What does the 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml actually contain?

Its ingredient list is led by Niacinamide, with the rest of the formula built to support that active rather than compete with it. We list the ingredients in the order the manufacturer prints them, so the ones near the top of the panel are doing the most work in the formula.

How do I use the 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml?

Use this cream as the last step of a routine, over serum. To apply, scoop a small amount and smooth over the face and neck as the last step of the routine. Keep it to AM/PM unless the packaging states otherwise, and give the rest of the routine a moment to settle before layering the next step. Give it a full bottle or box before judging the result, since most Korean routines are built for steady use rather than a single application.

Is the 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml the same formula sold in Korea, or a US version?

This 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml is the Korean-market formula, not a version reformulated for US shelves. It arrives with its original Korean-market barcode and batch code intact so the formula can be checked against the box on arrival.

Can I use the 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml with other actives in my routine?

Yes, as long as it is used in its own step, the last step of a routine, over serum, and not layered on top of a product doing the same job. Introduce any new step gradually over the first week or two and keep an eye on how the skin responds before adding a second new active alongside it.

Who is the 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml suited for?

It suits most skin types looking for last step of routine, over serum rather than a single acute problem. It comes in a 50ml format. Anyone with a known sensitivity to a specific ingredient should check the full ingredient panel on this page before buying.

Medicube

3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml

Name: Medicube 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml
Brand: Medicube
SKU: medicube2586
Price: 42.5 USD
Availability: InStock

Medicube 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml carries eight separate hyaluronic acid forms on its own ingredient panel, including Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate.

Reviewed by Nurcan Saglam, licensed dermo-cosmetic expert (Paris)

No reviews yet

$42.50

50 ml

$85.00 per 100 ml

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: normal skincombination skindry skin

Helps with: general upkeep alongside the rest of a routinea Korean-market alternative to a comparable US productsteady, repeated use rather than a single application

One-time purchase

$42.50

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$38.25

In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days

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How it works

The panel on this cream names eight forms of hyaluronic acid rather than one: Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate. Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it. On this panel it sits alongside Niacinamide, Allantoin and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate. Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.

Key benefits

Eight forms of hyaluronic acid on one panel, not a single token inclusion
Niacinamide on the same panel, the formula's active
Allantoin on the same panel, the formula's active
50 ml to a unit
Korean GS1 barcode matched against a Korea sourcing supplier's record for this item

How to use

Use this cream as the last step of a routine, over serum. To apply, scoop a small amount and smooth over the face and neck as the last step of the routine. Keep it to AM/PM unless the packaging states otherwise, and give the rest of the routine a moment to settle before layering the next step.

1 of 3

56 of 59 explained

Water solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
Glycerin humectant: Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
Isododecane solvent: Isododecane is a light, volatile hydrocarbon. It carries pigments and film formers on smoothly and then evaporates, leaving the film behind and nothing oily.
Niacinamide active: Niacinamide is vitamin B3, and it is the most studied active in Korean formulation. It is used at roughly 2 to 5 percent for the look of uneven tone and visible pores, and it is water soluble, stable and comfortable beside almost every other active, which is why it turns up in so many lists.
C14-22 Alcohols fatty alcohol: C14-22 Alcohols is a declaration for a mixture of long-chain fatty alcohols. They thicken a cream and hold the emulsion together.
Hydrogenated Polydecene emollient: Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic hydrocarbon emollient used in place of mineral oil. It is stable, has no scent, and gives a cushioned slip without oxidising.
Dicaprylyl Carbonate emollient: Dicaprylyl Carbonate is a light, fast-spreading emollient with a notably dry finish. It is chosen where a formula has to spread thin without leaving a heavy film.
Benzyl Glycol preservative booster: Benzyl Glycol is a solvent that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it appears in preservative blends built without parabens.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emollient: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is the light fraction of coconut oil, with the heavy parts removed. It is the workhorse emollient of modern formulas: it softens skin, dissolves oil-soluble actives and absorbs without the greasy weight of a whole plant oil.
Betaine humectant: Betaine is a sugar-beet-derived humectant that cells use to hold water. In a formula it hydrates and takes the edge off cleansers and acids, which is why it often appears alongside them.
Panthenol humectant: Panthenol is pro-vitamin B5: skin converts it to pantothenic acid. It is a humectant that holds water and leaves skin feeling soft and less tight, and it is one of the ingredients formulators reach for when a formula also contains something harsh.

44 more explained

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate/VP Copolymer thickener: This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside emulsifier: C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a sugar-derived emulsifier used in mild, plant-based cream bases.
Vinyl Dimethicone silicone: Vinyl Dimethicone is a silicone used as a building block of the crosspolymer gels that give a formula its soft, blurring feel.
Allantoin active: Allantoin is a comfrey-derived compound used to condition skin and soften the outer layer so it feels smoother. It is one of the standard additions to a formula built for easily irritated skin.
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener: This is a pre-neutralised polymer thickener that gels on contact with water and stabilises an emulsion without heat.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer thickener: This is a carbomer relative with fatty side chains, so it thickens and stabilises an emulsion at the same time. It gives a light gel-cream body rather than a heavy one.
Tromethamine pH adjuster: Tromethamine neutralises acidic thickeners such as carbomer so they gel, and holds a formula near skin-friendly pH. It is used at a fraction of a percent.
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil emollient: Sunflower Seed Oil is high in linoleic acid, the fatty acid dry and blemish-prone skin is often short of. It is a light, non-fragrant emollient and one of the better tolerated plant oils.
Isohexadecane emollient: Isohexadecane is a branched hydrocarbon emollient that spreads easily and leaves a dry finish. It is often paired with a thickener to build a gel-cream.
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster: Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate active: Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a water-soluble salt derived from licorice root. It is the licorice fraction Korean formulas use for the look of redness, and it is far more stable in water than the whole extract.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
1,2-Hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Adenosine active: Adenosine is a nucleoside that Korea's own cosmetic authority recognises as a wrinkle-care functional ingredient, which is why it appears on so many Korean lists at a low level. It is used for the look of fine lines and is stable and well tolerated.
Polysorbate 80 emulsifier: Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier and solubiliser used to keep oils, fragrance and oil-soluble actives dissolved in water.
Disodium EDTA chelator: EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
Sodium Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt of hyaluronic acid, and it is what most products labelled hyaluronic actually contain. The salt dissolves more readily and the molecule is smaller, so it sits in the outer layer of skin rather than only on top of it.
Sorbitan Oleate emulsifier: Sorbitan Oleate is an emulsifier for water-in-oil formulas. It keeps a rich cream or a cleansing oil from separating.
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil fragrance component: Bergamot Fruit Oil is a citrus essential oil and the top note of eau de cologne. It scents a formula; citrus oils are the aromatic class most likely to bother reactive skin.
Madecassoside active: Madecassoside is the centella triterpene most associated with the look of redness, and the one brands lead with in cica products. It is water soluble and stable, so it appears in essences as readily as in creams.
Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract plant extract: Licorice Root Extract carries glabridin and liquiritin. It is one of the classic plant ingredients used for the look of uneven tone and redness, and it appears in almost every brightening formula that avoids synthetic actives.
Houttuynia Cordata Extract plant extract: Houttuynia Cordata is heartleaf, and it is one of the two or three anchor plants of Korean calming skincare. Its extract carries quercitrin and other flavonoids and is used for the look of redness and blemish-prone skin.
Centella Asiatica Extract plant extract: Centella Asiatica is the plant behind the whole cica category, sold as gotu kola or Madagascar centella. Its extract is the anchor of Korean formulas built for easily reddened skin, and its work is done by four triterpenes: asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid.
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil fragrance component: Pelargonium Graveolens is rose geranium. Its flower oil is an essential oil used to scent a formula, carrying citronellol and geraniol.
Tocopherol antioxidant: Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier: Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer humectant: Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is hyaluronic acid linked into a mesh. It holds water in a soft gel on the surface rather than sinking in, and it releases that water slowly through the day.
Lactobacillus Extracellular Vesicles ferment: Lactobacillus Extracellular Vesicles are the tiny membrane-bound packets bacteria release. They are a recent Korean formulation ingredient used as a conditioning ferment component.
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract plant extract: Chamomile Flower Extract is one of the oldest ingredients in skincare, carrying bisabolol and chamazulene. It is used for the look of redness in formulas for reactive skin.
Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract plant extract: Witch hazel extract, the classic astringent plant. Its tannins bind to surface proteins, which is the tightening feel a toner built on it gives.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract plant extract: Aloe Leaf Extract is mostly water with polysaccharides, amino acids and mild plant acids. It hydrates and leaves a light, cooling film, which is why it is the default after-sun ingredient.
Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract plant extract: Tea Tree Leaf Extract is the water-based extract rather than the essential oil, so it is far milder and much less aromatic. It is used in formulas for blemish-prone skin.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate humectant: Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate carries a positive charge, and skin carries a slight negative one, so it is attracted to the surface and stays through rinsing. It is the hyaluronic used where a formula gets washed off.
Ceramide NP barrier lipid: Ceramide NP is the most used cosmetic ceramide, the same class of lipid that makes up roughly half the mortar between cells in the outer layer of skin. Added to a cream it slots into that structure, which is why ceramide formulas feel less leaky rather than merely greasy.
Beta-Glucan polysaccharide: Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide from oats or yeast. It holds a large amount of water, forms a soothing film, and is one of the ingredients formulators reach for in products aimed at reactive skin.
Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Oil fragrance: Jasmine oil, an intensely floral aromatic used in very small amounts. It is a fragrance ingredient.
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil fragrance: Ylang ylang oil, a heavy sweet floral essential oil. It is among the most commonly declared natural fragrance materials.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate humectant: Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid modified to be part oil-loving, so it clings to skin instead of rinsing away. Formulators call it the one that stays put.
Xylose sugar: Xylose is a simple wood sugar. It is a humectant, and it is the unit the xylitol-based hydration blends are built from.
Polyglutamic Acid humectant: Polyglutamic Acid comes from fermented soy and holds several times more water than hyaluronic acid for its weight. It forms a light film on the surface, so it is often layered with hyaluronic rather than replacing it.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid cut into much shorter fragments. The smaller the fragment, the further into the outer layer it can settle, which is why serums stack several sizes together instead of using one.
Hyaluronic Acid humectant: Hyaluronic Acid is a sugar chain the body already makes, and one gram of it can hold several litres of water. In a formula it is a humectant that pulls water to the surface of skin and holds it in a film, which is what makes skin look plumper while it is there.
Guaiazulene active: Guaiazulene is the deep blue compound distilled from chamomile and guaiac wood, and it is what colours a blue formula naturally. It is used for the look of reactive, reddened skin.
Potassium Hyaluronate humectant: Potassium Hyaluronate is another salt of hyaluronic acid, used for the same reason as the sodium form: it dissolves easily and holds a large amount of water in the outer layer of skin.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

No fragrance

on the list

Worth knowing

Patch test on the inner arm before the first full-face application, especially on skin that reacts easily to new products.
Stop use and rinse off if stinging, burning, or new redness shows up rather than pushing through discomfort.

Complete the routine

This itemMedicube 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml$42.50
Prep after cleansing, before the treatment stepmedicube Triple Collagen Toner 4.0 140ml$31.00
Seal the routine in as the last stepmedicube Zero Pore Cream 2.0 50ml$30.00

Total for 3 items$103.50

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medicube 3H RELIEF CREAM 50ml

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Medicube, Korean-market original

Medicube's Korean-market cream led by Niacinamide, the same formula sold in Korea.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

Medicube prints a QR code on the inner box. Scan it with your phone camera and it resolves to the brand’s own verification site.

Verify on medicubeverify.com →

Source: Medicube packaging and verification site

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

Your skin barrier is basically your outer layer of the skin.
Melissa Piliang, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic
Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic