The Zero Pore Pad sold in the United States is the formula Korea sells as 2.0: the brand’s Korean ingredient list and the OLIVE YOUNG US list start with the same five ingredients, and the jar label is the same. Korea sells the 70-pad jar for ₩17,500 (about $13.00) against $22.00 at OLIVE YOUNG US, so if you are buying in the US, the 140-pad refill set at OLIVE YOUNG US is the cheapest per pad (about $0.24) once you know it suits you. Based on published Korean reviews and store listings; not a hands-on test.
Before you buy
- Who it suits
- Korean reviewers like it most for an oily T-zone and rough nose texture. If your cheeks are dry or your skin flushes easily, pick the Mild pad, or use 2.0 two or three evenings a week on the T-zone only.
- It is an acid pad
- OLIVE YOUNG US lists lactic acid at 4.5% (AHA) and salicylic acid at 0.45% (BHA). Listings in both countries carry an AHA sun warning: use sunscreen while you use it, and test one pad on your jaw first if your skin is reactive.
- Start with one jar
- Buy the 70-pad jar before a refill set or a Costco pack. Two hands-on reviewers with dry cheeks keep the textured side for the nose and chin (R1, R2).
- Korean prices move weekly
- Figures below are Olive Young Korea’s online prices on October 21, 2026, converted at about ₩1,350 to the dollar. In-store prices can differ.
Is the US pad the same as Korea’s 2.0?
Yes, as far as the labels and ingredient lists show. In Korea the pad is sold as 제로모공패드 2.0 (jeh-ro mo-gong pae-deu ee-jeom-yeong, Zero Pore Pad 2.0). Korea has sold it under that name for some time; we could not confirm the launch date. OLIVE YOUNG US drops the “2.0” from the product name, while Amazon and medicube.us still use it, so the name is not a reliable guide in US stores. The ingredient list is.
| Where | Name on the listing | What the listing shows |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Young Korea, brand’s Korean store | 제로모공패드 2.0 (Zero Pore Pad 2.0), 70 pads, 155 g | Front label: AHA, BHA, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate. The brand’s full list starts water, methylpropanediol, tromethamine, lactic acid, alcohol denat., with panthenol, salicylic acid, willow bark extract, sodium hyaluronate, betaine salicylate, seven citrus and herbal oils and allantoin further down. |
| OLIVE YOUNG US | medicube Zero Pore Pad 70 Pads, 5.46 oz | Full list starts Water, Methylpropanediol, Tromethamine, Lactic Acid, Alcohol Denat., the same first five, and further down panthenol, salicylic acid, allantoin, sodium hyaluronate, betaine salicylate, orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, rosemary, eucalyptus and lavender oils, and willow bark extract. Same label line on the jar photo. |
| Amazon US (brand store) | medicube Toner Pads Zero Pore Pad 2.0 | The title says 2.0 with 4.5% lactic acid and 0.45% salicylic acid, matching OLIVE YOUNG US. Some bullet text on October 21 still credited the BHA to willow bark and mentioned citric acid, which is not on the current Korean list. |
| medicube.us | Zero Pore Pads | The page text calls it Zero Pore Pads 2.0, but the ingredient graphic still says “0.45% white willow bark”. |
So the jar and the OLIVE YOUNG US list line up with the Korean 2.0 list, while the Amazon and brand-site copy mixes current and older wording. When a jar arrives, read the first five ingredients: water, methylpropanediol, tromethamine, lactic acid, alcohol denat. matches the current 2.0 list in both countries. One Korean reviewer in April passed on reports that the pad became slightly smaller after the renewal; the count is still 70.
Korea vs US price per pad
The jar is the same size everywhere (70 pads), so the useful number is the price per pad. Prices were read on October 21, 2026. Korean figures are Olive Young Korea’s online prices with that week’s promotion applied; the brand’s Korean store listed ₩26,600 before member and coupon discounts that bring it to ₩15,750.
| Pack | Store | Price, October 21, 2026 | Per pad |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 pads | Olive Young Korea online | ₩24,500 → ₩17,500 (about $13.00) | about $0.19 |
| 80 pads (70 + 10 bonus) | Olive Young Korea online | ₩24,500 → ₩17,500 (about $13.00) | about $0.16 |
| Refill promotion, 160 pads in total | Olive Young Korea online | ₩28,900 for 160 pads, reported by one reviewer in an October 21 post (the listing covers three medicube pads, from ₩27,900) | about $0.13 |
| Jar 100 + refill 100 = 200 pads | Costco Korea (Korean store report, October 15) | ₩36,990 (about $27.40) | about $0.14 |
| Mild, 70 pads | Olive Young Korea online | ₩24,500 → ₩17,900 (about $13.30) | about $0.19 |
| 70 pads | OLIVE YOUNG US | $22.00 | $0.31 |
| Jar 70 + refill 70 = 140 pads | OLIVE YOUNG US | $32.90 (list $34.90) | $0.24 |
| 70 pads; 2-pack; 4-pack | medicube.us | $24; $45; $80 | $0.34; $0.32; $0.29 |
| 70 pads | Amazon US, brand store | Price changes daily; check the listing | — |
| Costco-exclusive pack | Costco US | Not published as of October 21 | — |
The Korean sale price is about 59% of the OLIVE YOUNG US price for the same jar, which puts the pad in the middle band of our monthly K-Beauty Price Check. That gap only helps if you are in Korea or someone is bringing a jar back: a parcel shipped from Korea now adds roughly 10% duty plus a carrier fee, as our K-beauty Black Friday guide explains. In the US, the OLIVE YOUNG US refill set is the cheapest per pad of the US listings we could verify, and a Black Friday discount of 20 to 30% on any US listing would land close to the Korean price. Costco US started stocking a Costco-only pack in October 2026 according to the maker, APR; we could not find its price or pad count.
Comparing Costco skincare bundles? Our Dr.Althea 345 Costco vs Korea guide breaks down the cream’s two-pack price and the version details to check.
What Korean blog posts say (five hands-on)
We read nine Korean blog posts about the 2.0 pad published between April and October 2026: five hands-on reviews, one ingredient comparison by a reader who did not buy, two overview posts from the same blog, and one Costco store report. Nicknames are left out; the links are in the sources. The pattern across the hands-on reviews: people with an oily T-zone and dry cheeks keep the textured side for the nose and chin and go lightly on the cheeks (R1, R2).
| Review | Skin as described | How they used it and what they felt | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1, October 2026 | Dry cheeks, oily nose and T-zone | Bought the 70-pad jar at Olive Young Korea. Textured side on the nose and chin, soft side over the face with only a light pass on the cheeks, pats in the rest. No irritation with light pressure; notes that scrubbing hard can make skin more sensitive. | Positive: blackheads and whiteheads easier to clear, skin felt moist |
| R2, April 2026 | Oily forehead, nose and chin; dry cheeks | Bought at Olive Young Korea; full routine with before and after photos. Cheeks sting if used carelessly. | Recommends it, except for very dry skin |
| R3, July 2026 | Dehydrated combination skin | Bought at Olive Young Korea for ₩17,900. Tried it before morning makeup, then evenings only, for about a month. Felt dry once the toner dried; foundation creased around the nose after morning use. | Mixed: fine as an evening step, no visible pore change |
| R4, July 2026 | Oily T-zone with redness, sensitive | Compared the full ingredient lists of this pad and numbuzin’s No.3 pad before buying. Notes lactic acid near the top (strong exfoliation) and flags the salicylic acid and essential oils for skin that flushes. | Chose the numbuzin pad instead |
| R5, October 2026 | Not stated | Bought at an Olive Young Korea sale for ₩17,900 (list ₩24,500). After cleansing, textured side then soft side. No irritation reported. | Positive for texture and glow; says it does not fade dark spots; suggests checking the leaflet before using retinol the same night |
| R6, September 2026 | Slightly sensitive, as self-described | Own purchase of 2.0; about two weeks, once a day in the evening. Explains the AHA and BHA on the label (PHA only for comparison). Stung and reddened a little at first and when tried twice a day. | Positive after two weeks: smoother texture, moist and bouncy finish |
| R7, October 2026 | Overview post, not a test | Repeats online talk that 2.0 stings more than the earlier version while other users are fine; suggests two or three times a week for dry skin. | — |
| R8, October 2026 | Overview post, not a test (same blog as R7) | Explains the 2.0 label (AHA, BHA, panthenol, allantoin) and the Mild version; passes on reports that even Mild stings for some sensitive users; reports APR’s US Costco rollout. | — |
| R9, October 2026 | Store report, Costco Korea | Saw the 200-pad pack (jar 100 + refill 100) at ₩36,990. Advises against daily use while skin is dry or red, and moisturiser afterwards. | — |
Four of the five hands-on reviews recommend it, one is mixed, and the only strong objection comes from a reader who never bought it because of the acids and oils on the label. The useful detail is the conditions: the recommendations come from oily or combination skin, and the one slightly sensitive reviewer settled at once a day in the evening (R6); the complaints come from dry cheeks, morning use under foundation, and skin that reddens easily. None of the reviewers claims the pad shrinks pores for good; what they describe is smoother skin texture and fewer visible blackheads on the nose.
What it will not do. It is an exfoliating toner pad. One reviewer (R5) says it does not fade dark marks, and the brand’s own instructions avoid the eye and mouth areas and broken skin.
How to use it the way Korean reviewers do
The brand’s steps are the same in both countries: after cleansing, wipe the face with the textured side along the skin, skipping the eye and mouth areas, then go over once more with the soft side, and pat in the rest. The Korean reviews add the parts the box leaves out.
- Use light pressure. The pad is wet enough that the textured side does the work on its own. R1 notes that rubbing hard can make skin more sensitive, not cleaner.
- Zone it. Textured side on the nose, around the nose and the chin; the soft side only, or nothing, on dry cheeks (R1, R2).
- Evening, not under makeup. R3 found foundation creased after morning use and moved it to nights. If you use it in the morning, wait for it to dry and follow with moisturiser and sunscreen.
- Once a day at most; two or three times a week if you are dry. The one hands-on reviewer who gave a frequency settled at once a day in the evening after twice a day proved too much for slightly sensitive skin (R6); the overview posts suggest two or three times a week for dry skin (R7, R8), and the Costco report advises against daily use while skin is dry or red (R9).
- Mind the other acids. R5 suggests checking the leaflet before using retinol the same night, and the OLIVE YOUNG US listing’s sunburn alert says to limit sun exposure while using it and for a week afterwards.
- Keep the lid shut and use the tweezers. The jar comes with tweezers, and reviewers use them for hygiene. The brand says to close the lid tightly so the stack does not dry out.
Zero Pore Pad 2.0 or Mild?
Korea sells two versions side by side, and the choice is about your cheeks, not your nose.
Pick 2.0 if
Your forehead, nose and chin get oily by midday, blackheads and rough texture on the nose are the problem, and you can use it at night. This is the skin the positive Korean reviews come from, and it is the version in every US store.
Pick Mild if
Your cheeks are dry or tight, your skin flushes with heat or exercise, or fragrance and essential oils have bothered you before. The Korean Mild list has no lactic or salicylic acid and none of the citrus or herbal oils; it uses gluconolactone (a PHA) with panthenol, madecassoside and centella extract. It costs about the same (₩17,900 against ₩17,500 for 2.0 at Olive Young Korea on October 21). In the US, Mild was not on OLIVE YOUNG US as of October 21; medicube.us sells it as the Zero Pore Madecassoside Pads, and one of its listings labels it “(Mild)”. Some sensitive users say even Mild stings, so test one pad first.
If you already own 2.0 and your cheeks sting, you do not need to throw it out: keep the textured side for the T-zone and go lightly, or not at all, on the cheeks. R1 and R2 use theirs that way, and the overview posts suggest two or three times a week for dry skin.
Where to buy in the US
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Four options, all shipped within the US with no customs step. The 140-pad refill set at OLIVE YOUNG US is the lowest price per pad we verified, and the single 70-pad jar is there for a first try. The Zero Pore Pad on Amazon US (paid link) is listed in medicube’s Amazon storefront and was sold by Amazon.com on October 21; the price moves daily, and as with any store, check the ingredient list on the jar. The brand’s own site, medicube.us, sells 2-packs and 4-packs. Costco members can look for the Costco pack in about 400 Costco US warehouses, according to APR. If you are comparing other Korean products across these stores, our guide to buying Korean makeup online from the US explains how to check that a listing is the current version.
Visiting Korea? Olive Young stores carry 2.0, Mild and the refill packs, and the in-store price follows the Korean campaign of the week. Our guide to Olive Young sales, coupons and exclusions shows how to read the offer, and the comparison of Olive Young Korea, Global and US explains which storefront ships where.
Useful Korean phrases
For an Olive Young store in Korea. Pronunciations are approximate.
Sources and update date
Updated October 21, 2026. Prices and ingredient lists were read from the Olive Young Korea, OLIVE YOUNG US, medicube Korea, medicube US and Amazon US pages on that date without logging in; Korean promotions change weekly and Amazon prices daily. Check the jar you receive. Review summaries are our reading of public Korean blog posts, not a hands-on test.
View sources
- medicube Korea: 제로모공패드 2.0 product page (2.0 and Mild options, full ingredient lists), read October 21, 2026 (Korean).
- Olive Young Korea: search results for 제로모공패드, read October 21, 2026 (Korean).
- OLIVE YOUNG US: Zero Pore Pad 70 Pads and Zero Pore Pad 70 Pads Refill Set, read October 21, 2026.
- medicube US: Zero Pore Pads and the Zero Pore Madecassoside Pads listings, read October 21, 2026.
- Amazon US: medicube Toner Pads Zero Pore Pad 2.0, read October 21, 2026.
- MTN News: APR enters Costco Korea and Costco US, October 19, 2026 (Korean).
- Koriway: K-Beauty Price Check for the exchange rate and method, October 21, 2026.
- Korean blog posts (Korean): R1, R2, April 17, 2026, R3, July 23, 2026, R4, July 31, 2026, R5, October 2026, R6, September 12, 2026, R7, October 19, 2026, R8, October 20, 2026, R9, October 15, 2026.
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