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MediCube PDRN Pink Cica Soothing Toner Versus MediCube PDRN Pink Niacinamide Milky Toner

Toner
Toner
Korean Brand South Korea
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on April 23, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe toners. They have a total of 16 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and peptides

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
PDRN Pink Cica Soothing Toner
PDRN Pink Niacinamide Milky Toner

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Emollient

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Emollient

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Emollient
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Octyldodecanol

Emollient

Diisostearyl Malate

Emollient

C12-14 Alketh-12

Emulsifying

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Tromethamine

Buffering

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Trehalose

Humectant

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Good for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Disodium EDTA

Cyanocobalamin

Skin Conditioning

Saccharide Hydrolysate

Humectant

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Emollient
Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Oryza Sativa Bran Water

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Prunus Amygdalus Amara Kernel Oil

Masking
Fragrance IconOil Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Pyrus Malus Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Sorbitol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Propanediol

Solvent

Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Jasminum Officinale Flower Water

Masking

Xylitylglucoside

Humectant

Anhydroxylitol

Humectant

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Emollient
0 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Dipropylene Glycol

Masking

Sucrose Stearate

Emollient
0 / 0

Xylitol

Humectant

Beta-Carotene

Skin Conditioning

Sodium Dna

Skin Conditioning

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Pueraria Lobata Root Extract

Humectant

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Madecassoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Milk Protein Extract

Lycopodium Clavatum Extract

Skin Conditioning

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Astringent

Phragmites Communis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Lecithin

Emollient

Tremella Fuciformis Extract

Humectant

Tabebuia Impetiginosa Bark Extract

Skin Conditioning

Trifolium Pratense Extract

Skin Conditioning

Acetyl Glutamine

Skin Conditioning

Asiatic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning

Madecassic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Asiaticoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Humectant

Hydrolyzed Rice Protein

Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein

Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed Corn Protein

Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Folic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ceramide Ns

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Ceramide EOP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Ceramide AP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Oligopeptide-3

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Oligopeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Oligopeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Hexapeptide-11

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Octyldodecanol, Diisostearyl Malate, C12-14 Alketh-12, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Cyanocobalamin, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Butylene Glycol, Prunus Amygdalus Amara Kernel Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pyrus Malus Leaf Extract, Sorbitol, Panthenol, Propanediol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Water, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Sucrose Stearate, Xylitol, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Dna, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tocopherol, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Madecassoside, Milk Protein Extract, Lycopodium Clavatum Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Tabebuia Impetiginosa Bark Extract, Trifolium Pratense Extract, Acetyl Glutamine, Asiatic Acid, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Folic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Oligopeptide-3, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Smoothing

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse. 

It is a:

  • Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  • Emollient, helping to soften skin
  • Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  • Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives 
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Xylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.

In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.

The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.

As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.

Learn more about Xylitol
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Skin Conditioning

Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.

Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.

Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.

In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.

Learn more about Adenosine

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Skin Conditioning

Cyanocobalamin is the manufactured version of vitamin B12. It has skin soothing, antioxidant, and barrier protecting properties. Topical cyanocobalamin is used to treat skin irritation and atopic dermatitis.

Skin Conditioning

Sodium DNA is an emerging anti-aging ingredient.

It is created by taking deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and purifying it with sodium hydroxide.

The DNA is extracted from several different animal sources, including: calf thymus, the gonadic tissue of a male sturgeon, or herring / salmon sperm.

You have probably seen this ingredient in anti-aging skincare. But what is it?

DNA is composed of nucleotides, or chemical building blocks. Nucleotides include adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C). Talk about a flashback to biology! Nucleosides are formed from these nucleotides.

The science behind Sodium DNA is based on an ingredient called Polydeoxyribonucleotide or PDRN.

PDRN are DNA fragments mainly extracted from the sperm cells of trout or salmon. Meaning, PDRN can be derived from Sodium DNA.

PDRN consists of chains of nucleotides and nucleosides mentioned above. They can range anywhere from 80 - 2000 pairs.

Studies show PDRN has the following properties:

Further studies are needed to truly confirm this ingredients anti-aging ability (Remember, retinol has decades of research!).

When using this ingredient, is is best to ask a brand about the source of their Sodium DNA. You'll want to find products where the Sodium DNA is sourced from fish. Some Sodium DNA is derived from calf / cow thymus.

Learn more about Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract comes from the leaves of an herb plant native to Southeast Asia. Centella Asiatica is rich in antioxidants and amino acids. It can help reduce irritation and soothe the skin.

Many active components found in centella asiatica, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside, encourage the skin to naturally produce hyaluronic acid. This helps keep our skin hydrated. Many of these components also show antioxidant activity and may help reduce the signs of aging.

Research shows centella asiatica can help increase Type I collagen production by increasing fibroblast production. Fibroblast helps form connective tissue.

The combination of all these properties makes centella asiatica leaf extract effective at soothing the skin.

Other components of centella asiatica leaf extract include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.

Recent studies found madecassoside may help prevent damage from UV rays by preventing UV-induced inflammation. Further research is needed.

This plant has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Learn more about Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing

Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.

Studies show the compounds in centella help with:

The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.

Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.

Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Learn more about Centella Asiatica Extract
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning

You might know this ingredients as Matrixyl, a famous peptide.

Peptides are building blocks for protein. Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 consists of five amino acids. These amino acids include: 2 lysines, 2 threonines, and serine

This ingredients tells our body to create more collagen. Collagen is a protein that makes connective tissue. Boosting collagen production leads to a healthier skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier means having firm and hydrated skin.

Thus, Matrixyl may help improve the look of wrinkles.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Learn more about Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

When to use

98 Routines
49% use in am
51% use in pm
91% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->