Glow Recipe: The Skincare Line That Has Me in a Chokehold (But Not Every Product Deserves a Standing Ovation)
- Sandee Hunt
- Jun 20
- 13 min read
Updated: Jun 23
By someone who’s been glowing since lockdown but refuses to gaslight you with fake hype
When I first discovered Glow Recipe in peak lockdown, I was just a stressed-out skincare sleuth looking for serotonin in a serum.
A few years later, I’m all in — road-tripping up and down the Golden State for launch events, swatching every new drop like it’s couture, and proudly repping the Glow Gang ambassador program. Yes, I get product perks. No, that doesn’t stop me from giving unfiltered opinions that absolutely no one asked for.
However, not everything that comes in a pastel bottle deserves shelf space, my loves. So here it is: the definitive, unfiltered, Blacklight Dispatch-certified breakdown of the best Glow Recipe products (and a few that can politely leave the group chat).
Always an opportunist, I've got that affiliate code sprinkled throughout like niacinamide in your routine! Use my link if you want to support my glow-fueled lifestyle and fund more honest reviews. And you'll get $15 off a purchase! Win/win, babes.
Top-Tier Glow Recipe Products That Live in My Head Rent-Free
Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm
This is the Beyoncé of cleansing balms. As an all-star cheer mom, I’ve seen makeup looks that would terrify a Broadway cast. My kid goes full glam for competitions: red lips, baked contour, industrial-grade glitter, lash glue you could hang drywall with. This cleansing balm? Melts. It. Off.
No matter how bulletproof the beat, this stuff breaks it down like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for your face. Even Patrick Starr’s One/Size folds under this balm. It scoops out like sherbet, melts down into a silky oil, and wipes away everything without scrubbing or drama.
And unlike liquid oils, this balm won’t spill, leak, or destroy your overnight bag. My Dermalogica PreCleanse did me dirty and murdered my Marc Jacobs bag in a shocking oil spill that made the BP crisis in the Gulf of Mexico look like spilled milk. It stays solid and mess-free — which matters when you're digging through your travel kit at midnight after a comp and just want to get your kid to bed before they cry off a lash.
Yes, you still need to follow up with a second cleanse (we recommend the Avocado Ceramide Cleanser). But if you're removing competition-level makeup, this balm is the only one I trust to get us to clean skin without a meltdown — theirs or mine.
Niacinamide Hue Drops (Sun Glow Version)
These bronzy dew drops are what the original Dew Drops thought they were. Less “glazed donut under stage lights,” more “vacation filter IRL.” It's like your skin just got back from Ibiza, minus the sun damage, jet lag, or questionable situationships.
They hydrate, they even tone (thanks, niacinamide), and they add just enough bronze glow to make you look like you’ve had a full night’s sleep, a solid relationship with your SPF, and maybe a flirtatious encounter at Erewhon. I wear them solo when I want to fake wellness without giving up coffee or spite.
Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Toner
This one’s got legacy. Co-founders Sarah and Christine Chang were inspired by their childhood summers in Korea, when their grandmother would rub cool watermelon rinds on their sunburned skin to soothe and hydrate. That exact vibe — cooling, calming, comforting — is bottled here, just with a side of modern acid exfoliation.
The Watermelon Glow Toner is sticky in a good way (think essence, not glue), gently exfoliates with PHA and BHA, and leaves your skin plump, glassy, and ready for whatever SPF-layering chaos comes next. It smells like a watermelon Jolly Rancher, but behaves like a derm-grade pore minimizer. I’ve repurchased this one more than I’ve refilled my birth control. That’s saying something.
Pink Juice Oil-Free Moisturizer (Refillable)
This one? She minds her business, stays in her lane, and makes everyone around her look better. The Pink Juice Moisturizer is the ultimate team player — a light wash of hydration that sinks in fast, layers like a dream, and never pills under makeup. Not even when you’re stacking SPF, primer, foundation, and resting bitch face on top of it.
It’s that perfect jelly texture — juicy, breathable, and oil-free — so it hydrates without turning your T-zone into an oil slick by noon. It gives your hide just enough bounce to feel alive, without ever crossing into greasy or suffocating territory.
Bonus: it’s refillable, so your skincare shelf and your conscience stay cute.
Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser
This is the rare cleanser that hits the sensory sweet spot — thick, rich lather that feels like it’s doing something without leaving your face squeaky, tight, or traumatized. It gives you that luxurious foam moment we all crave, but somehow manages to leave your skin soft, not stripped. No film. No dryness. No drama.
It’s the one cleanser my teenager and I can actually agree on — acne-prone skin? Handled. Aging skin that’s trying to stay cute until the end of time? Covered. It’s gentle, barrier-safe, and doesn’t start fights with actives, treatments, or whatever questionable choices we layer on afterward.
Old-ass bitches chasing collagen and Gen Zs battling hormonal breakouts — united at last.
Watermelon Glow Lip Balm (Not the Pop)
This balm is the quiet luxury of lip care — thick, juicy, and ridiculously hydrating without trying too hard. I use it like a mask when my lips are on strike: slather it on, let it soak in, then gently buff with a soft toothbrush for that post-facial softness. Dead skin? Gone. Lips? Awesome. Let's go make out.
At night, I get fancy: I’ll layer Christian Dior Lip Oil first (because I’m a woman of taste and delusion), then lock it all in with this balm on top. Think of it as slugging for your mouth — and yes, it works.
Now, the downside: it’s in a pot. Which means it’s a stay-at-home balm. I’m not digging around in it with some nasty ass fingers while running errands or sitting in my car. This is a bedside table, makeup station, Sunday reset kind of product.
When I do use it? My lips stay glossy, soft, and unbothered for hours. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the real deal — just not purse-friendly. Unless you're nasty and into sticking your fingers in things in public.
Watermelon Glow Sunscreen Stick SPF 45
This balm stick has become my sun care secret weapon. It’s compact, mess-free, and perfect for those “oh crap, I forgot SPF again” moments — especially around the hairline, part, and nose, where most sunscreens either slide off or whitecast you to the point you look like you’re auditioning for your local community theater production of Memoirs of a Geisha.
I swipe it across my scalp and part like a shield against skin cancer, because honestly I’m shocked that entire zone hasn’t flaked off from years of reckless exposure. It glides on smooth without tugging, and never leaves a chalky cast or greasy sheen. Perfect for beach days, park pop-ins, or those mid-day touchups when your face is already wearing half your day.
The real test? My extremely sensitive child can wear this without a single complaint. No burning, no breakouts, no mystery rash creeping in an hour later. Just solid, reliable sun protection that I can trust on any face — mine or theirs.
Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment
This one has the texture of high-end skincare and that watery snot that runs down your face on a windy day during allergy season — and I say that with love. It’s a gooey, slippery, viscous jelly that somehow works absolute magic while looking and feeling like it should come with a warning label. And while I’d give it five stars for performance, I’d give it zero for packaging: why is this not in a pump?! Digging into this slime with your fingers just feels…incorrect.
Can you tell I'm not down with sticking my fingers in things?
But here’s the thing: you slap it on — as the final step in your nighttime routine — and wake up with skin so soft you’ll have to physically restrain yourself from petting your own cheeks like a Bond villain with a grudge. It gently resurfaces with AHAs, hydrates like a dream, and gives you that “who needs makeup?” skin the next morning. No flaking, no irritation, just freakishly smooth results.
Is it weird to fall in love with something that feels like watermelon-scented mucus? Perhaps. Do I care? Not even a little.
Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops
This is the one I reach for when I don’t want to wear makeup — but I also don’t want to walk around looking like a freshly glazed ham. It’s a gently mattifying serum-primer hybrid that keeps shine in check without sucking the life out of your skin. Think soft-focus filter, but real.
It goes on light, blurs pores like a dream, and somehow manages to control oil without making your face feel dry or tight. Bonus: it doesn’t pill, even if you layer it under makeup or SPF. That alone deserves a trophy.
I also love using this instead of primer when I’m wearing one of those dewy foundations with skincare ingredients, the kind that leaves your face looking wet if you’re not careful. This keeps everything balanced — never chalky, never greasy, never loud. Just a smooth, soft finish that lets your skin breathe.
If you’ve been looking for a low-maintenance, high-reward option for no-makeup days, this is your little berry GOAT.
Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum
I genuinely don’t remember the last time I had a pimple — and I give full credit to this serum. The Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum is my go-to, every-damn-day base serum, and it’s doing the absolute most without triggering redness, peeling, or a full-blown skin tantrum.
It’s a rare combo of retinol, salicylic acid, and gentle hydration that somehow calms breakouts and keeps my skin looking smooth, even, and suspiciously poreless. Zero irritation. Zero flaking. Just clear, balanced skin on autopilot.
Most days, I mix a pump of this with the Sun Glow Hue Drops and layer it under makeup — it gives me a glow without grease and helps my skin actually do something productive while I’m wearing foundation. I also cocktail it with other Glow Recipe serums depending on what my skin’s up to that day: a little Pomegranate if I’m dry, a little Brightening if I’m dull, but this one is always in the mix.
It’s smart, flexible, and effective — kind of like me. Badass bitch.
The Glow Recipe Products I Wish I Loved, But Can’t Defend
Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream
This one just doesn’t work for me — and I’ve tried. It’s too thick, doesn’t absorb, and pills like it’s mad at me for having skin. They’ve reformulated and repackaged, but the experience is still a no.
I was actually part of a customer focus group when Glow Recipe asked for feedback on the original version. The pump packaging? Useless. I returned my first bottle thinking it was broken — nope. The product was thicker than Lizzo. And I say that with love and full respect, but a lotion should not have the consistency of a solid. That pump was about as useful as Elon Musk's reign of terror at the DOGE.
To their credit, Glow Recipe does respond to customer feedback — as long as the change aligns with their sustainability goals, they’ll make it happen. They replaced the pump with a jar (much better), but the formula itself still hasn’t earned a comeback. It leaves a film, pills up the second it touches skin, and makes getting dressed feel like a contact sport.
I want bounce and glow. What I get is clumps and regret.
Sol de Janeiro # 68 is everything this product wishes it was — hydrating, smooth, fast-absorbing, and wearable.
Watermelon Glow Dew Drops
I know these are a fan favorite. I know they went viral. I know TikTok girlies are out here bathing in them like they’re holy water. But for me? It’s a hard no. This product does for my face what Crisco does for a frying pan: it turns me into a reflective surface.
They promise "glass skin," but what I get is “freshly laminated deli meat.” If you have oily skin, this doesn’t enhance your glow — it supercharges your grease factor. I looked like I’d been sweating through a high-stakes hostage negotiation. Not cute. Not chic. Not remotely wearable.
The texture is syrupy, the finish is sticky, and within 15 minutes I could see my own forehead in my reflection like I was a walking Black Mirror episode. It doesn’t layer well, doesn’t sit under makeup, and frankly doesn’t belong anywhere near my T-zone.
If you want a glow that won’t sabotage your face by noon, grab the Sun Glow Hue Drops instead — all the radiance, none of the oil slick.
Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser
“Gentle” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that product name. This cleanser strips your face harder than a Real Housewife with receipts. Yes, it gets everything off — makeup, SPF, dead weight — but also your dignity and most of your skin barrier.
It left my face tighter than Kris Jenner’s post-facelift jawline, and not in a cute, snatched way. More like, “Did I just wash with micellar acid?” If you like that raw, squeaky-clean feeling that makes you question your life choices, congratulations. This is for you.
If you have any interest in keeping your moisture barrier intact, skip it and use literally anything else in the Glow Recipe lineup. This one’s for oily teens who think exfoliation is a personality trait.
Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush
Let’s talk about a product no one asked for. The Dewy Flush is Glow Recipe’s foray into the liquid blush trend — which, let’s be honest, is already a questionable bandwagon at best — and while it’s cute in theory, in practice it’s giving beauty filler content.
If you’re going bare-faced, this can be… fine. It gives a soft rosy flush and makes you look slightly less dead when you’re headed to the beach or the grocery store in oversized sunglasses hoping you won't run into literally everyone you went to high school with. But if you’re wearing literally any other makeup? Why bother.
It’s not pigmented enough to use as underpaint, and if you layer it on top of foundation, it doesn’t blend well because it’s a serum — not a blush. The texture just slides around and lifts product underneath, which is ironic, because the second you apply it over foundation you’ve also canceled out all the skincare benefits it’s supposedly offering. So again… what’s the point?
It’s not a serum. It’s not a blush. It’s a confused little in-between that exists purely because someone in marketing said “liquid blush is trending.” And here we are.
I’ll keep mine for no-makeup beach days, but it’s absolutely not a staple, not a necessity, and not something I’m reaching for unless my teenager stole all of my blushes and they're lost in the abyss that is her nightmare bedroom and I have no other choice.
Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum
This one goes straight in the “why does this exist?” category. Hyaluronic acid is already in almost every other skincare product — toners, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, even some makeup — so the idea of buying it standalone at this point feels like falling for the same trick twice.
Yes, the texture is lovely and it doesn’t pill, which is rare and appreciated. But that’s not enough. Unless you're brand new to skincare and building a routine from scratch, this serum is doing nothing your existing products aren’t already handling on the side.
If you’re already using Glow Recipe, odds are you’re getting more than enough HA from literally everything else in the lineup. Plum Plump just adds one more unnecessary layer — nice, but redundant. It’s skincare filler: smooth, harmless, and utterly forgettable.
Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum
This one came with a lot of promises — soothing, barrier-repairing, calming for sensitive skin — and it delivered… none of them. On paper, it sounds like a dream. In practice? It straight-up stung.
I don’t know who this was formulated for, but it sure wasn’t my skin. Ceramides are supposed to restore and protect, not light your face up like you accidentally used chili oil as moisturizer. I gave it multiple tries — barrier compromised, barrier intact, layered, solo, prayed over it — and it burned every single time.
If a product claims to be calming, it shouldn’t trigger a full fight-or-flight response from my skin barrier. And that avocado marketing? Cute, but no. I’ve had more soothing experiences eating actual guacamole.
This might work for someone with iron-clad skin, but if you’re even mildly sensitive, don’t fall for the pretty packaging and wellness-core branding. There are better ceramide serums out there that don’t slap you on the way in.
Glass Balm Lip Treatment
This one claims 12-hour hydration like it’s a groundbreaking innovation. In reality? It’s a perfectly fine, totally basic lip gloss with decent shine, a hint of tint, and about the same longevity as any other balm you forgot you applied.
Is it cute? Sure. Does it feel nice going on? Absolutely. But does it live up to the hype of being a treatment that lasts all day? Not even close. You’ll be reapplying after your first iced coffee — and again after you so much as think about speaking, eating, breathing, or simply existing.
It’s a fun, glossy moment to throw in your bag, but let’s not pretend it’s changing lives. If you’re expecting Lip Mask Level Results, you’re going to be disappointed. If you’re just here for some shine and a pretty tube, you’ll be fine.
Final Word from a Glow Gang Ambassador with Opinions
I love Glow Recipe. I’ve been using the brand since lockdown, I travel for their events, I’m part of the Glow Gang, and I’ve got enough empty jars to build a shrine. But being a brand loyalist doesn’t mean turning off your brain. It means staying honest, giving feedback, and helping good brands stay great.
Some products are game-changers. Some are fine but forgettable. And a few? Straight-up trend bait. It’s your job as a consumer to know the difference.
Don’t let pastel packaging and viral TikToks make your decisions for you. Know what works for your skin, your routine, your life — and don’t be afraid to say when something doesn’t hit. That’s not shade. That’s loyalty.
And don’t forget: use my link to shop, support, and secure your own glow-up!
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