Skin-Nomad's Take — At a Glance
- EGF at 2.5 ppm and NAD at 1 ppm with Niacinamide and Ectoin
- Light water texture that absorbs fast and leaves no sticky layer
- Suits every skin type, including oily skin wanting firmness without weight
Firming serums are often thick and rich, which suits dry skin and leaves oily and combination skin skipping the step. Medicube's EGF NAD Firming Serum puts EGF, a growth-signalling peptide, and NAD, the energy coenzyme, into a water-light texture, from the South Korean brand's firming line built around those two ingredients. On Medicube's own testing, smile lines looked 9% softer after two weeks.*
Key Benefits
- EGF and NAD address renewal at its source. sh-Oligopeptide-1, a lab-made copy of the growth factor skin uses to prompt repair, sits at Medicube's stated 2.5 ppm, and NAD, the coenzyme cells burn for energy, at 1 ppm. Both built their reputations in clinical and wound-healing research, and topical study of them is still developing.
- Niacinamide brightens and reinforces the barrier. It limits how much melanin reaches the surface and prompts skin to make more of its own ceramides, so tone looks more even and skin holds water better.
- Ectoin and a xylitol complex keep skin hydrated. Ectoin, first found in microbes that survive desert heat and salt, protects the skin's water balance, while xylitol and its partner sugars draw water into the surface layers.
- Berry extracts, glutathione and peptides add an antioxidant layer. Cranberry, blueberry, bilberry, elderberry and raspberry extracts sit alongside glutathione and signal peptides including Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3, which suits a morning routine under sunscreen.
Texture & Finish
A light, watery serum that spreads easily and absorbs within moments, with no tacky film left behind. It sits cleanly under moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning.
Ideal For
- Skin types: All skin types, including oily and combination skin.
- Skin concerns: Loss of firmness, fine lines, dullness and dehydration.
- Best used by: People in their thirties and beyond who want firming actives in their routine but find richer serums too heavy for daytime.
FAQ
Q: How is an EGF serum different from a retinoid serum?
A: Retinoids speed up cell turnover through retinoic acid receptors, and most people need to build up to them gradually. EGF works through a different receptor on the skin's surface cells and needs no adjustment period, so it suits morning and evening use from the start. The two approaches are complementary rather than alternatives.
Q: Is EGF only worth using on mature skin?
A: No. EGF is a signalling protein every skin makes, involved in everyday renewal as well as repair. It is usually marketed at mature skin because firmness is the concern that grows with age, but this serum's light texture and niacinamide suit younger skin that wants to look after firmness early.
Q: When should I use it, and does it work with vitamin C or acids?
A: Medicube designed it for morning and evening. Apply it after toner and before moisturiser, and in the morning finish with sunscreen as the last step. Nothing in the formula conflicts with vitamin C, exfoliating acids or retinoids, so it slots under an evening retinoid as easily as a morning vitamin C.
Q: Can I use the EGF NAD Firming Serum during pregnancy?
A: We recommend pausing it. EGF and NAD are the reason this serum exists, and both are newer skincare ingredients with no clinical safety data in pregnancy. For firmness and hydration while pregnant, a serum built on peptides, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide without growth factors is the better choice.
Firming care that feels like water is the kind that gets used every morning, and consistency is where firmness is actually won.
* Medicube clinical testing carried out by the Global Institute of Dermatological Sciences: visible smile lines reduced 8.7% and visible neck lines reduced 5.38% after two weeks. The brand also reports radiance improvements of 2.9% on the forehead, 2.2% around the eyes, 2.49% at the corners of the mouth and 2.9% on the cheeks, with no timeframe stated. Brand-run testing rather than an independent trial; participant count not published. Results vary between individuals.
Explore more
Browse more serums, see our peptide formulas, or explore the full Medicube range.
Skin-Nomad's Take — At a Glance
- EGF at 2.5 ppm and NAD at 1 ppm with Niacinamide and Ectoin
- Light water texture that absorbs fast and leaves no sticky layer
- Suits every skin type, including oily skin wanting firmness without weight
Firming serums are often thick and rich, which suits dry skin and leaves oily and combination skin skipping the step. Medicube's EGF NAD Firming Serum puts EGF, a growth-signalling peptide, and NAD, the energy coenzyme, into a water-light texture, from the South Korean brand's firming line built around those two ingredients. On Medicube's own testing, smile lines looked 9% softer after two weeks.*
Key Benefits
- EGF and NAD address renewal at its source. sh-Oligopeptide-1, a lab-made copy of the growth factor skin uses to prompt repair, sits at Medicube's stated 2.5 ppm, and NAD, the coenzyme cells burn for energy, at 1 ppm. Both built their reputations in clinical and wound-healing research, and topical study of them is still developing.
- Niacinamide brightens and reinforces the barrier. It limits how much melanin reaches the surface and prompts skin to make more of its own ceramides, so tone looks more even and skin holds water better.
- Ectoin and a xylitol complex keep skin hydrated. Ectoin, first found in microbes that survive desert heat and salt, protects the skin's water balance, while xylitol and its partner sugars draw water into the surface layers.
- Berry extracts, glutathione and peptides add an antioxidant layer. Cranberry, blueberry, bilberry, elderberry and raspberry extracts sit alongside glutathione and signal peptides including Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Octapeptide-3, which suits a morning routine under sunscreen.
Texture & Finish
A light, watery serum that spreads easily and absorbs within moments, with no tacky film left behind. It sits cleanly under moisturiser and sunscreen in the morning.
Ideal For
- Skin types: All skin types, including oily and combination skin.
- Skin concerns: Loss of firmness, fine lines, dullness and dehydration.
- Best used by: People in their thirties and beyond who want firming actives in their routine but find richer serums too heavy for daytime.
FAQ
Q: How is an EGF serum different from a retinoid serum?
A: Retinoids speed up cell turnover through retinoic acid receptors, and most people need to build up to them gradually. EGF works through a different receptor on the skin's surface cells and needs no adjustment period, so it suits morning and evening use from the start. The two approaches are complementary rather than alternatives.
Q: Is EGF only worth using on mature skin?
A: No. EGF is a signalling protein every skin makes, involved in everyday renewal as well as repair. It is usually marketed at mature skin because firmness is the concern that grows with age, but this serum's light texture and niacinamide suit younger skin that wants to look after firmness early.
Q: When should I use it, and does it work with vitamin C or acids?
A: Medicube designed it for morning and evening. Apply it after toner and before moisturiser, and in the morning finish with sunscreen as the last step. Nothing in the formula conflicts with vitamin C, exfoliating acids or retinoids, so it slots under an evening retinoid as easily as a morning vitamin C.
Q: Can I use the EGF NAD Firming Serum during pregnancy?
A: We recommend pausing it. EGF and NAD are the reason this serum exists, and both are newer skincare ingredients with no clinical safety data in pregnancy. For firmness and hydration while pregnant, a serum built on peptides, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide without growth factors is the better choice.
Firming care that feels like water is the kind that gets used every morning, and consistency is where firmness is actually won.
* Medicube clinical testing carried out by the Global Institute of Dermatological Sciences: visible smile lines reduced 8.7% and visible neck lines reduced 5.38% after two weeks. The brand also reports radiance improvements of 2.9% on the forehead, 2.2% around the eyes, 2.49% at the corners of the mouth and 2.9% on the cheeks, with no timeframe stated. Brand-run testing rather than an independent trial; participant count not published. Results vary between individuals.
Explore more
Browse more serums, see our peptide formulas, or explore the full Medicube range.
