Medicube Peel Shot with Kojic Acid Turmeric for Troubled Skin

Overview

Medicube markets this on kojic acid and turmeric, and you use it as a targeted treatment step. With an excellent 4.6 out of 5 from over 563 ratings, it is one of the best-reviewed products in its range. It uses active ingredients, so patch test first and introduce it slowly if your skin is reactive.

The summary above follows how Medicube markets this product. We also read the published ingredient list line by line, and it tells a different story: what the ingredient order actually says.

At a glance

What buyers actually say

We read a sample of the Amazon reviews for this product and describe the pattern in our own words. It is a sample, not a survey of all 770 ratings, and we do not reproduce customer reviews.

Reviewers in our sample understand exactly what this does: applied to clean skin and massaged, the gel clumps and lifts away debris, then rinses off. The payoff they agree on is immediate smoothness, with several describing skin that feels like it has had a mini facial and takes subsequent products better. The notable point is tolerance, since multiple people who say they cannot handle scrubs or acids report no stinging, and several mention no fragrance. Brightening is reported by some but not by early users. The criticism is textural: one four-star reviewer found the clumping unpleasant during application and rinsing and noted skin felt dry afterward until moisturized.

How the ratings break down

Amazon's own star distribution for this product, read on 2026-09-30. We show the one-star share too, because an average alone hides it.

5% of these ratings are one or two stars. That is about typical for the Medicube range, where the median is 6%.

We cannot tell you what those reviewers said. Amazon.com now requires an account to open the full review list, so the critical reviews are not readable from a public page. We would rather say that than guess.

What is kojic acid and turmeric?

Kojic acid is a brightening agent that targets dark spots and uneven tone, often paired with turmeric extract for an added clarifying effect.

Ingredients, as listed by Medicube

Taken from Medicube's own product page on 2026-09-22. We have not verified it against a physical pack, and formulations change by market and batch. If an ingredient matters to you, check the pack itself.

Show the full ingredient list (39 ingredients)

Water (Aqua), Dipropylene Glycol, Cellulose, Tripropylene Glycol, Steartrimonium Methosulfate, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Quaternium-60, Propylene Glycol, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract (500 ppm), Butylene Glycol, Kojic Acid (300 ppm), Xanthan Gum, Coptis Japonica Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Flower Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Cyanocobalamin, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Oil, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Ascorbic Acid, Allantoin, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Lipase, Protease

What the ingredient order actually tells you

• Turmeric sits 10th and kojic acid 12th of 39, and unusually the brand prints the amounts next to them: 500 ppm and 300 ppm, which is 0.05% and 0.03%. A dusting, but declared in the open rather than hidden in the order.
• Everything above them is vehicle. Dipropylene glycol 2nd, cellulose 3rd, carbomer 6th: this is a rub-and-rinse gel, so most of what you squeeze out is the thing that carries the actives to your skin and back off again.
• Salicylic acid sits 17th, with gluconolactone 18th and a second salicylate right behind. That trio, not the kojic acid, does the resurfacing. The calming tail arrives far too late to soften it: panthenol 28th, niacinamide 29th, ceramide NP 30th and centella 35th.
• Then a run of aromatics: orange flower oil 20th, litsea cubeba 21st, grapefruit peel 23rd, bergamot 24th and spearmint 26th. No fragrance is declared on this list, but that stack is what you smell, and it is the part most likely to sting skin that is already reactive.

Our read

A rub-and-rinse resurfacing gel whose real work comes from two salicylates and a PHA in the middle of the list, with kojic acid present at a declared 300 ppm. What it is not is harsh in the way we previously read it: the body version of this same shot carries alcohol 3rd, the face version replaces that one slot with cellulose, and the two lists are otherwise identical line for line. Use it as an occasional texture reset. The citrus and mint oils in the tail, not the acids, are the main reason to keep it away from reactive skin.

Who should skip this

• Essential oils set your skin off. Five citrus and mint oils sit between 20th and 26th of 39.
• You are already running retinoids or other exfoliants. Two salicylates plus a PHA stack on top of them.
• You want a meaningful dose of kojic acid. The brand declares 300 ppm, which is 0.03%.

A note on how we read that list. Ingredient lists run in descending order of concentration, but only for ingredients above 1%. Below that, the order is up to the manufacturer, so a low position tells you something is present at a low level, not exactly how much. We do not guess at percentages. FDA labeling guide.

What the listing says

Medicube's own description of this product, as published on its Amazon.com listing. It is marketing copy, not our assessment, and we have not verified the claims in it.

• [RUB, EXFOLIATE & GLOW] Peel shot that gently exfoliates to help refresh the look of dull uneven skin by br…
• [FOR DULL & TROUBLED-LOOKING SKIN] Designed for skin concerned with buildup, rough texture, visible pores,…
• [MULTI-ACID DAILY EXFOLIATION] Powered by BHA, LHA, and PHA to help lift away dead skin cells, unclog pores…
• [HYDRATION & NATURAL BARRIER SUPPORT] Hyaluronic Acid and Ceramides to replenish hydration, lock in moistur…
• [GENTLE & SKIN-FRIENDLY FORMULA] Non-comedogenic and low-irritation tested, designed to help calm the look…

Full listing title: Peel Shot with Kojic Acid Turmeric for Troubled Skin | Gentle Exfoliating Serum with BHA LHA PHA - Dead Skin Cells, Blackheads, Excess Sebum, For Dull & Rough Skin, 2.7 fl.oz

Frequently asked questions

Check price on Amazon →