33× Further or 1.9%? What Spicule Serums Can Actually Prove

28 September 2026

“Microneedling in a bottle” rests on a striking number: in a lab study, sponge spicules helped a test molecule travel about 33 times further into pig skin. One of the bottles we checked reports a very different number from its own test: 1.9%. We read the studies and the labels on four popular spicule serums, all under $30, to see what each can actually prove.

What we checked

What the label said

What a spicule is. Some sea sponges build their skeletons from tiny glass-like needles, each thinner than a hair. Mixed into a serum and rubbed on, they catch in the top layer of skin and make small openings. That is the tingle people post about. The openings may let the next product get further in. In lab tests, spicules stayed in the skin for at least three days [1]. Dermatologists interviewed by NBC Select point out that this is not the same as clinic microneedling, which reaches deeper and more predictably [5].

VT Reedle Shot 100. The label lists silica, not sponge, so we do not know which kind of spicule is inside [6]. Many reviews say the number on the bottle means spicules per millilitre. VT’s own page says otherwise: it gives about 237,500 “shots” for the 300 and about 570,000 for the 700, so the number is a strength level, not a count [6]. The page also claims help with acne scars and lines around the mouth, and says “clinically tested” with no study details.

APRILSKIN TXA Niacinamide Toning Shot 99. This label does say sponge. It carries 3% tranexamic acid and 5% niacinamide [7]. In APRILSKIN’s own test, uneven skin tone improved by 1.9%. The page names the lab but not how many people were tested.

Biodance Real Deep Spicule 2-Step Mask. Step one is a spicule serum with sponge on the label; step two is the brand’s well-known overnight gel mask, which leans on small-molecule collagen [8]. Its 207 Sephora reviews mostly praise the glow and hydration.

Mediheal Spicule Pore Tightening System 2. Mediheal’s own chart says pore area improved by about 25% with the ampoule and 38% with the mask. It names the lab and dates (about three weeks in 2024), but not how many people were tested, or whether the result came after one mask or three weeks of use [9, 10].

What the evidence shows

The 33 times figure. In 2017, a team in China applied sponge spicules to pig skin in the lab, and a test molecule got about 33 times further in. Results in mice pointed the same way but were much more variable [1]. Later studies used spicules to push hyaluronic acid and a numbing cream into skin [2, 3]. So the delivery effect is real. But notice what was measured: how far a test molecule travels. Not pores, and not dark spots.

On real faces. The newest trial we found involved 20 women receiving weekly clinic treatments. Both sides of the face got spicules, and one side also got a glutathione booster, so there was no untreated side to compare [4]. Helpful, but it tells us little about a serum used at home. That gap between lab and bathroom shelf is the whole story.

Where the ingredients do the work. APRILSKIN’s case rests on what is in it rather than the spicules. Niacinamide at 5% has been tested on its own: a small split-face study of 18 women found fewer dark patches after four to eight weeks [11]. That study was run by Procter & Gamble scientists, so keep that in mind.

Collagen on skin. Collagen applied to the skin mainly hydrates. It does not become your own collagen, so the Biodance mask is a hydrating treat rather than a repair job.

The verdict

None of these serums has independent proof on real faces at home, so each is judged on what its label can back up. APRILSKIN is the pick for dark spots, because of its niacinamide and tranexamic acid rather than its spicules. VT is a reasonable starting point for smoother texture, at the 100 strength, if you ignore the scar claims. Biodance is a pleasant hydrating mask for before an event. Mediheal reports big percentages without saying how many people were tested, so we would wait until it does.

Dark spots: APRILSKIN. Texture: VT 100. A treat: Biodance. Mediheal: wait.

Worth knowing

• Start slowly: once or twice a week at first [5].
• Dermatologists advise against using spicules the same night as retinol or strong acids. VT also warns against using its serum with LED masks and other devices [5, 6].
• Skip spicules if you have rosacea, eczema or skin that is already irritated. A tingle is expected; significant burning means stop. Patch test first.
• A number on a bottle can be a strength level, not a count. Read the brand’s own explanation.
• This is not medical advice. If your skin reacts, talk to a clinician.

Watch the video

See all four serums and the lab studies on screen in the full video: 33× Further or 1.9%? What Spicule Serums Can Actually Prove.

Sources

1. Sponge spicules for skin delivery (pig skin and mice), Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2017, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28763230/
2. Spicule microchannels and hyaluronic acid delivery, Biomaterials Science, 2019, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/bm/c8bm01555d
3. Spicule-assisted lidocaine delivery, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41402578/
4. Split-face spicule trial, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13504699/
5. NBC Select, dermatologists on spicules, March 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/select/shopping/spicules-skin-care-rcna264100
6. VT Cosmetics, VT Reedle Shot 100 product page, https://globalvt-cosmetics.com/products/vt-reedle-shot-100
7. APRILSKIN, TXA Niacinamide Toning Shot 99 product page, https://aprilskin.us/products/txa-niacinamide-toning-shot-99-spicule-serum
8. Sephora, Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep 2-Step Mask Pack, https://www.sephora.com/product/biodance-bio-collagen-real-deep-2-step-mask-pack-4-P521058
9. Mediheal, Spicule Pore Tightening System 2 product page, https://medihealus.com/products/spicule-pore-tightening-system-2
10. Mediheal, System 2 test chart, https://mediheal.com/cdn/shop/files/61t4lEJPf-L._SL1000.jpg
11. Hakozaki T et al., niacinamide 5%, British Journal of Dermatology, 2002, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12100180/

Every claim above is sourced in the text. Prices are what we paid, on the date shown. We buy what we test; nothing is gifted, and nothing is sponsored.