Which Medicube Exosome Shot Should You Buy? Spicule and Peel Shots Compared

Where the spicules and exosomes sit in each Medicube shot

5 of the 10 Medicube shots with a published list carry hydrolyzed sponge, the spicule ingredient; the rest are acid or hypochlorous acid peels with no spicules on the list:

• Exosome Shot Zero 7,500 PPM Spicule Facial Serum: spicules 13th, exosomes 5th of 26; also lists salicylic acid (BHA) 24th, gluconolactone 26th
• Exosome Shot Zero 2,000 PPM Spicule Facial Serum: spicules 11th, exosomes 17th of 27; also lists salicylic acid (BHA) 25th, gluconolactone 27th
• Exosome Shot PDRN Pink Collagen 7,500 PPM Spicule Facial: spicules 9th, exosomes 20th of 50; also lists retinol 30th
• Exosome Shot Zero 25,000PPM Spicule Facial Serum For Pores: spicules 8th, exosomes 25th of 42; also lists gluconolactone 32nd, salicylic acid (BHA) 33rd
• Exosome Shot Azelaic Acid 7,500 PPM Spicule Facial Serum: spicules 12th, exosomes 29th of 47; also lists azelaic acid 26th, salicylic acid (BHA) 31st

Where a list declares an exosome strength, it is between 10 and 154 ppm, and none of those figures matches the PPM number in a product name. A ppm is one part per million, so these are small amounts by design.

What a spicule serum is and how it feels

A spicule serum is a serum carrying hydrolyzed sponge, listed by that name: microscopic silica needles from a sponge that lodge in the top layer of skin as you massage them in. That is the prickle you feel, which can last from minutes to the next day, and it is the point of the product. Medicube says the spicules help what goes on next absorb better.

That makes a spicule shot closer to an exfoliating treatment than to an ordinary serum, and it should be used like one: in the evening, a few times a week at most, on skin that is not already irritated.

Exosome shot or peel shot: the difference

The difference between an exosome shot and a peel shot is how they work. Exosome shots work physically, with spicules; peel shots work chemically, with acids such as salicylic acid and gluconolactone, with kojic acid, or with hypochlorous acid. Both are sold for texture, pores and dullness, and both count as exfoliation when you plan the rest of your week.

The body versions apply the same idea to rough, bumpy skin on the arms, legs and back, where skin is thicker and usually tolerates more.

How to use a Medicube exosome shot safely

Use a Medicube exosome shot in the evening on clean, dry skin: massage a small amount in until the prickle starts, then follow with a plain hydrating serum or cream. Start with the lowest-strength version twice a week and move up only if your skin settles within a day.

Keep shots away from retinoids, acid pads and other peel products on the same night. Stop if the prickle turns into burning or the redness lasts into the next day, and skip spicules altogether on broken, sunburnt or inflamed skin and if you have rosacea.

Who should skip which Medicube exosome and peel shots

Every product we read in full has a note on who it does not suit. These are the notes for the exosome and peel shots not picked above:

• Exosome Shot Zero 2,000 PPM Spicule Facial Serum: Your skin is sensitive to physical exfoliation. Spicules work by physically penetrating the surface.
• Exosome Shot PDRN Pink Collagen 7,500 PPM Spicule Facial: Your skin is sensitive, thin or currently breaking out. Hydrolysed sponge at ninth means physical spicules throughout.
• Peel Shot with Hypochlorous Acid for Pores & Blackheads: You read the flakes as your dead skin. With this polymer system, a good share of them are the formula itself.
• Body Peel Shot with Kojic Acid and Turmeric: Your body skin is dry, eczema-prone or freshly shaved. Alcohol at third plus acids is the wrong welcome.
• Red Body Peeling Shot: Your body skin is sensitive or eczema-prone. Lactic acid sits second and alcohol third.
• Exosome Shot Zero 25,000PPM Spicule Facial Serum For Pores: Your skin is sensitive or your barrier is compromised. Microneedle-like spicules sit eighth on this list.

Common questions

Does the Medicube exosome shot hurt?

It prickles, and that is intended. The sensation comes from the spicules and usually fades within minutes to hours. Burning, or redness that lasts into the next day, means stop and give your skin a week off.

Is a higher PPM Medicube shot stronger?

Within the same line, the higher number is sold as the stronger version. The lists do not define what the figure measures, so compare versions by where the spicules sit and what else is on the list, which the table above shows.

Can you use an exosome shot every day?

Not as a starting point. Begin at two evenings a week and treat the shot as the exfoliating step of your routine on those nights.

Can you use an exosome shot with retinol?

Not on the same night. Spicules on top of a retinoid stack two kinds of irritation, so alternate them on different evenings.

More Medicube guides

These guides pick up where this one stops, by product type, by skin concern and by ingredient:

• The Medicube Zero Pore Range: What to Buy and What to Skip
• Which Medicube Serum Should You Buy? The Range Compared
• Which Medicube Toner Should You Buy? Toners and Pads Compared
• Which Medicube Products Contain Retinol? Checked List by List
• Best Medicube for Pores and Blackheads
• Best Medicube for Sensitive Skin, and What to Skip
• Best Medicube for Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
• Where the headline ingredient sits, for the whole Medicube range