Deep Reviving Bakuchiol Retinol Serum

MediCube

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The MediCube Deep Reviving Bakuchiol Retinol Serum is a serums, essence, ampoule. Our analysis of its 65 ingredients (51 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin. Heads up: it contains fragrance, which can irritate sensitive or reactive skin.

Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Serums, Essence, Ampoules
Ingredients
65
Low-risk
51
Fragrance
Contains fragrance
Origin
South Korea

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 15/12
Good for dry skin
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate Linoleic Acid Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Sucrose Palmitate Squalane Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Cholesterol Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate Hydrolyzed Collagen
Caution for dry skin
Linoleic Acid Centella Asiatica Extract Sucrose Palmitate Xanthan Gum Glycerin Potassium Cetyl Phosphate Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24 Hydrogenated Lecithin Silica
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Retinol
Sensitive Skin 5/9
Good for sensitive skin
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate Centella Asiatica Extract Glycerin Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate Allantoin
Caution for sensitive skin
Dipropylene Glycol Linoleic Acid Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol Tromethamine Retinol Retinyl Linoleate

Ingredients list

65 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All65 Skin Conditioning60 Viscosity Controlling11 Emollient11 Solvent9 Emulsifying9 Fragrance8 Hair Conditioning8 Surfactant7
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Dipropylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Propanediol
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
1
A
Niacinamide
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing)
1
A
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
(Skin Conditioning)
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
(Fragrance, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning)
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
VITIS VINIFERA SEED OIL
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
(Emollient)
5
6
Retinal
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Hydrolyzed Collagen
(Hair Conditioning, Nail Conditioning Agent, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Emollient, Film Forming, Humectant)
1
Chitosan
(Film Forming, Hair Fixing)
1
B
Centella Asiatica Extract
(Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic)
1
B
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
CENTELLA ASIATICA ROOT EXTRACT
(Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Squalane
(Emollient, Hair Conditioning, Refatting, Skin Conditioning)
1
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
Dimethyl Isosorbide
(Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
A
Panthenol
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
4-t-Butylcyclohexanol
(Masking, Perfuming)
2
A
Hydrogenated Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant)
1
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Sucrose Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
(Skin Protecting)
2
A
Tromethamine
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing)
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
1
A
Biosaccharide Gum-1
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
1
Adenosine
(Skin Conditioning)
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
1
Bakuchiol
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial)
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
Brassica Campestris Sterols
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
Linoleic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Linoleic Acid., Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Cholesterol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
Ceramide NP
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
B
PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
9
Retinyl Linoleate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Beta-Glucan
(Bulking Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
(Antioxidant)
1
B
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
2
A
Silica
(Abrasive, Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
(Skin Conditioning)
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
Retinyl Retinoate
(Skin Conditioning)
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
(Light Stabilizer)
1
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol
(Uv Absorber)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
PARFUM
(Fragrance, Perfuming)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Niacinamide
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Skin Conditioning
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin
Good for oily/acne-prone skin

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
Retinyl Linoleate — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
Fragrance, Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSolventViscosity decreasing agentMaskingViscosity controlling
Propanediol
Solvent, Viscosity decreasing agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 SolventViscosity decreasing agentViscosity controlling
1,2-Hexanediol
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Solvent
Niacinamide
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSmoothing
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Fragrance, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragrancePerfumingSkin conditioning
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
VITIS VINIFERA SEED OIL
Skin conditioning, Skin conditioning emollient
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Hair conditioning, Nail conditioning agent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningNail conditioning agentSkin conditioningAntistatic agentEmollientFilm formingHumectant
Chitosan
Film forming, Hair fixing
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Film formingHair fixing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B CleansingSkin conditioningSmoothingSoothingTonic
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioning
CENTELLA ASIATICA ROOT EXTRACT
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
+ 40 more — see the full ingredients list above
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Retinal
Skin conditioning
Moderate-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 5–6 Skin conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Panthenol
Antistatic agent, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Antistatic agentHair conditioningSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Skin conditioningEmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Allantoin
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningSkin protectingSoothing Good for Oily SkinGood for Sensitive Skin
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Linoleic Acid
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantsurfactant-cleansing agent is included as a function for the soap form of linoleic acid.Antistatic agentEmollient Fungal-acne trigger
Retinyl Linoleate
Skin conditioning
Higher-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 9 Skin conditioning

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Where it fits: Apply after toner and before moisturiser — thinnest to thickest.
  • 2 Morning only: Apply as the last step of your AM routine, after moisturiser, and reapply every ~2 hours of sun exposure.
  • 3 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinal, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Linoleate, Retinyl Retinoate)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinal, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Retinyl Linoleate, Retinyl Retinoate

Niacinamide 2–5% (up to 10%)

Most research uses 2–5%; some formulas go to 10%. Very high levels can cause flushing in sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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