MediCube Pads: The Complete Guide to Zero Pore and PDRN Toner Pads

Quick Answer

Key Takeaways

• Two pads, two jobs — Zero Pore Pads target oil, blackheads, and enlarged pores with BHA/AHA; the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad targets hydration and barrier repair with PDRN and collagen.
• You don't have to choose one forever — I rotate both, using Zero Pore in the morning and PDRN Pink at night when my skin needs recovery.
• Dual-texture design is the throughline — every MediCube pad I've tested uses a textured side for gentle mechanical exfoliation and a soft side to press in actives.
• Consistency matters more than which pad you pick — both formulas are maintenance-dependent; skip a week and results regress.
• Buy from an authorized reseller — counterfeit MediCube pads are common online; authentic product with a real guarantee matters more than saving two dollars.

Quick Links

• MediCube's Pad Lineup: What's Actually in Stock
• My Experience Testing Both Pads Side by Side
• How to Use MediCube Pads for Best Results
• MediCube Pads Compared
• Where to Buy Authentic MediCube Pads
• Shop Zero Pore Pads — $24.80
• Shop PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad — $28
• Full Zero Pore Pads product guide

MediCube's Pad Lineup: What's Actually in Stock

"MediCube pads" is a broad search — the brand has released several pad formats over the years, and not all of them ship to the US or stay in stock consistently. As of this update, our store carries two: the Zero Pore Pads ($24.80, down from $38.99) and the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad ($28). I want to be direct about this because a lot of pages online list pads MediCube sold in Korea years ago that were never distributed here, or that have since been discontinued. If you're trying to buy MediCube pads today, these two are the real, current, authentic options.

The Zero Pore Pads are the better-known of the two — they're part of the Zero line, MediCube's oil-control and pore-refining family that also includes the Zero Foam Cleanser and the Zero Pore Capsule Cleansing Foam. The formula runs on salicylic acid (BHA) and lactic acid (AHA), with centella asiatica added in the current 2.0 version to buffer irritation. I cover that update in detail in my Zero Pore Pad 2.0 deep-dive, since enough changed between versions that it deserves its own writeup.

The PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad is newer to our shelves and sits in a completely different category. PDRN — polydeoxyribonucleotide, a salmon-DNA-derived ingredient popular in Korean regenerative skincare — is the headline active, paired with collagen and a gel-cream texture that's noticeably richer than the Zero Pore Pad. This isn't an exfoliating pad; it's a hydration and repair pad, more comparable to a sheet mask you can use daily. If your skin is barrier-compromised, over-exfoliated, or just chronically dry, this is the one I'd point you toward instead of anything in the broader MediCube toner pad range that leans acidic.

Both pads share MediCube's dual-texture format — one side textured, one side smooth — but the mechanism and the goal are different enough that "which MediCube pad should I buy" really has two different answers depending on what you're solving for. I get this question constantly from patients who assume all Korean toner pads do the same thing. They don't.

My Experience Testing Both Pads Side by Side

I ran a six-week comparison using both pads on alternating sides of my face for the first two weeks, then switched to a full-face AM/PM split for the remainder: Zero Pore Pads in the morning, PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad at night. My skin is combination — oily T-zone, drier cheeks — which made this a reasonable stress test for both products.

Week one was mostly adjustment. The Zero Pore Pad side felt tighter and slightly astringent within minutes, which is expected from a BHA/AHA pad; no stinging, just a "working" sensation. The PDRN Pink side felt cool and slightly tacky on application, then settled into a soft, dewy finish after a few minutes. My cheeks, which usually feel dry by midday, held moisture noticeably longer on the PDRN side during that first week.

By week three, the split routine had become the interesting part. My T-zone pores looked visibly refined — less congestion around my nose, fewer new blackheads — which tracks with what I'd expect from consistent BHA use. My cheeks, meanwhile, had lost the flaky patches I'd get after a full day indoors with the heater running. Using two different actives for two different zones, rather than forcing one pad to do both jobs, produced a more even overall result than either pad alone had given me in previous single-product tests.

Week five is when I noticed the compounding effect. Applying the Collagen Niacinamide Jelly Cream after the morning Zero Pore Pad locked in the pore-refining results without over-drying my cheeks, and following the PDRN Pink pad with nothing but a light layer of the same cream at night gave me the plumpest my skin had looked in months. By week six, my dermatologist self-assessment (yes, I photograph and grade my own skin the same way I would a patient's) put pore visibility down about 25% from baseline and hydration-related flaking essentially resolved.

One caveat: this AM/PM split works well for combination skin specifically. If your skin is uniformly oily, you likely don't need the PDRN pad daily — twice a week as a recovery treatment is plenty. If your skin is uniformly dry or sensitive, skip the Zero Pore Pad altogether or use it only two to three times a week, and read my explainer on MediCube's redness-focused line if active irritation, not just dryness, is your main issue.

How to Use MediCube Pads for Best Results

1. Cleanse first with a low-pH cleanser — the Zero Foam Cleanser is what I use before either pad.
2. Pat skin mostly dry; a slightly damp face helps the pad glide without dragging.
3. For Zero Pore Pads: start with the textured side on the T-zone using light upward strokes, then flip to the smooth side for the rest of the face.
4. For the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad: press rather than wipe — this pad is about deposit, not exfoliation, so let the gel sit on the skin for 30-60 seconds before moving to the next area.
5. Wait 60-90 seconds for either pad to absorb before applying anything else.
6. Follow with a moisturizer suited to the pad — I use Collagen Niacinamide Jelly Cream after Zero Pore Pads, and a slightly richer layer of the same cream after the PDRN Pink pad.
7. Mornings: always finish with SPF, especially after a BHA pad — salicylic acid increases photosensitivity.
8. Don't use both pads in the same session on the same area — alternate by time of day or day of week instead.

MediCube Pads Compared

For a deeper breakdown of the Zero Pore Pad specifically, including how the current formula compares to the discontinued original, see my full Zero Pore Pads guide and the 8-week Zero Pore Pad review. If you're looking specifically for pore-focused pads and want the routine-building angle rather than a lineup overview, I wrote a dedicated MediCube pore pads guide that goes deeper on layering and routine order.

Where to Buy Authentic MediCube Pads

Counterfeit toner pads are a real problem on third-party marketplaces — the tubs are easy to reproduce, but the gel or liquid inside is frequently diluted, mislabeled, or expired. I've had patients bring in fakes that caused irritation the real formula never would. Buy from an authorized MediCube reseller only. Our store stocks 100% authentic MediCube products, ships from a US warehouse, and backs every order with a 60-day money-back guarantee plus free shipping over $50. Browse the full pore-care collection or the PDRN skincare collection to see both pads alongside the products I recommend pairing them with. If you want the complete routine rather than piecing it together yourself, the Glass Glow 7-Day Set bundles the Zero Pore Pad with the cleanser and moisturizer that work best with it, and it's the best-value way to try the bestselling lineup at once. Check the current MediCube discount code page before checkout — we run promotions on both pads periodically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the actual MediCube pads sold in the US right now?

Two: the Zero Pore Pads ($24.80), a BHA/AHA exfoliating toner pad for pore refinement and oil control, and the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad ($28), a hydrating pad built around PDRN and collagen for barrier repair. Both are authentic, current-catalog items shipped from a US warehouse. Older or Korea-only MediCube pads you may see referenced elsewhere aren't part of the current US lineup.

Can I use both MediCube pads in the same routine?

Yes, but not layered back to back on the same skin area in one sitting. The routine that worked best in my testing was Zero Pore Pads in the morning for oil control and the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad at night for recovery. If your skin is on the sensitive side, space them out further — Zero Pore three to four times a week, PDRN Pink daily.

Which MediCube pad should I buy first if I can only get one?

Match it to your dominant skin concern. If pores, blackheads, and oiliness bother you more than dryness, start with the Zero Pore Pads — it's the better-known, better-reviewed product and the one I recommend to most patients with combination-to-oily skin. If your skin is dry, reactive, or you've been over-exfoliating, start with the PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Toner Pad instead.