Medicube is one of those Korean Beauty brands that has a lot of really effective products, but their advertising can be very suspect ~lol. It’s a shame because many of their products DO work and I do not understand why they need to use filters in their ads to smooth or blur skin. Other than that practice, I have found that I have enjoyed their Red Line, which deals with Skin Irritation, Zero Line for Pore Care, Skin Healing and Fortifying with Super CICA Line and their hair care line, Soyxidil, which is amazing!! The only line I do not care for is the Glass Glow Line for Firming, as the scent is just too potent.
I think their BEST skin care line is their Deep Line ~ Anti-Aging. This line consists of several products ~ Collagen Vita Multi Serum Stick, Vita C Serum, Vita C Cream, Reviving Peptide Eye Cream, Peptide Radiance Mask, Vita C Mask, Age-R Device and Age-R Booster Gel Serum. Medicube sent me a few of the Deep products, including the Age-R device. Initially, I was just going to post an IG review on the skincare products from the Deep line, but I really loved them so much, that I felt they needed a dedicated blog post. I am reviewing the Vita C Serum, Vita C Cream and Reviving Peptide Eye Cream and will have a separate blog review on the Age-R series.
So grab the beverage of your choice and snacks, settle in and read on ~ this is a short story review!! Swatches will be at the end of this review.
Skin Type/Concerns: oily, blemish prone, dehydrated, aging concerns, pores, fine lines/wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation
I received these products complementary to review and was not paid. All reviews are my own honest opinion and I never have been asked to write copy for a brand. This blog post might contain promo codes, affiliate and referral links, which using my links will help generate a small commission that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you.
Deep Vita C Serum (Ampoule) is a vitamin C product that I fully can get behind and recommend. Let’s talk about the ingredients in here, as this is an advanced vitamin C serum and Medicube packed A LOT of good stuff in here. Containing 13.5% (135,000 ppm) pure vitamin in the form of ascorbic acid, an antioxidant that is essential for tissue growth, repair and collagen production. It is one of the best anti-aging ingredients, as it does combat free radicals and help brighten your skin tone while reducing hyper-pigmentation and blemishes.
Alpha bisabolol is a rich source of moisture, while providing soothing and healing care, as it is also an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial. Concentrated ammonium salt diisopropyl sebacate is derived from lactic acid and reduces dryness as it is a NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor), so you know it will leave your skin smooth and supple.
Sodium gluconate moisturizes and hydrates the skin, as it traps moisture in and beneath the skin, so your skin will be soft and smooth. Hydrating humectants panthenol and sodium hyaluronate will attract moisture and bind it to your skin, leaving your skin hydrated and supple. Glutathione is an anti-aging antioxidant ingredient that will help fight free radicals and repair skin damage, resulting in a brighter skin tone.
Beta-carotene helps reduce oxidative stress, protects against UVA damage and improves the appearance of your skin. Beta glucan helps stimulate the production of collagen, speeds up wound healing, soothes and calms skin due to its anti-irritant and strong anti-inflammatory properties. It also moisturizes, locks in that moisture, anti-aging and anti-wrinkle due to its anti-oxidant properties and also helps repair your moisture barrier.
Birch sap is full of compounds that will help tone, moisturize and make your face smooth, supple and radiant. It is also known as the Water of Life and contains high concentrates of amino acids, minerals, vitamins such as magnesium, potassium, enzymes, sodium, iron, vitamin C and sugars. Birch Sap has been traditionally used in Northern European countries and the Baltic regions and it will protect and combat free radicals due to its powerful anti-aging and antioxidant ingredient
There are a lot of anti-oxidant botanical extracts in here ~ many that contain rich sources of vitamin C which helps promote collagen production while others have anti-inflammatory, anti-aging benefits, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation: mung bean, grapefruit, prickly pear, camu camu, carrot seed, turmeric, kakadu plum and yellow dock root. This is a cruelty free product and hypoallergenic certified.
Ingredients: Water, Ascorbic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Polysorbate 60, Glutathione, Glycerin, (-)-alpha-bisabolol, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Chitosan, Pullulan, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tris (Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil , Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Bark Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Rumex Crispus Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Linalool, Limonene, 1,2-Hexanediol cosDNA
Deep Vita C Serum comes in a set of three 10 gram ampoule bottles per kit (a total of 30 grams worth of product), with one eye drop applicator. This is a smart idea for vitamin C ~ it happens to degrade quickly, so you can pretty much have a fresh ampoule every week. The ampoules are a dark brown, light shielding plastic bottle, so it is also protecting the serum from light and ensuring that the efficacy of the Vita C Serum is fully maximized.
The serum is a water based serum, but it has a pale yellow creamy texture, like a watery lotion. This does have that traditional meaty, hotdog scent that many vitamin C products have ~ but the odor disappears quickly enough. This has a pH level of 4.0, so that means with a 13.5% vitamin C, it has 7.52% free acid (Lab Muffin’s Free Acid Calculator) Goals to Get Glowing wrote up about what free acids mean here, which basically states that is the amount of acid that is absorbed in our skin. 7.52% is a moderate exfoliatant which shouldn’t cause irritation and will result in smoother, softer and more even skin toned skin. This also has a significant increase in GAGs (glycosaminoglycans), which support collagen and elastin.
Initially, this did sting a little on my skin, because it is a much higher percentage of vitamin C than I am used too. However, within a couple of days, this didn’t sting anymore, nor did it redden my skin. This absorbs quickly on my skin, leaving no greasy or sticky residue and all of those hydrating moisturizing ingredients leave my skin feeling soft and supple.
I have gone through almost three kits, about seven ampoules and I have to say this is one of the best high percentage vitamin C serums I have used. I didn’t experience any purging which is a common problem with vitamin C products, nor does it pill under makeup, another common complaint with vitamin C. ~ I have two right now that I am going to stop using because they purge (Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster) or pill on my skin (Common Heir Vitamin C Capsules) horribly.
What this does do is bring a lovely glow to my skin, brightens up my skin tone, helps heal blemishes ~ I just dab this on my emerging spots and the next day they are healed up ~ while reducing PIH (post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation) scarring on fresh blemishes. My pores look clean and smaller in appearance and whereas my old hyper-pigmentation is not disappearing, it isn’t darkening either ~ a win-win for me!
Tip: When the bottle is empty, don’t toss it out just yet. Remove the eye glass dropper, open up a new bottle and insert the eye glass dropper on the new one. Take the cap from the new bottle and put it on the old “empty” bottle and set it upside down. There is still a lot of serum left in that bottle, as the applicator cannot suck up the last remaining drops. I would say there is about 2 uses left in the bottle and by turning it upside down, the serum will drip down onto the cap, making it easy to to retrieve and apply on your skin.
Medicube states not to use this serum with the following products simultaneously: Retinol/Vitamin A, AHA, BHA and Niacinamide/Vitamin B3. I do disagree with the last ingredient, as vitamin C and niacinamide do work well together. It used to be thought you couldn’t use them at the same time, but you actually can. And as always, USE A SUNSCREEN if you are using any type of exfoliating brightening ingredient, whether it is vitamin A, vitamin C, AHA, BHA.
Deep Vita C Cream works so well with the serum! This contains 6.5% of concentrated vitamin C, asboric acid and also shares some of the ingredients found in the serum: glutathione, camu camu, kakadu plum, alpha bisabolol, beta-glucan and beta carotene. In addition to those anti-oxidant, skin brightening and moisturizing ingredients, this has additional skin brightening and hydrating ingredients.
Firming and brightening ubiquinone ~ also known as CoQ10 or vitamin Q, helps with elastin production and is an antioxidant. Fructooligosaccharides, also known as d-beta fructan, is a plant sugar and will aid your skin in absorbing vitamins, minerals and will moisturize. It is reported to have anti-inflammatory benefits as well. Sugar derived saccharide hydrolysate is based on the natural moisturizing factor (NMF) and is considered a humectant, helping bind moisture to your skin. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory hesperidin not only soothes the skin, but can also brighten and improve your skin tone while licorice provides anti-inflammatory, skin brightening properties.
This also has a 7 hyaluronic acid complex, consisting of different molecular sizes and weights, so that it can provide hydration into the deepest layers of your skin and also attract and bind moisture to your skin, with long lasting hydration. Allantoin moisturizes, exfoliates and softens skin, making it look smooth and refined, while reducing and relieving irritation. Adenosine is approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as a anti-wrinkle and anti-aging ingredient. This also has nourishing and moisturizing squalane, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E and ceramides along with a couple of essential oils.
Ingredients: Water, Ascorbic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Squalane, Dipropylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Bisabolol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Glutathione, Allantoin, Dimethiconol, Polyglyceryl-3 Oleate, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cellulose Gum, Diisostearoyl Polyglyceryl-3 Dimer Dilinoleate, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract, Adenosine, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Leaf/Stem Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Leaf Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Disodium EDTA, Beta-Glucan, t-Butyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Lauryl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, C12-14 Pareth-12, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Sucrose Stearate, Beta-Carotene, Hesperidin, Ergothioneine, Ceramide NP, Fructooligosaccharides, Ubiquinone, Pullulan, Indigofera Tinctoria Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hemerocallis Fulva Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Myosotis Sylvatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate cosDNA
This comes in a vacuum pump bottle in dark brown with gold lettering. I will say that the packaging on this line is nothing to write home about. It is quite dull looking but it’s whats inside that counts! This vitamin C cream is a nice yellow shade, no scent that I can detect and has almost a bit of a soft, waxy feel to it. This does spread nicely on my skin and has a pH level between 4.5 to 5 ~ using the same calculation as the Deep Vita C Serum, this would have a free acid percentage between .73% and 1.85%, so the vitamin C in here is more about moisturization.
However, this does have other skin brightening ingredients that aren’t included in the pH levels, so I think this works well for evening out skin tone if used regularly and over time. It is not irritating, didn’t cause me to break out in pimples and did moisturize my skin nicely.
Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream is another winner for me. I am on my second tube ~ first tube was PR but I purchased the second tube myself. I have long missed my AmorePacific Time Response Eye Reserve Crème (review) and have been wandering in the wilderness, looking for a replacement worthy of that $260.00 precious cream. And I found it with Medicube’s Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream. This eye cream has been approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for moisturization and brightening skin tones.
Containing a high concentration of a 20,000ppm biomimetic peptide complex that was independently developed by Medicube’s Research and Development Team. The peptide complex consists of palmitoyl tripeptide-5 (SYN®-COLL), helping to firm skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles, reversing sun damage, smoothing and refining skin and pores. Anti-aging acetyl octapeptide-3 (SNAP-8) helps with relaxing facial wrinkles, and is more stable that botox and more effective than acetyl hexapeptide-3. Acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester is considered a “soothing” dipeptide and will help relax our skin cells to prevent additional wrinkles or expression lines. It also is an anti-inflammatory, as it decreases skin irritations as well.
Copper tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) aids in the production of glycosaminoglycans (GAGS) which help support and maintain the production of collagen and elastin, making your skin firm and retain moisture. This peptide is a weird one ~ acetyl hexapeptide-1(Melitane®), which is not an anti-aging peptide, but it stimulates melanin production ~ wait up, it won’t create dark spots all over your face, but it actually helps your natural protection factor, melanin, protecting your skin against UV rays, strengthening your skin and also act as an anti-inflammatory. (source)
And that is not all! This eye cream is packed to the brim with anti-aging, firming, wrinkle and hydration care ingredients such as seven types of hyaluronic acids in varying molecular sizes to help plump up skin and provide long lasting hydration, nine types of collagen and elastin, for moisturization, provide firmness while allowing flexiblity in your skin. Anti-inflammatory oleic acid can penetrate the skin’s deeper layers and locks in moisture to help fine lines and wrinkles from forming.
There are over 15 amino acids in here, both essential and non-essential. Amino acids are crucial to having beautiful and healthy skin ~ some of the benefits are repairing damage (arginine), antioxidant, soothing protection (histidine), strengthens the skin’s barrier (lysine), softens fine lines and wrinkles (proline, glycine, leucine) and protects skin from external stressors (methionine). Amino acids are NMF (natural moisturizing factor) accounts and will improve your skin’s moisture level by binding water to your skin. It is small in size and can penetrate the outermost layer of your skin, unlike collagen. (source)
This eye cream also has brightening ingredients: antioxidant niacinamide not only can even out your skin tone and reduce post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, it also helps improve your skin’s skin elasticity and enhances the skin barrier function. 1-methylhydantoin-2-imide (CosmoWhite) is even better than kojic acid in brightening and reducing skin pigmentation. (source) Glucosamine increases hydration and reduces wrinkles, as well as lightening up hyper-pigmentation, as it inhibits melanin production. Another melanin inhibitor is phenylalanine.
This also has hydrating and moisturizing ingredients of panthenol, shea butter and ceramides as well as a natural source of exfoliating AHA in sugarcane extracts. Pullulan will instantly help tighten your skin and temporarily improve your skin’s texture.
This does contain peanuts in it ~ arachidic acid is an emollient derived from peanut oil, so if you are allergic to peanuts, you do not want to use this.
Ingredients: Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Olivate, C14-22 Alcohols, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Fructooligosaccharides, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Pullulan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Adenosine, Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Myristyl Alcohol, Myristic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Glucose, Arachidic Acid, Lauryl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Atelocollagen, Desamido Collagen, Oleic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Collagen, Collagen Amino Acids, Procollagen, Magnesium PCA, Serine, Sucrose, Glycine, Calcium Chloride, Sea Salt, Alanine, Magnesium Chloride, Threonine, Histidine, Aspartic Acid, Valine, Proline, Dipotassium Phosphate, Lysine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Isoleucine, Magnesium Citrate, Glucosamine HCl, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Asparagine, Citrulline, Methionine, Taurine, Tryptophan, Formic Acid, Glutamine, Cysteine, Fragrance, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone cosDNA
As you can see, my tube is well loved. This comes in a vinyl tube with a pointed tip applicator. The cream has that somewhat waxy stiff feel to it, but it melts like butter on my skin. There is no scent that I can detect with it as well.
I can see that this plumps up the skin around my eyes, reduces puffiness and softens wrinkles and fine lines. I feel that after using this for 7 months, the damage around my eye area has not worsened, so this is working! I may not be able to reverse time, but I can try and slow it down a bit. This is just as good if not better than the AmorePacific Time Response Eye Reserve Crème and it is much less expensive. This is going to be a repeat purchase for me and I hope over time, it will tighten up the area around my eyes. I use this primarily in the daytime, and it doesn’t cause my makeup to slide around, cake up or dry my skin. I haven’t tried this yet, but you can also use this eye cream on other problem areas, such as the 11’s between your eye brows, the nose to mouth lines and forehead lines. It really is a multi-purpose product!
Where to Purchase
Medicube USA! If you find that you love this line of skincare products as much as I do, it pays to join their M-Club program. The Deep series is more on the expensive side of Medicube’s products, so I can save 40% on products, plus free shipping. There is an annual fee of $39.00, which the fee is given back to in payback coupons, so in a way, it turns out to be free. You also get credit for how much you spend there, which can be converted to coupons that you can use at Medicube. To learn more about M-Club, read here.
- Deep Vita C Serum(Ampoule) 1 Kit: $53.00 M-Club $31.80 (1 kit) 2 Kits: $106 M-Club $63.60 4 Kits: $212.00 M-Club $127.50 Comes with a free full sized Deep Vita C Cream
- Deep Vita C Cream 1.01 oz 1 Cream: $51.00 M-Club $30.60 2 Creams: $102.00 M-Club $61.20
- Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream 30 mL $55.00 On Sale $49.50 M-Club $33.00
You can also purchase at Amazon USA
- Deep Vita C Cream 1.01 oz $52.00
- Deep Reviving Peptide Eye Cream 30 mL $55.00 with Prime Shipping and an option to subscribe
For international shipping, you can find Medicube at BeautyBoxKorea and Medicube also has websites for Korea, Singapore, Japan, China and Vietnam
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