Have you ever exfoliated or used too much retinol, leaving your skin a hot mess? Yup, same. But there’s a concept in the wellness world that has trickled down from mental health into the lexicon of beauty, and is set to tackle and red skin woes: microdosing. We spoke to the experts at Sisters Beauty Lounge to get the lowdown on the latest in skincare… 

You may have heard of the term ‘microdosing’ in relation to depression and anxiety. But the buzzword has made its way into skincare and aesthetics. Clients began requesting ‘baby botox’, the injection of very small amounts of botox to decrease wrinkles while maintaining a very natural appearance – and thus microdosing was born.

What is microdosing?

It’s basically where you use small amounts of powerful ingredients consistently to get the results you want without any of the downtime. For example, retinol (a Vitamin A) is an effective and potent ingredient that helps build collagen and renew skin cells, but it usually results in lots of redness, flaking and peeling. But using retinol in terms of microdosing means you’ll administer very small amounts onto your skin, starting with just .01% to .03% or even using booster drops, which can be added to your current lotion or serum, can help avoid skin struggles.

What products should I use for microdosing?

We personally love Skinceuticals Retinol .3 percent. It’s a perfect product to ease retinol into your nighttime skincare regime because the low dose will help ward off wrinkles without any downtime.

Skinceuticals Retinol 3%, Dhs435, Life Pharmacy

Exfoliating acids like glycolic acid and lactic acid can be extremely irritating to skin when overused. However, these acids do a great job of sloughing away dead skin cells and revealing brighter skin. Unfortunately, with overuse or products that contain strong concentrations of glycolic acid or lactic acid, skin can become red and inflamed.

Rodial Glycolic 10% Booster Drops are a great option to add into your skincare mix. They can be used with your favorite moisturizer or on their own.

Rodial Glycolic 10% Booster Drops, Dhs395, Basharacare

The same goes for Vitamin C which is an antioxidant and brightening skin agent. Pixi Vitamin C Tonic is applied as a toner in the morning and will work magic without wreaking havoc on your skin.

Pixi Vitamin C Tonic, Dhs58, Sephora

Remember:

  • Don’t use vitamin C, exfoliating acids and/or retinol at the same time. It’s better to use one active ingredient in order to reduce the effects of overstimulation. We usually use the Pixi Vitamin C Tonic in the am and then alternate in the pm between AHA’s and retinols. 
  • Never skimp on sunscreen. Sunscreen is a must ALWAYS especially if you’re using AHAs and retinols because skin is more sensitive to the sun.