Let’s get one thing out of the way first. No skincare device is going to magically give you the face of someone who’s slept eight hours a night since birth. But can one make your skincare work harder, make your skin look noticeably fresher, and give your face that “Did you secretly get a facial?” energy? The Medicube Booster Pro (or the newly launched Medicube Age-R Booster Pro X2 if you want to splurge) might be the answer.
But first, what is it?
The K-beauty device is a handheld tool that uses electrical pulse technology to increase the permeability of the skin barrier, allowing your skincare to penetrate more effectively. The first version was launched in 2024 and it has since amassed a growing number of celebrity fans including Hailey Bieber and the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
A few rules before we get into it
The device has four modes out of which every mode, except Air Shot, should be used with serum on the face, never on dry skin. Air Shot is the exception: it needs to be used on clean, dry skin before the rest of your routine, and it’s the only mode that should be limited to two to three times a week.
You can use the device up to three times a day, with five minutes on each mode per session. And whichever mode you’re using, always move the device upwards in a lifting motion. No dragging it downwards—your face has been through enough.
Four modes, but I have a favourite
The Booster Pro has four settings, each designed to do something slightly different. Think of them as four very overachieving personalities living inside one device.
Booster Mode is the one that sold me. It uses electroporation technology to help skincare absorb more effectively into the skin. Translation? Your expensive serums don’t just sit there looking pretty; they have a better chance of getting where they’re meant to go. This is the mode I use every morning before my makeup and every night before my retinoid. No exceptions.
Air Shot, on the other hand, is the one I keep forgetting about. It’s designed to refine the appearance of pores and improve skin texture using tiny electrical pulses on completely dry skin. It’s technically one of the cleverest features on the device, but because it has to be used before the rest of your skincare—and I am usually far too eager to slap on my serum—I tend to skip it. Personally, I haven’t noticed enough of a difference for it to become part of my regular routine.
Then there’s Microcurrent, the sleeper hit. Used right after Booster Mode, it’s designed to target areas that tend to lose volume first—the jawline, smile lines, around the mouth and eyes. This is the mode that makes me stop halfway through and think, “Wait… is my face actually looking…lifted?” Maybe it’s placebo. Maybe it’s science. Either way, I’m not asking too many questions.
And finally, Derma Shot: my face’s personal trainer. Using EMS (electrical muscle stimulation), it focuses on facial definition and elasticity, giving everything a slightly firmer, more sculpted appearance over time. This is the mode I finish with every night, and I genuinely feel like it gives my face better definition.
The part where it became a habit
In the morning, it’s become part of my makeup prep: I cleanse, apply my Vitamin C and azelaic acid serums, go in with the Booster Pro—mainly Booster Mode, followed by about a minute each of MC Mode and Derma Shot—and finish with moisturiser with SPF. The result is fresh, hydrated looking skin that’s the perfect base for my makeup.
Night is where the Booster Pro really earns its keep. I wash my face with a gentle cleanser, then apply my skincare from thinnest texture to thickest. For me, that means Anua Azelaic Acid followed by Medicube Pink PDRN Serum, then Booster Mode, MC Mode, and Derma Shot. I spend five minutes on each mode, and once everything has absorbed properly, I finish with my retinoid and, finally, moisturiser.
Simple. Well…simple-ish.
