MEDICUBE Zero Pore Cooling Mask

The Zero Pore Cooling Mask sits in Medicube's Zero Pore line, the range the brand built around the look of pores and surface texture. This is the sheet mask entry, and two things distinguish it from the rest of the category.

The first is the cooling. Most products that feel cold on the skin achieve it with alcohol, which evaporates and takes warmth with it. That works, but alcohol is also drying and can be uncomfortable on sensitive skin. This formula produces the cooling effect without it, which is a more considered piece of formulation than it first appears.

The second is the sheet material. Tencel is a regenerated cellulose fibre, and in a sheet mask it holds a large volume of essence and drapes closely against the contours of the face. A sheet that clings properly keeps the essence in contact with the skin rather than pooling at the jawline.

The formula includes niacinamide, palmitoyl tripeptide-5 and botanical extracts including evening primrose, pinus palustris and pueraria lobata. A word on the name: Zero Pore is the line's branding, not a description of what the product does. Pore size is largely genetic and no cosmetic changes it. What this mask affects is how noticeable pores look, and that effect is temporary.

Features

●        Tencel sheet material, chosen for essence capacity and close drape

●        Cooling sensation delivered without alcohol

●        Niacinamide and palmitoyl tripeptide-5 in the formula

●        Evening primrose, pinus palustris and pueraria lobata extracts

●        Ten to twenty minute wear time

●        Part of the Medicube Zero Pore range

Concerns

●        Pores that look noticeable across the nose and cheeks

●        Uneven surface texture

●        Skin that feels hot or looks flushed at the end of the day

●        Wanting a cooling product that is not alcohol based

Suitable For

●        Combination and oily skin

●        Anyone who finds alcohol based cooling products uncomfortable

●        Warm weather and after sun exposure

●        Patch test first if your skin is reactive

Made In

South Korea

●        The cooling effect arrives without alcohol, so it suits people who find alcohol based products drying or stinging

●        Tencel holds a large volume of essence and drapes closely, keeping the formula in contact with the skin

●        Niacinamide is well tolerated and layers comfortably with the rest of a routine

●        Pores can look less noticeable once the surface has been treated, and skin texture looks smoother

●        Comfortable on skin that feels hot at the end of a warm day

●        Fits between toner and moisturiser without complicating a routine

1.     Cleanse your skin, then apply your usual toner to prepare it.

2.     Open the pouch, unfold the sheet and adjust it so it sits evenly across your face.

3.     Smooth the sheet outward from the centre, pressing out air pockets around the nose and jaw.

4.     Leave the mask on for ten to twenty minutes. Remove it before it begins to dry on the skin.

5.     Take off the sheet and discard it, then pat the remaining essence into your face and neck until it absorbs.

6.     Follow with your usual moisturiser. Use two to three times a week.

Key Ingredients

●        Niacinamide is widely used in Korean skincare and is well tolerated alongside most other ingredients.

●        Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 is a peptide included in the formula.

●        Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Extract is among the botanical ingredients.

●        Pinus Palustris and Pueraria Lobata Extracts also appear in the formula.

Ingredient Claims

●        Formulated without alcohol, which is how the cooling effect is achieved without the drying associated with alcohol based products.

●        No claims are made about reducing pore size. Zero Pore is the product line's name, not a description of an effect. Pore size is not something a cosmetic changes.

●        Single use sheet. Discard after one application.

Full Ingredients List

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Propanediol, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Indigofera Tinctoria Extract, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Myosotis Sylvatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camphor, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Hydroxycinnamic Acid, Rutin.

Medicube is a South Korean skincare brand under the APR group, launched with a focus on blemish prone and textured skin and best known internationally for its Zero and Red lines. The brand pairs its skincare with home beauty devices, and its products tend to be organised into clearly named ranges addressing one concern each. Medicube has grown rapidly outside Korea through social media and retail partnerships, and the Zero Pore line is among its most recognisable. C&C Cosmetics carries the range for Canadian customers.

• 1 x Medicube Zero Pore Cooling Mask sheet