Spicules are microscopic, needle-shaped particles that help skincare do more of its work beneath the surface. They are the idea behind our new ExoSpicule collection: a toner, a serum and a moisturizer that bring the principle of a professional microneedling treatment into a daily routine at home.
In this post, we explain what spicules are, how they work on skin, how we developed the collection, and why we paired spicules with PDRN and CICA exosomes.
What is spicule?
Spicules are microscopic, needle-shaped structures that form the natural skeleton of marine sponges. For skincare, they are purified into ultra-fine particles and listed on ingredient labels as hydrolyzed sponge. Researchers describe them as natural, biologically derived microneedles (Qin et al., 2026).
Spicules are not a peel and not a scrub. They don't dissolve the surface of your skin or buff it away. Instead, they work like a gentle, scattered version of microneedling: countless tiny points that briefly open the skin's surface so the ingredients around them can follow.
In Korean skincare, spicule ingredients are often described by generation, with each one refined further than the last. Our Shot Serum and Shot Moisturizer use 4th-generation spicules.
How spicules work on skin
Spicules help active ingredients get past the skin's outer barrier, then let the skin close back up on its own. Your outermost layer, the stratum corneum, is built to keep things out. That protects you, but it also limits how much of a serum reaches the skin beneath.
Professional microneedling solves this with a pen or roller that makes controlled channels. Spicules do something similar on a much finer scale, with no device. Here is what happens, based on lab and animal studies:
- Spicules settle into the surface. As you pat the product in, the tiny spicules lodge in the outermost layer of skin.
- They open micro-channels. In one study, spicules created about 850 micro-channels per square millimeter, each roughly 50 micrometers deep (Zhang et al., 2019).
- Ingredients travel through. The channels give the formula's actives a path past the surface. In one study, spicules increased the amount of a test ingredient passing through skin by 5.8 to 12.3 times (Qin et al., 2026).
- Skin closes the channels on its own. The skin's barrier fully recovered within 48 to 72 hours, and the channels closed completely within about five days.
This is also why spicule products tingle. The prickling you feel is the spicules at work, and it fades as your skin settles. In studies, irritation from spicules was slight and skin recovered quickly (Zhang et al., 2020).
How we created the ExoSpicule collection
We built ExoSpicule to bring the logic of a professional skin-renewal treatment into a routine anyone can follow at home. CRL is a clinical Korean skincare brand made for licensed estheticians, and microneedling is part of the professional work our community does every day.
When we developed the collection, we focused on three things:
- Delivery first. A formula only works as well as it reaches the skin. Spicules give each product a path past the surface, so every formula in the line is built around them.
- What gets delivered. Opening the surface is only half the job. We paired spicules with PDRN and CICA exosomes, two ingredients known for supporting repair, calm and resilience.
- A routine, not a single product. The toner, serum and moisturizer each do a different job, so the collection works as one system from first step to last.
The goal is skin that looks smoother, clearer and more refined, with the appearance of a professional renewal treatment, from the comfort of home.
How the ingredients work together
Spicules open the path, and PDRN and CICA exosomes are what travel through it. Both are large, delicate ingredients that have a hard time crossing the skin's surface on their own, which is exactly where spicules help.
PDRN is purified DNA, broken into small fragments. It is traditionally sourced from salmon or trout, and plant-based versions now exist too (Typology). Research links PDRN to a stronger barrier, firmer-looking skin and a calmer complexion, working through adenosine receptors in the skin (Paula's Choice).
The catch is size. PDRN is many times larger than what the skin's outer layer normally lets through, so how it is delivered matters as much as how much is in the bottle.
CICA exosomes are tiny vesicles, about 150 nanometers across, released by the Centella asiatica plant. They carry the plant's proteins, lipids and genetic material. In lab and animal studies, they showed antioxidant, soothing and brightening effects, and switched on genes tied to hydration and barrier strength (bioRxiv, 2024).
Spicules help both do more. In one study, exosomes applied on their own barely crossed the skin, but spicules increased their absorption 5.87 times (Zhang et al., 2020). That study used a different type of exosome, but it shows the same delivery problem that spicules solve.
The toner prepares the way. Its acids and niacinamide clear and smooth the surface before the serum goes on. Research has also paired PDRN with niacinamide and vitamin C, delivered through microneedling, to reduce the look of dark spots (Paula's Choice).
| Ingredient | On the label | What it does | Where you'll find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spicules | Hydrolyzed Sponge | Open micro-channels so the ingredients around them reach further | Toner, serum, moisturizer |
| PDRN | Sodium DNA | Supports the look of repaired, firmer, calmer skin | Serum, moisturizer |
| CICA exosomes | Centella Asiatica Leaf Vesicles | Soothe, defend against oxidative stress, support hydration and the barrier | Toner, serum, moisturizer |
| Niacinamide | Niacinamide | Refines the look of pores, balances oil and evens tone | Toner |
| BHA | Salicylic Acid | Clears excess oil and debris from inside pores | Toner |
| Willow bark | Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract | A natural source of salicylates that supports clearer pores | Toner |
| AHA | Glycolic Acid | Loosens dull surface cells for smoother texture | Toner |
| PHA | Gluconolactone | Gently exfoliates while helping skin hold moisture | Toner |
Meet the collection
The ExoSpicule collection has three products, one for each step after cleansing.
ExoSpicule Toner is step one. It pairs hydrolyzed sponge spicules with CICA exosomes, niacinamide, salicylic acid, willow bark extract, glycolic acid and gluconolactone. It targets uneven texture, enlarged pores, excess oil and post-blemish marks while supporting hydration and the skin barrier. Witch hazel, aloe, cucumber, licorice root and tea tree help keep skin comfortable.
PDRN ExoSpicule Shot Serum is step two and the heart of the routine. It delivers 1,000 shots of 4th-generation spicules with PDRN and CICA exosomes, inspired by professional microneedling. It is designed for anti-aging, brightening and pore-refining results. Hyaluronic acid, panthenol, squalane, betaine and allantoin add hydration and comfort.
PDRN ExoSpicule Shot Moisturizer is step three. It carries spicules, PDRN and CICA exosomes into the final layer of your routine and seals in everything that came before. Shea butter, squalane, panthenol and rice bran extract help nourish and soften skin.
Sources
- Zhang et al., Skin delivery of hyaluronic acid by the combined use of sponge spicules and flexible liposomes, Biomaterials Science, 2019
- Zhang et al., Topical application of exosomes in combination with sponge spicules for treatment of photoaging, International Journal of Nanomedicine, 2020
- Qin et al., Biological mechanism of hydrolyzed sponge-mediated stratum corneum penetration, Research Square preprint, 2026
- In vitro characterization of extracellular vesicles from Centella asiatica for aesthetic applications, bioRxiv, 2024
- Paula's Choice, Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) ingredient dictionary
- Typology, PDRN in cosmetics: what is this active ingredient?
