Micro-dosing skin care has exploded into beauty sensibilities in recent weeks. However, we have long since moved beyond the 'more is more' mentality; slathering on skin care formulas carelessly and leaving your skin raw in the process; It appears that beauty fans are increasingly running in the opposite direction, using formulas with smaller concentrations or 'microdosing' to gradually train their skin without compromising barrier health. A gentle product rather than a full-blown bulldoze.
The 'slow and slow' approach is certainly popular, but when it comes to dermatology, it's not as simple as slacking off on your skin care. So, does micro-dosing live up to its small but mighty billing?
What exactly is skin care microdosing?
It's the same concept as microdosing with other substances: instead of applying full strength once or twice a week, you use extremely low concentrations of the active ingredients such as 1/10 of a normal application on a daily basis. It's intended to be a gentle, more gradual approach to reaping the benefits of powerful and potentially irritating skin care ingredients like retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs.
Instead of using a smaller concentration, try using a smaller amount of the product. For example, instead of liberally applying a half-full dropper of product each day, you can apply just a few drops of the serum each day.
Both methods are considered micro-dosing; The goal is to keep your skin barrier intact and gradually train your skin every day, rather than 'shocking' it with a powerful exfoliator from time to time.
Who is it useful for?
Micro-dosing is especially beneficial for people with sensitive or weakened skin, as their skin is more prone to irritation and dryness. They can experiment with some of these powerful skin care active ingredients by micro dosing without harming their skin.
However, micro-dosing could theoretically benefit any skin type; At least temporarily.
What is the process of micro-dosing?
There is a medical concept known as the 'dose-response curve', in which you don't see any therapeutic benefit from a drug until you exceed a certain dose; Once you reach maximum effect, any additional dosage may cause side effects rather than benefits. Imagine a bell curve, with each person having their own favorite spot. When it comes to science, she claims you can apply the same logic to some skin care ingredients.
Retinoids
Retinoids are popular for boosting collagen production and reducing signs of aging such as fine lines, and a high-potency product has a concentration of 0.3 to 1 percent. One study tried to determine how low they could go to maintain results, and they found that 0.05 percent tretinoin cream could still improve the appearance of fine lines.
Retinoids have many benefits for the skin other than collagen synthesis, which can be 'turned on' at low doses. They brighten the skin, help smooth out complexion irregularities, prevent collagen degradation, and stimulate the skin's own production of hyaluronic acid. While micro doses of 0.01 percent may not be enough to stimulate collagen formation within the cell, you may see improvements in skin texture and tone.
OTC retinols, on the other hand, are generally less irritating and potent, so you can avoid higher concentrations.
AHA and BHA
several AHAs such as glycolic acid, lactic acid and others; Formulated at concentrations of 10% or higher, which some people may find too irritating to their skin. Both glycolic and lactic acid can be effective at 8% concentrations, so if you want to microdose, start with a lower concentration and work your way up slowly.
so It can quickly sink into the pores, causing irritation. That is to say, depending on the AHA, you may prefer a slightly smaller or larger micro dose.
Products containing BHA, such as salicylic acid, typically have a concentration of 0.5 to 2 percent. So consider 0.5 percent a 'micro dose' for a leave-on product. It works at low concentrations, but higher concentrations are considered more effective.
Vitamin C
Sensitivity to vitamin C is uncommon, but L-ascorbic acid, the most active form of vitamin C, may irritate people with hypersensitive skin. In that case, you can always choose a serum that contains a more stable form of vitamin C, or if you prefer to take micro doses, just know that there is a concentration of at least 8% but not more than 20% of the vitamin. Don't be C. It has been shown to be most effective for stimulating collagen synthesis.
Microdoses lower than this may still provide antioxidant benefits, but you are better off using the full dose of other antioxidant-rich ingredients. Rather than attempting to use potentially irritating microdose levels of vitamin C for antioxidant benefits, you can focus on green tea polyphenol antioxidants, which are also known to soothe inflamed skin. Are.
Are there any risks or concerns?
Even with small doses, your skin may react to a specific active ingredient, whether due to potency or allergy to the ingredient. Even if a product has one-tenth its normal strength, you should still patch test it before applying it. There's also the risk of microdosing multiple products with the same active ingredient, which could put you right back where you started. In short, the micro concentration doesn't allow you to layer serum after serum.
For those who don't have sensitive skin, consider micro-dosing as a gateway to your overall skin care routine. The goal is to eventually transition to full concentration. Of course, 'full concentration' means different things to different people; The point is, you may want to experiment with micro-dosing to see how much your skin can actually handle.
Because, while you don't want to overwhelm your skin with too-powerful formulas, you also want to make sure your regimen works well.
Finally, and perhaps it goes without saying, we stress the importance of not micro-dosing your sunscreen. For optimal protection, apply a nickel-sized dollop to your entire face and reapply every two hours.
Main point.
Micro-dosing your skin care regimen can help you reap the benefits of powerful active ingredients without causing irritation. It's still important to use what's clinically effective, but that doesn't mean you have to overdo it. Consider skin care microdosing as a holistic approach rather than a specific concentration to choose from, slow and steady always works.