Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro Review: Booster Mode and Electroporation (Part 1)
I bought the Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro, and this review covers my first few weeks with its Booster Mode. Medicube is a Korean skincare brand best known for its devices. The Booster-H was the device that really took off online after Hailey Bieber shared a video of herself using it in her skincare routine.
The idea behind the device is to use electroporation to help skincare ingredients penetrate the skin more effectively, potentially getting more out of the products we already use.
Medicube then brought several technologies together in one device: Booster Mode (electroporation), microcurrent, EMS, Air Shot, LED and sonic vibration. I decided to review each mode in a separate post, because each technology is a whole topic of its own. This is Part 1, focusing on Booster Mode, both the technology itself and my experience with this particular device.
What is electroporation, and how does it work on skin?
One of the skin’s main jobs is to protect us from the outside world. That protective barrier also makes it difficult for many substances to penetrate the skin. Delivering medicines through the skin is a major challenge in pharmaceutical research, and similar questions come up with cosmetic ingredients. Booster Mode is designed to improve ingredient penetration through electroporation.
Electroporation uses electrical pulses to temporarily increase the permeability of membranes. In skin applications, the pulses can create tiny pathways through the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin and an important part of its protective barrier. Changes in the arrangement of the skin’s lipids can make it easier for certain substances to pass through. The effect depends on the electrical settings and the formulation being used.
In simple terms, the aim is to help ingredients get through the skin’s outer barrier by creating very small, temporary pathways. That does not mean the device physically punctures the skin with needles.
One of the studies I read found that a measure of barrier function returned close to its starting point after about five minutes. However, that particular experiment was done on mouse skin with a different device. It is not proof that everyone’s skin barrier fully recovers within five minutes after using a Medicube device.
Electroporation was not originally developed for beauty treatments. It has medical and research applications, including delivering substances into cells. The research on cosmetic use is still limited, and research on the broader technology should not be treated as proof of every claim made for this home device.
Studies have explored whether electroporation can improve the delivery of ingredients such as vitamin C, which is used in skincare for its antioxidant properties, brightening and support for collagen production. Some cosmetic studies have reported improvements in hydration, firmness or skin tone, but they used other devices or combined technologies. These results do not establish that Booster Mode alone will produce the same effects.
The technology has also been studied for delivering larger molecules that would otherwise have difficulty crossing the skin barrier. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the formulation. Lighter formulations may be practical to use with Booster Mode, but texture alone does not tell us how much of an ingredient will penetrate.
The broader research includes laboratory studies, animal studies and studies involving human skin or people. Those are different kinds of evidence, with different limitations.
Possible side effects, which do not get enough attention!
1. Irritation and the skin barrier
Electrical pulses temporarily change skin permeability. In electroporation research, the intensity and duration of treatment affect both penetration and the risk of tissue damage. Those research settings are not necessarily the same as a home beauty device, so they cannot tell us exactly how often side effects will happen with Medicube.
What matters in practice is that more frequent use or a higher setting is not automatically better. Irritation, dryness, peeling or a burning sensation are signs to stop, rather than push through. I have also seen users report burns after using Medicube devices. These are personal reports, not controlled evidence that establishes the cause, but they are part of why I think it is important to be cautious.
Using a device at home, without supervision and with different skincare products, is not the same as using it under controlled study conditions. If you have eczema, rosacea or very sensitive skin, I would be particularly cautious and speak to a dermatologist before trying it.
Start with the lowest setting and use it less frequently at first. Avoid repeatedly going over the same area. Pay attention to your skin, and stop if you notice irritation or persistent redness. Follow the instructions and precautions for your exact device.
2. The skincare you use underneath matters
You need to think about which products you combine with the device. Greater penetration is not necessarily desirable for every ingredient, especially strong actives that can already be irritating, such as retinoids and exfoliating acids.
My advice is to keep the combination simple and avoid pairing it with strong retinoids or exfoliating acids. Gentler products with peptides, ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, Centella asiatica or a well-tolerated vitamin C derivative may be better starting points. The whole formula and your own tolerance matter; an ingredient name alone does not guarantee that a product will work well with the device. The linked ingredient guides are in Hebrew.
Medicube also warns that using the device with retinol or vitamin-containing products can cause stronger irritation, depending on your skin. The brand recommends starting with basic skincare and the lowest intensity.
3. The sensation can be unpleasant
In my experience, it was not painful, but the sensation was quite strange and unpleasant, almost like an itchy or prickly feeling. I also felt small facial muscle twitches. I found it tolerable, but it was not the completely effortless experience I had imagined.
Booster Mode on the Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro
Booster Mode is the electroporation mode, and it has five intensity levels. When I researched it for my original review, I could not find the detailed electrical parameters for each level. That made it harder for me to assess the settings. It may be because the company wants to avoid copies, but I would still like more transparency.
In my original review, I quoted a brand claim of up to 490% greater ingredient penetration. I would take a number like that with caution: it refers to particular testing conditions, and the result depends on the product, the ingredient and the treatment settings. It does not mean every serum becomes 490% more effective, or that its skincare benefits increase by that amount.
The brand also referred to positive clinical results for absorption, glow, the appearance of pores, texture and brightening. When I wrote the original review, I wanted to read the full studies but could not find them. That left me with questions. If you have found the full reports, please send them to me 🙏.
How do you use Booster Mode?
The routine described in my original review was a five-minute session, with Medicube recommending use from once a day up to three times a day. That is a manufacturer schedule, not a frequency that every skin will tolerate. As you will see below, my own skin needed much less frequent use.
You move the device over your face after applying a suitable serum or cream. A gentle peptide serum or a vitamin C product that you already know your skin tolerates can be an option. I would avoid strong retinoids and exfoliating acids in the same device session.
Medicube recommends using its own skincare, but you do not have to use the brand’s products. I did not. Check the instructions for your model, start at the lowest setting and adjust according to your skin.
You can find the brand’s Booster Pro tutorial and official user guide here.
My experience after the first few weeks
I had only been using it for a few weeks when I wrote this review, but Booster Mode was tougher on my skin than I expected. Twice a day felt like too much for me, even on the lowest setting. It caused redness, and I had to cut back to once every few days. My skin is not usually sensitive and is used to a lot of different products, but this was still a lot for it.
I tried it with several skincare products. Some combinations worked better for me, while others irritated my skin. At that point, Iconix’s vitamin C and the Klairs moisturizing gel seemed to work well with it.
I wanted to keep experimenting and update the post if anything changed. A few weeks was simply not enough time for me to call it life-changing.
I wondered whether it might be one of those things where you do not see a dramatic change, especially when your starting point is already good. I am young, my skin is in pretty good condition and I do not have wrinkles, so I cannot say that it improved wrinkles for me. A lot of my skincare routine is about trying to delay early fine lines, but this review does not establish that the device prevents them.
I also ordered the device for my mum. Maybe she will have more interesting feedback later :)
I admit I had higher expectations for Booster Mode. I was more pleasantly surprised by the device’s other modes, which I discuss in the next parts of the series.
Where I bought it
I ordered mine from YesStyle and paid US$240 at the time. The versions linked below are black and pink.
I used express shipping to Israel and did not have to pay import taxes on that particular order. That was my experience, and it does not guarantee that another order will be tax-free. Standard shipping to Israel may arrive through Israel Post and incur import charges. At the time, YesStyle offered reimbursement of eligible customs charges as store credit through this customer support form. Check the current policy for your destination before ordering.
Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro, black
YesStyle (Rewards Code: YESMAYA23)
Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro, pink
YesStyle (Rewards Code: YESMAYA23)
Check the current price and any code eligibility at checkout.
Continue reading: Medicube Part 2, my microcurrent review (in Hebrew).
Sources and further reading
This is not a scientific paper, but it is an interesting Reddit discussion with a range of opinions: A warning before you buy the Medicube device.
Important notes
I am not a dermatologist or a cosmetic chemist, just someone who loves skincare. Nothing in this post should be taken as medical advice. If you have a skin condition, speak to a dermatologist.
I can't promise results. We all respond differently, and skincare involves trial and error. You need to learn what works for your own skin.
Some of the products I discuss contain strong active ingredients and need to be used responsibly. Read about a product before using it. Not every product suits every skin type.
Be patient. Many products take weeks or months to show results. Skincare takes time.
This post reflects my personal experience and what I have learned. I do my best to be accurate, but mistakes are possible. I am always happy to learn, and if you spot an error, you can contact me on Instagram.
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