Have you been meaning to update your skincare routine, or have you seen these cute, colorful bottles in Sephora and wondered if they work as well as they look?
Glow Recipe is one of my favorite skincare lines out there. Not only is the design of the packaging super aesthetically pleasing, the K-beauty brand is founded and owned by women and is cruelty-free. They also have a sister brand called Sweet Chef, available at Target, which I use and love! I just finished off a bottle of the Celery + Hyaluronic Acid Serum Shot, and I love having their Carrot Ginger Blemish Rescue Patches on hand for stubborn pimples.
Glow Recipe is also all about sustainability in their ingredient sourcing and packaging. They have been carbon neutral since April 2022, and they make sure their ingredients are not hazardous to the environment, instead opting for upcycled or eco-certified materials. Their beautiful glass bottles are recyclable, and you can even use them in other ways – look at this photo from their website! It’s such a great idea to reuse the bottle to propagate a plant.
From their website:
We’re your go-to brand for efficacious skincare innovations that deliver clinical results & sensorial self-care moments. We make fruit-forward, clean formulas for glowing skin. We believe we glow even brighter together & that’s why we’re so excited to welcome you to our community that believes in inclusivity, individuality & sustainability.
I’ve highlighted the products I have tried from Glow Recipe in this post, breaking them down by price, ratings, ingredients, and their pros and cons from my experience. I also added my general two cents for each product under each blurb. Without further ado, here are some star skincare products created with clean ingredients from Glow Recipe!
papaya
Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm
$32 for 100ml
PEG free with an balm to milky oil consistency
4.9 stars from 1710 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.2 stars from 1377 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: Papaya enzymes, Papaya extract and seed oil, Blueberry extract, Camellia japonica seed oil, Apricot kernel oil
Pros: Gentle, does not burn eyes, unscented
Cons: None for me!
I have tried the trial size of this cleansing balm, and I really did enjoy it. It didn’t hurt my sensitive eyes or leave an oily film on them like some other balms do. My only negative note is that you can definitely find more affordable cleansing balms on the market that work similarly.
blueberry
Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser
$34 for 160ml
Markets itself as a 3-in-1 makeup remover, cleanser, and clarifying mask
4.9 stars from 2950 reviews on Glow Recipe | 3.8 stars from 1034 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: Blueberry extract, Hyaluronic acid, AHA, Hydrating suds
Pros: Texture, Mild Scent, Non-Drying
Cons: Expensive, Not effective as a makeup remover alone
This cleanser is a bit of a splurge for me, but it really gets me excited for my evening skincare routine. It’s a jelly-like consistency that smells fresh and fruity, but not offensively fragranced. It does a great job of gently cleansing without drying.
watermelon
Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner
$34 for 150ml
Hydrates and tightens pores
4.9 stars from 3761 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.4 stars from 3152 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: Watermelon, Cactus water, PHA, BHA, Hyaluronic acid, Tea tree extract, Cucumber
Pros: Gentle exfoliation, hydrating texture, super luxe packaging
Cons: Might be a little too gentle for you, I didn’t notice much of a difference
I used this toner a few times a week and I didn’t see a huge effect on my skin, but maybe because it’s so gentle, the effects weren’t so stark on my skin. It’s a gooey gel texture which is quite hydrating and protective while still providing that soft exfoliation from the PHA and BHA. I would give it another try sometime!
strawberry
Strawberry Smooth AHA & BHA Salicylic Serum
$40 for 30ml
Smoothes texture, eliminates blemishes, and tightens pores gently
4.9 stars from 345 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.6 stars from 940 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: 10% Clarity Acid Complex™ (2% encapsulated salicylic acid and mandelic acid), Strawberry, Azelaic acid liposome, Succinic acid, Hyaluronic acid, Allantoin, Bisabolol
Pros: ?
Cons: ?
This product is the latest Glow Recipe addition to my skincare regimen. I need to find a chemical exfoliant that will help with even skin tone, texture, and anti-aging, and I’m hopeful this product will do the trick. I’ve only been using it for a few days now, so I don’t have a solid opinion yet. Once I’ve been using it for a few months, I plan to either update this post or add a new one!
guava
Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum
$45 for 30ml
Brightens dark spots and evens skin tone
4.9 stars from 390 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.3 stars from 706 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: 5 forms of vitamin C, Guava seed oil & fruit extract, Tranexamic acid, Ferulic acid, Vitamin E
Pros: Noticeable brightness
Cons: Might be too strong for some people
I made the mistake of using this serum all over my face, like as a general vitamin C serum, and it is NOT suited for that, at least on my face! You only need a teeny amount to dab on dark spots. I have scarring from blemishes that I want to fade, so I’ll be continuing to use this spot treatment to see more results.
plum
$44 for 30ml
Deep hydration and plumping
4.9 stars from 1821 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.4 stars from 1889 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: 3 types of plum (Kakadu, Illawarra, and Burdekin), 5 weights of hyaluronic acid, Vegan collagen & silk protein, Vitamin B5
Pros: Gel consistency feels hydrating
Cons: None so far!
I started using this hyaluronic acid serum just this week, and I’m loving it so far! I usually just use it at night to lock in hydration, but since it’s basically winter here in the Midwest and it’s dry and frigid, I’ve been adding it into my morning routine as well. I like the slightly thicker texture and the bottle is just so fun to see every day!
avocado
Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum
$44 for 30ml
Strengthens the skin barrier, visibly reduces redness and dryness
4.9 stars from 602 reviews on Glow Recipe | 4.5 stars from 1267 reviews on Sephora
Ingredients of note: Avocado butter & avocado extract, Ceramide-5, Allantoin, Rice milk
Pros: Soothing, Non-irritating, Non-greasy
Cons: None so far!
This is by far one of my favorite Glow Recipe products. This is especially necessary for my dry skin in the fall and winter months. I have witnessed it reducing redness within a day or two, and it has really helped me with raw, dry patches on my face. Also, Glow Recipe’s limited edition Every Body Campaign contributed 100% of the proceeds from this product to protecting reproductive rights!
Here’s a quick summary of this article:
- Glow Recipe is a women-owned brand with sustainability and clean ingredients at their forefront
- My two top products I recommend are the Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser and the Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum
- I’ll be posting a follow-up in a month or two to share my final opinions
Want more skincare content? Check out these posts to hold you over until we revisit Glow Recipe’s products!
7 Skincare Mistakes I Made (and how to avoid them!)
Sephora VIB Sale 2022 Purchases
5 Makeup Products I’ve Been Loving for Summer
You can also find me on TikTok and Instagram for lots more skincare, fashion, and lifestyle content. Remember that self-care doesn’t just mean skincare; make it a priority to take some time for yourself doing whatever it is that makes you happy. For me, that’s writing these blog posts!
See you in my next post, and be good to yourself and others! xo
