Emily Doig started her Melbourne-based business, Micro Glow, last year as a surprise for her mum, Gillian.
At first, it sold one product – a sleek, handheld derma roller – but now stocks a range of skincare tools, along with complementary products designed to rejuvenate the skin and lessen scarring (particularly acne scarring), pigmentation, sun damage, fine lines and more.
Derma rollers use a proven technique called “micro-needling”, which was first discovered in the early 20th century but has grown in popularity and precision as a skincare treatment since the ’90s. The drum-shaped rollers are covered in micro needles (Micro Glow’s are 0.3 millimetres in length and made from medical-grade titanium) that stimulate healing by gently puncturing the skin to boost collagen production, which drops as you age. (The technique is more uncomfortable than painful.)
“[There] are 540 teensy-tiny micro needles and they roll over the skin and create a tiny wound that that sends a message to say, ‘Hey, repair this skin quickly’,” Doig explains.
They’re safe, easy to use and the results can show up as soon as the next day, she says, adding: “With consistent use you’ll see a more consistent [cell] turnover.”
Micro Glow’s goal is to offer non-surgical skincare treatments to bolster people’s skin as they age. It also sells all-natural, cruelty-free serums, skin oils and cleansers – all of which are made in Australia.
“We’ve expanded the range of skincare tools and products to create an at-home skincare routine that is accessible and available to all different types of women and men with a range of skin conditions,” Doig says.
“People have so many issues with how they think they look and we want to enhance that, not alter it, so they can glow naturally rather than with over the top and invasive treatments and procedures.”
Micro Glow is “all killer, no filler”, she jokes, because it’s focused on finding alternatives to more aggressive anti-aging treatments such as synthetic skin fillers.
“It’s a bit of a multi-purpose tool and can be used alone or with an existing program they’ve been prescribed by doctors or dermatologists.”
Depending on how firmly you use them, the rollers last for 13 to 15 treatments, then can be recycled or used on the back of the hands but may tear the skin if used on the face once blunt.
Each comes with a QR code linking to an online video demonstrating how – and how not – to use it. There’s also advice on the Micro Glow website about which tools and products will best suit certain skin types and conditions.
Doig, who is 42 and whose mother is 66, says she’s also hoping to create a different narrative about women in business.
“I think that’s been a really important part of our story because it’s not a traditional story when it comes to starting a business,” she says.
“We’re about women supporting women – not only by creating a positive beauty story but in terms of telling people to have a go and back yourself no matter what you want to do.”
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