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Chances are, you’ve heard about microneedling, whether you’ve tried it yourself or heard a friend sing its praises in your group chat. The minimally invasive in-office skin-care treatment involves rolling tiny needles over the surface of your skin to create mini injuries that stimulate your skin’s healing process and promote collagen and elastin production. The intended result? Smoother, firmer skin. While the procedure is most effectively performed by a dermatologist or an esthetician (you are essentially poking teeny-tiny holes in your skin), there are many at-home microneedling tools, also known as dermarolling tools, available on the market for users who seek to work it into their routine and likely save a little money.
But according to the wild world of BeautyTok, the technique has evolved once more. TikTok users are promoting “microneedling serums,” claiming they offer benefits similar to the in-office procedure, like smoothing skin texture, reducing the appearance of pores, and helping your skin-care products absorb better.
- Morgan Rabach, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at LM Medical in New York City.
- Ginger King is a New Jersey-based cosmetic chemist who has been developing color cosmetics, hair- and skin-care products for nearly 30 years.
- Margarita Lolis, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon based in New Jersey.
- Melanie Palm, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon at Art of Skin MD.
- Kelly Dobos is a cosmetic chemist based in Cincinnati.
How do microneedling serums work?
Fact: Over-the-counter skin-care products and at-home devices are almost never as powerful and effective as in-office skin-care procedures. Most of the videos that pop up when you search for “microneedling serums” feature two different Korean skin-care products inspired by elements of microneedling: the Medicube Zero Exosome Shot, which is available to buy directly from the platform’s TikTok Shop, and the VT Cosmetics Reedle Shot.
TikTokers describe both of these products as the equivalent of “microneedling in a bottle,” claiming that the serums are filled with thousands of “microscopic needles” that feel like they are pricking your face as you rub them in. Even famed social media influencer Mikayla Nogueira has participated in the trend, exclaiming that applying the Medicube serum felt like she was poking her face “rapidly with a needle.”
In actuality, these serums aren’t made with minced-up needles, but rather microscopic pointy structures that permeate the outer layer of your skin. Both the Medicube Zero Exosome Shot and VT Cosmetics Reedle Shot contain spikey structures derived from marine sponges called spicules, explains Ginger King, a New Jersey-based cosmetic chemist. “The spicules have a pricking feel when applied and are added to formulas to enhance penetration of active ingredients so products work faster,” King adds.
Morgan Rabach, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at LM Medical in New York City, agrees, adding that spicules can also reduce the outer skin layer, which could also help certain ingredients penetrate better.
While a professional microneedling procedure creates consistent and controlled micro injuries to the skin with tiny metal needles, “microneedling serums” function more like a mechanical exfoliator (think: a face scrub), which theoretically would result in benefits like smoother skin and better product absorption. However, unlike a face scrub, these serums are designed to be left on the skin. According to Melanie Palm, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in San Diego, spicules create a temporary micro-exfoliation effect. “Once they penetrate the skin, they dissolve over time and do not keep acting indefinitely. The initial stimulation might improve product absorption and skin texture, but their effect does not last beyond the initial application.”
What do dermatologists have to say about microneedling serums?
When a skin-care product delivers truly impressive results, you’ll often see social media users enthusiastically comparing its benefits to an in-office treatment that can only be administered by a licensed professional. “Botox in a bottle” is a commonly used, if a bit inaccurate, phrase. The problem with calling these spicule-enhanced products microneedling serums is that they don’t actually perform the same way or provide the same results—just as Botox needs to be injected to temporarily block muscle contraction.
“While the spicules in these serums may have the ability to stimulate the skin and/or promote product absorption, I have little optimism that they can truly replicate the results of an in-office microneedling treatment, which is typically administered with a 1.5 mm.–2.5 mm. needle length to be effective,” explains Dr. Palm. “Microneedling serums can’t reach this ideal penetration length. At best, these types of serums may provide some benefits similar to manual exfoliation, which technically can stimulate the skin and improve product absorption,” she says.
It seems that most of the buzz behind these products is anecdotal. As Margarita Lolis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon in New Jersey, points out, there’s a lack of scientific data. “The effectiveness of these products may have been studied in a small sample of patients, so efficacy claims may not be accurate,” she says. “The optimal dosing and frequency of application is also a question mark. While the concept behind spicule serums is innovative and has potential benefits, more scientific research and clinical trials are needed to confirm the claimed effectiveness marketed by brands.”
Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist in Cincinnati, echos the point: “While there is ample research on microneedle patches and devices, I haven't seen a whole lot of literature about this kind of approach of just mixing them into products, which is also giving me a lot of pause regarding the truth in the claims.”
Are microneedling serums safe?
These microneedling-inspired products aren’t without concerns from skin-care experts. For starters, if they are exfoliating the epidermis or potentially causing micro injuries, they could damage the skin barrier, which protects your skin from external aggressors like pollution and germs and maintains its hydration. As Dr. Rabach explains, the way the skin barrier is altered needs to be carefully controlled. “When done under the supervision of a board-certified dermatologist, we can make controlled injury through the epidermis to the dermis safely and with good results,” she says. “These creams seem to want to circumvent that in a DIY manner.”
Regardless of how innovative spicules are, they could do more harm than good. Specifically, Dr. Rabach highlights that spicules may not be uniform in a formula. “It’s a new physical exfoliant with irregular particles. My concern is that people could get abrasions, cuts, and burns.” King tells Allure she's tried two of these so-called microneedling serums. “The first one I tried felt fine,” she says. “The second burned my face, so I discarded it.”
Dr. Lolis says that using formulas with spicules could cause irritation or allergic contact dermatitis (especially for those with sensitive skin) and overusing them could contribute to eczema, rosacea, and acne flare-ups. For those who do choose to try these serums, Dr. Palm stresses the importance of patch testing on cleansed skin and following the manufacturer’s recommendation to avoid irritation. You also might want to patch test your entire skin-care routine because products you’ve been using with no issues could suddenly contribute to irritation when you add these new serums to the mix. You are, after all, causing micro-channel injuries to the epidermis.
All this is to say it wouldn’t hurt to sit out this TikTok trend, at least until more scientific data is available on these skin-care formulations. There are too many uncertainties, including how effective they are in the first place. One thing is for certain: The concept of “microneedling in a bottle” doesn’t really exist—and the procedure is best and safest when performed by a licensed professional.
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