Different acids for different jobs. Pick by what your pores need.
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA is a leave-on liquid with 2% salicylic acid, the oil-soluble acid that clears clogged pores. Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 leads with 4.5% lactic acid, an AHA that smooths the surface, and adds only 0.45% salicylic acid. Zero Pore Pad Mild 2.0 drops both and uses gluconolactone, a gentle PHA.
If blackheads and clogged pores are the problem, buy Paula’s Choice. If your skin is oily, tough and mostly feels rough, Medicube 2.0 is the convenient option, though its alcohol and essential oils rule it out for sensitive skin. If your skin is dry or reactive, Mild 2.0 is the only one of the three built for it.
| AHA-led pads Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 Exfoliating Toner Pads | VS | Best for pores Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant |
|---|---|---|
4.5% lactic acid, 0.45% salicylic acid | Exfoliating acids |
2% salicylic acid |
Surface smoothing | Main job |
Clearing clogged pores |
Yes, high on the list | Drying alcohol |
None |
Citrus, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus | Essential oils |
None |
Swipe with a pre-soaked pad | Application |
Leave-on liquid |
| View | View |
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0: AHA-led pads for oily skin
Lactic and salicylic acid pads for oily, resilient skin.
Each pad is soaked in 4.5% lactic acid and 0.45% salicylic acid, with a little betaine salicylate on top. Lactic acid, an AHA, does most of the work: it loosens dead skin on the surface, so skin feels smoother after a few uses. The salicylic acid is a light dose for pores, under a quarter of what Paula’s Choice uses.
Panthenol, betaine, trehalose and allantoin soften the formula, but two things make it a poor match for sensitive skin. Denatured alcohol sits fifth on the list, and the solution contains orange, lemon, grapefruit and bergamot oils plus rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender oils.
Swipe the textured side over clean skin, then the smooth side to finish, with light pressure. There are 70 pads per jar.
- 4.5% lactic acid smooths rough texture
- 0.45% salicylic acid plus betaine salicylate for light pore care
- Panthenol, betaine and allantoin in the solution
- Two-sided pad: textured to swipe, smooth to finish
- Denatured alcohol is high on the list
- Contains citrus, bergamot, lavender, rosemary and eucalyptus oils
- Lactic acid raises sun sensitivity
- Wiping adds friction
Paula's Choice 2% BHA: the one for clogged pores
Leave-on 2% salicylic acid in an eight-ingredient formula.
Paula’s Choice puts 2% salicylic acid in a list of just eight ingredients: water, two glycols, the acid, a solubilizer, green tea extract, sodium hydroxide to set the pH and a chelator. No fragrance, no essential oils, no alcohol.
Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it works inside the pore lining where blackheads and clogs form. At 2%, this has more than four times the salicylic acid of Medicube 2.0’s 0.45%. That makes it the better pick if your main complaint is blackheads, bumps or pores that look stretched by oil.
It stays on your skin, so start every other night. Dry or easily irritated skin may only need it two or three times a week.
- 2% salicylic acid, the most of the three
- Eight ingredients, no fragrance or essential oils
- Leave-on liquid with no wiping or friction
- Green tea extract in the base
- Costs about twice as much upfront as the pads
- Can dry out sensitive skin if you overuse it
- Needs a cotton pad or fingertips to apply
Medicube Zero Pore Pad Mild 2.0: the gentle pad
Gentle PHA pads with panthenol and hyaluronic acid.
Mild 2.0 is a different formula, not a weaker version of 2.0. It drops the lactic acid, salicylic acid, denatured alcohol and essential oils, and uses gluconolactone, a PHA, instead. PHAs are larger molecules that work on the very surface of the skin, which makes them the gentlest acid exfoliants.
The rest of the solution leans hydrating and calming: panthenol, madecassoside, centella and several forms of hyaluronic acid, plus a long list of fruit and plant extracts. Rose flower water and iris root extract are on the list, so it isn’t scent-free.
It’s the pad for dry or sensitive skin. It won’t do much for blackheads, since there’s no salicylic acid to get into pores.
- Gluconolactone (PHA), the gentlest type of acid exfoliant
- No drying alcohol or essential oils
- Panthenol, madecassoside, centella and several forms of hyaluronic acid
- Too gentle to do much for blackheads
- Wiping still adds friction
- Rose water and iris root extract on the list, so not scent-free
How to start a new exfoliant
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Pick one exfoliant
Choose one of the three. If you already use a retinoid, another acid or a scrub, don’t use the new exfoliant on the same nights.
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Patch-test first
Use it on one cheek or along your jaw for three nights. A short tingle is fine; lasting burning or redness is not.
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Start at two or three nights a week
Use it at night after cleansing. With Paula’s Choice, a few drops on a cotton pad or your fingertips cover your face; leave it on. With the pads, swipe once with light pressure and never scrub.
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Build up slowly
If your skin stays calm after two weeks, add another night. Most skin doesn’t need an exfoliant every day.
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Moisturize and wear sunscreen
Follow with moisturizer, and wear sunscreen every morning. AHAs like the lactic acid in Medicube 2.0 make skin more sensitive to the sun.
A brief tingle is normal with acids. Burning that lasts, redness that hangs around, or peeling means your skin is overexfoliated. Stop, use only a gentle cleanser and moisturizer until it settles, and see a dermatologist if it doesn’t improve within a week or two.
Which exfoliant should you buy?
Choose Paula’s Choice 2% BHA if clogged pores and blackheads are your main problem. It has the most salicylic acid of the three, the shortest list (eight ingredients) and no fragrance, and you leave it on with no wiping.
Choose Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0 if your skin is oily but not sensitive and you want quick surface smoothing. Its 4.5% lactic acid does most of the work. Skip it if denatured alcohol or citrus and lavender oils bother you.
Choose Zero Pore Pad Mild 2.0 if your skin is dry or sensitive. It uses gluconolactone, a gentle PHA, with panthenol, centella and hyaluronic acid, and no drying alcohol.
Use one exfoliant, not all three, and wear sunscreen every morning.
