2026.
COSRX's 100-pad Blemish Pore Clear Pad is a different formula
COSRX One Step Original Blemish Pore Clear Pad, 100 pads isn't simply a bigger jar of the original. Our product page describes 77.7% white willow bark water, a BHA, PHA and LHA acid complex (LHA is an oil-loving salicylic acid derivative), and zinc PCA, which COSRX includes for shine and oil. The jar front, as pictured on that page, lists BHA, PHA, zinc PCA, pantothenic acid, allantoin and hyaluronic acid.
The jar holds 100 oversized 70 mm pads in 300 mL of essence. Our page doesn't print the full ingredient list, and we couldn't read a complete ordered list on COSRX's US site. Retailer listings name betaine salicylate, gluconolactone and capryloyl salicylic acid as the acids and include tea tree leaf oil, so check the carton if you avoid essential oils.
What is the difference between Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 and Mild?
2.0 uses lactic and salicylic acid; Medicube Zero Pore Pad Mild, 70 pads uses gluconolactone, a PHA, instead. Both jars hold 70 dual-textured pads and 155 g, and both are aimed at visible pores, excess oil and rough texture.
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. The product page describes it as fragrance-free and made with sensitive skin in mind, with a refreshing after-feel.
The trade-off is strength for comfort. Mild has no alcohol denat., essential oils or limonene on its list, but it also drops the BHA, which is the ingredient most tied to blackheads.
Which pad is gentler for sensitive skin?
Medicube Zero Pore Pad Mild is the gentlest of the four on paper. It relies on a PHA, and its ingredient list leaves out the alcohol and essential oils found elsewhere in this comparison.
Next comes the COSRX original. One percent betaine salicylate is a modest single acid and there's no alcohol denat., but orange peel oil and tea tree leaf oil can be a problem for easily irritated skin. Medicube 2.0 is the one to approach most carefully: two acid types, alcohol denat. fifth on the list, and seven essential oils plus limonene.
Mild still contains rose flower water and many plant extracts, so "mild" doesn't mean nothing to react to. If your skin reacts to most leave-on products, try any pad on a small area for a few days first.
How often should you use an exfoliating toner pad?
Start two or three times a week, then move to daily only if your skin stays comfortable. That matches Medicube's own advice for 2.0, which permits daily use in the morning or evening but tells very sensitive skin to begin a few times per week. COSRX directs daily use for the original pad. The Mild and Blemish Pore pages we checked don't state a frequency.
All four pads follow the same basic routine:
Cleanse, then lift out one pad. COSRX includes tweezers in its jars; close the lid right away so the rest don't dry out.
Sweep the embossed side from the center of your face outward, avoiding the eye area. Medicube also says to skip freshly shaved or irritated skin.
Flip the pad and sweep once more with the softer side.
Pat in what's left. These are leave-on toners, so don't rinse.
Follow with serum and moisturizer, then sunscreen in the morning. COSRX's directions call for daytime sunscreen, and 2.0's lactic acid is an AHA.
Mild's directions also let you rest a pad on one area for 5 to 10 minutes as a short mask. Medicube 2.0 and the Blemish Pore pad can be swept over the chest or back.
Use one exfoliating product per session. On nights you use a retinoid or another acid, skip the pad; our guide to how often to exfoliate your face sets out a weekly schedule.
Which pad is better for blackheads and oily skin?
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 is the stronger pick for blackheads and oily skin that already tolerates acids, because it combines salicylic acid with lactic acid and betaine salicylate. The COSRX Blemish Pore Clear Pad is the value alternative, with three acid types plus zinc PCA for shine.
The COSRX original is the lightest of the three BHA pads. It suits oily skin that wants a quick daily swipe more than a stronger exfoliant. Both brands publish small studies of their own, but they aren't head-to-head tests, so we didn't weigh them.
Pads loosen surface buildup; they don't empty every pore. For a broader routine, see our Korean skincare for blackheads guide.
Pick Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 if your skin is oily or combination, you've used acids before, and you want both an AHA and a BHA in one step.
Pick Medicube Zero Pore Pad Mild if your skin stings easily or you want to avoid alcohol and essential oils.
Pick the COSRX Blemish Pore Clear Pad if you want a BHA-based pad at the lowest price per pad and don't mind tea tree oil.
Pick the COSRX original if it's back in stock and you want the shortest ingredient list with a stated 1% BHA.
Which costs less per pad?
COSRX costs less per pad. At Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026:
Per pad is the fairest unit because you use one pad per session. Volume comparisons don't line up: COSRX lists 300 mL of essence for the Blemish Pore jar (about 6 cents per mL), while Medicube lists net weight, 155 g per jar. At one pad a day, a 70-pad jar lasts about ten weeks and the 100-pad jar about fourteen.
Quick answers
Can you use Medicube and COSRX pads together?
There's no need to. Both exfoliate, so alternating them still means exfoliating every session. Pick one jar and finish it.
Is the COSRX One Step Original Clear Pad discontinued?
COSRX hasn't said so, and its US site still has a page for it. The 70-pad jar was out of stock at Sleepy Hello in October 2026, and the 100-pad Blemish Pore Clear Pad is a separate formula.
Do these toner pads contain alcohol?
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 lists alcohol denat. fifth. Mild and the COSRX original don't list it, and the full Blemish Pore list isn't printed on our product page.
Do you rinse after using a toner pad?
No. All four are leave-on formulas: pat the leftover essence in and continue with the rest of your routine.
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.
