THE BEST OF GLOW RECIPE

 

- Advertisement information: this post discusses items gifted to me with no obligation to share them (marked *). In addition I have / have had a brand relationship with Cult Beauty (gifting). My blog has Skimlinks and RewardStyle installed to automatically monetise purchases of products I link on my blog, therefore this post may contain affiliate links. All opinions remain my own and please refer to my Disclosure Page  for further detail -  

Glow Recipe is a brand I think often gets unfairly maligned; sure, the branding is a little cutesy, but that doesn't mean there aren't great products inside that packaging. Whilst not every single formula they release is a winner for me personally, they're a solid brand in my books, so today I'm sharing a few of my must-have products from them...

First up is the newest Glow Recipe formula to my collection: their Pomegranate Peptide Firming Serum* | £41. It's a great all-in-one; it has a really hydrating formula with ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin, squalane to top up your skin's natural oils so it's nice and nourished, plus other plant oils to give the skin that surface softness. There are fermented ingredients that can help improve skin barrier health and added antioxidants like Vitamin E, to help protect the skin from free radical damage (other plant extracts in this formula will also help in this department). And obviously the stars of the show are the peptides, of which there are several. Peptides are short-chain amino acids that are hydrating and excellent from a well-ageing perspective because they appear to boost up collagen production so out skin can stay plumper and bouncier for longer. One of the peptides in here can also help with skin repair. I never thought I'd be someone to ditch the morning Vitamin C, but this just gives my skin everything it needs and has usurped a traditional antioxidant in my routine for months now. It hydrates, makes my skin glow and gives it a plump and healthy appearance. It's just a great all-rounder.

Next is a product I've refilled the past two summers and I'm sure I'll do the same next year; it's the Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream* | £35. I have pretty dry skin, so it's not always easy for me to find a formula that's hydrating but not heavy and lets my skin breath without evaporating off into nothingness. This is my perfect melting gel-cream hybrid. It's packed with hyaluronic acid, but unlike other humectant-based moisturisers I've tried, it's well-rounded, with skin-softening plant oils like moringa and jojoba and powerful sources of antioxidant goodness like turmeric. Plus you get niacinamide as an added bonus in here; this is a brilliant multi-active with the power to regulate oil production in the skin, boost up your skin's ceramide production (which in turn helps with barrier function) and prevent blemish discolouration from spreading through the skin. It just leaves my skin looking and feeling juicy, dewy and completely hydrated. 

I also have to mention the Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner* | £31. I love that this puts gentle exfoliants into a super-hydrating base formulation that feels reminiscent of a Korean essence. This exfoliant is formulated with PHAs, which are a family of gentle, surface-level chemical exfoliants that are great for dry and / or sensitive skin. They help to unglue dead skin cells so a glowing complexion is revealed. Then we have BHAs, which are oil-soluble, so get right into the pores to clear out spot-causing debris and help with both active breakouts and resultant scarring. This is all delivered in a base of glycerin, hyaluronic acid and refreshing extracts like cucumber, cactus and watermelon. Licorice root is a great added extra here too, because it helps improve the look of hyperpigmentation. It's gentle, it works to smooth my skin and reduce breakouts and it leaves my skin happy and hydrated after use.

Finally, we have the Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum* | £41 | which I've emptied twice. It's kind of like a creamy / water-based serum hybrid, helping to moisturise the skin whilst absorbing in easily. It's formulated with nourishing avocado oil, ginger to calm inflammation, niacinamide, soothing allantoin and bisabolol and the holy trinity of your lipid barrier: ceramide, cholesterol and fatty acids. This makes for a moisturising formula that helps with skin barrier health and is honestly just so easy to reach for; on its own or used before a retinoid, it just always seems to work. When I don't know exactly what my skin wants, I often reach for this and it acts as an overall booster, helping it to feel healthier and more balanced. It's another great all-rounder! (I'm realising that might be what I like so much about this brand...)

Have you tried anything from Glow Recipe?

Don't forget to follow me on:

Bloglovin | Instagram

Read more posts from this series here!