Skin-Nomad's Take — At a Glance
- EGF and NAD with Niacinamide, Collagen and Ectoin in a firming gel sheet
- Two-piece hydrogel that clings around the eyes and mouth without sliding
- Suits normal, dry and combination skin wanting a firmer, bouncier finish
A gel mask holds its essence against the skin far longer than a paper sheet, which makes it the natural format for a firming step. This one carries the two ingredients Medicube built its firming range around: EGF, a lab-made copy of a growth-signalling protein the skin produces itself, and NAD, the coenzyme cells use to make energy. Medicube formulates in South Korea around measured, results-led skincare, and the EGF NAD Firming Gel Mask is the intensive, once-in-a-while step of that range.
Key Benefits
- EGF and NAD target the skin's renewal machinery. sh-Oligopeptide-1, the EGF of the name, sits at Medicube's stated 0.01001 ppm alongside six related sh-polypeptides, and NAD at 10.1 ppm. Both earned their reputations in clinical and wound-healing research, and study of them in topical skincare is still building.
- Niacinamide evens tone and strengthens the barrier. It limits the melanin that reaches the surface and prompts skin to make more of its own ceramides. Ectoin, a moisture-holding molecule first found in microbes that survive desert heat and salt, keeps skin comfortable while the mask is on.
- A dense peptide blend works on firmness. Alongside the growth-factor peptides, the gel carries signal peptides including Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, with Collagen holding water at the surface for a plumper finish.
Texture & Finish
The gel is thick, cool and slippery, and the two pieces hold close around the eyes and mouth even when you move. It turns transparent as the essence is drawn in, which is Medicube's signal that it is done, and what is left behind absorbs without tack.
Note: The formula contains fragrance and carmine, a red colour from cochineal, so it is not plant-only.
Ideal For
- Skin types: Normal, dry and combination skin, and oily skin that prefers a gel to a cream.
- Skin concerns: Loss of firmness, fine lines, dullness and dehydration.
- Best used by: People who want a firming mask to lean on before an event or at the end of a long week, and who prefer a gel that stays put over a paper sheet that dries out.
FAQ
Q: How is a gel mask different from a regular sheet mask?
A: A regular sheet mask is fabric soaked in liquid essence, and it starts drying out the moment it touches the skin. A gel mask holds the essence inside the gel itself, so it stays cool and wet for the whole sitting and releases the formula steadily. It also sits heavier and closer to the face, which is why this one comes in two pieces shaped around the eyes and mouth.
Q: Does "sh" in sh-Oligopeptide-1 mean the EGF comes from human tissue?
A: No. The sh prefix stands for synthetic human: the peptide is made in a laboratory to match the structure of the growth factor human skin produces, rather than being taken from any human or animal source. It is the standard way EGF appears on a cosmetic ingredient list.
Q: Where does the mask go in a routine, and does it work with retinoids or vitamin C?
A: After cleansing and toner, and before serum and moisturiser. Nothing in it conflicts with retinoids or vitamin C, so it slots into an evening routine that already carries them, and it is a comfortable choice on nights you skip your retinoid.
Q: Can I use the EGF NAD Firming Gel Mask during pregnancy?
A: We recommend pausing it. EGF, listed as sh-Oligopeptide-1, and NAD are newer skincare ingredients with no clinical safety data in pregnancy, so the precaution is to set this mask aside until afterwards. Masks built on hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and peptides without growth factors cover the same hydrating and firming ground in the meantime.
Firming is usually sold as a long game, and a gel sheet is the one version of it that fits neatly into a single evening.
Explore more
Browse more masks and peels, see our peptide formulas, or explore the full Medicube range.
Skin-Nomad's Take — At a Glance
- EGF and NAD with Niacinamide, Collagen and Ectoin in a firming gel sheet
- Two-piece hydrogel that clings around the eyes and mouth without sliding
- Suits normal, dry and combination skin wanting a firmer, bouncier finish
A gel mask holds its essence against the skin far longer than a paper sheet, which makes it the natural format for a firming step. This one carries the two ingredients Medicube built its firming range around: EGF, a lab-made copy of a growth-signalling protein the skin produces itself, and NAD, the coenzyme cells use to make energy. Medicube formulates in South Korea around measured, results-led skincare, and the EGF NAD Firming Gel Mask is the intensive, once-in-a-while step of that range.
Key Benefits
- EGF and NAD target the skin's renewal machinery. sh-Oligopeptide-1, the EGF of the name, sits at Medicube's stated 0.01001 ppm alongside six related sh-polypeptides, and NAD at 10.1 ppm. Both earned their reputations in clinical and wound-healing research, and study of them in topical skincare is still building.
- Niacinamide evens tone and strengthens the barrier. It limits the melanin that reaches the surface and prompts skin to make more of its own ceramides. Ectoin, a moisture-holding molecule first found in microbes that survive desert heat and salt, keeps skin comfortable while the mask is on.
- A dense peptide blend works on firmness. Alongside the growth-factor peptides, the gel carries signal peptides including Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Copper Tripeptide-1 and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, with Collagen holding water at the surface for a plumper finish.
Texture & Finish
The gel is thick, cool and slippery, and the two pieces hold close around the eyes and mouth even when you move. It turns transparent as the essence is drawn in, which is Medicube's signal that it is done, and what is left behind absorbs without tack.
Note: The formula contains fragrance and carmine, a red colour from cochineal, so it is not plant-only.
Ideal For
- Skin types: Normal, dry and combination skin, and oily skin that prefers a gel to a cream.
- Skin concerns: Loss of firmness, fine lines, dullness and dehydration.
- Best used by: People who want a firming mask to lean on before an event or at the end of a long week, and who prefer a gel that stays put over a paper sheet that dries out.
FAQ
Q: How is a gel mask different from a regular sheet mask?
A: A regular sheet mask is fabric soaked in liquid essence, and it starts drying out the moment it touches the skin. A gel mask holds the essence inside the gel itself, so it stays cool and wet for the whole sitting and releases the formula steadily. It also sits heavier and closer to the face, which is why this one comes in two pieces shaped around the eyes and mouth.
Q: Does "sh" in sh-Oligopeptide-1 mean the EGF comes from human tissue?
A: No. The sh prefix stands for synthetic human: the peptide is made in a laboratory to match the structure of the growth factor human skin produces, rather than being taken from any human or animal source. It is the standard way EGF appears on a cosmetic ingredient list.
Q: Where does the mask go in a routine, and does it work with retinoids or vitamin C?
A: After cleansing and toner, and before serum and moisturiser. Nothing in it conflicts with retinoids or vitamin C, so it slots into an evening routine that already carries them, and it is a comfortable choice on nights you skip your retinoid.
Q: Can I use the EGF NAD Firming Gel Mask during pregnancy?
A: We recommend pausing it. EGF, listed as sh-Oligopeptide-1, and NAD are newer skincare ingredients with no clinical safety data in pregnancy, so the precaution is to set this mask aside until afterwards. Masks built on hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and peptides without growth factors cover the same hydrating and firming ground in the meantime.
Firming is usually sold as a long game, and a gel sheet is the one version of it that fits neatly into a single evening.
Explore more
Browse more masks and peels, see our peptide formulas, or explore the full Medicube range.
