The moment is here, you guys.
After about a year and a half of a roller coaster product development ride — from concept to formulation to packaging design, and of course flying to Korea multiple times — we are beyond thrilled to share and introduce the long and intense labor of love, our first line of skincare products we’ve created.
How it all began
We’ve been beauty junkies our whole life. From doing DIY masks with our moms at an early age, to being the go-to beauty gurus in college for our friends, to actually working in beauty and skincare for a career that spanned over a decade in Seoul & New York, beauty has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember.
Having the opportunity to launch Glow Recipe and test thousands of products to create a stringently curated site that we’re truly proud of has been a dream come true.
Over the years of working in the Korean beauty industry, then flying back 6 to 7 times a year to curate for Glow, we saw cutting edge technologies from labs that fascinated us. Additionally, as we continued to do rounds of tester panels in the states, we were constantly hearing from you guys that while you loved K-beauty, many were still looking for that perfect product that would give hard-hitting results in a simple, time-saving, yet elegant format.
We received many questions about the “10-step skincare routine,” which while there may be a sliver of truth, the reality is that few, if any, busy women and men in Korea actually use 10 steps and to some of you, this ‘myth’ was intimidating, complicated, and overwhelming. We wanted to help you feel that K-beauty can be simple, easy, because of the efficacy and the efficiency of the formulas. We wanted to share what we believe are the ultimate hybrids, with unexpected benefits, to help you maximize results with the least amount of time.
1 1/2 years in the making
We were fortunate to have found the number one green lab in Korea, and worked closely with them for well over a year, testing thousands of sample submissions, tweaking and honing ingredients, torture testing in various environments, getting feedback from our internal tester panel of multi-ethnic women with various skin types and skin concerns.
1620 formulas, 49 packaging updates, and 8 Korea trips later..
We’re excited to introduce Glow Recipe skincare: the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask and Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser.
First, the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
Sleeping masks are on fire and the most popular category in Korea now. And we love a good overnight mask that does all the hard work for us while we sleep. I mean, why not? We’ve tried hundreds of different sleeping masks, ranging from super thick, heavy textures that leave residue on our pillows, to lightweight masks that seem to completely evaporate by morning, leaving the skin feeling papery and dry.
Our skin issues and dreams
“I love to exfoliate but suffer from uber dry, sensitive skin that reacts to a lot of manual exfoliators. I needed a soft exfoliator, that keeps my skin hydrated.” – Christine
“I’ve been dreaming about a product that would give me that post-facial, dewy glow in the morning. I love sleeping masks, but I haven’t found the perfect one for my particular and unpredictable skin.” – Sarah
Our issues were real, and we heard the same concerns from many of you. We knew that if we could create our dream product that could ‘reset’ the skin overnight, and furthermore, give that mochi-skin the next morning, we could all start our day fresh, bright, and CONFIDENT.
The formula
We challenged our labs to develop a lightweight, yet substantial sleeping mask that would work on all skin types. Exfoliating, yet hydrating. Absorbs quickly, but leaves skin glowing and bouncy in the morning. It was important that the formula absorbed quickly enough to keep the pillow clean and residue-free. Can you imagine how often we were changing our pillow cases in the beginning phase? Ultimately, the goal was to find a zero-weight formula that would leave the skin feeling balanced, hydrated while refining pores.
Ingredients – Why Watermelon?
We wanted to use an ingredient that is deeply ingrained in the Korean culture and known as a health and glow-booster. Watermelon was the first fruit that came to mind for us – it’s Korea‘s favorite fruit, especially during the warmer months based on research provided by Chosun Daily. And in many ways watermelon is a very meaningful fruit – it symbolized family get-togethers, mother to daughter DIY skincare sessions, and a powerful hydrator.
Our grandmothers used to rub large, thick slabs of watermelon rind in lieu of ice on our backs when we were young to soothe and calm heat rash in the summer. It was THE healing and cooling fruit for the skin. It is rich in amino acids and is a great hydrator.
We also added hyaluronic acid and a blend of lactic & glycolic acids to condition and re-texturize. On weeks where we haven’t exfoliated in a while, when we wake up in the morning after using the mask we see signs of exfoliation and peeling around the nose and mouth (this is perfectly normal!).
Quick tip here:
It’s key to thoroughly wash off the mask in the morning – it’s a unique sensation that feels like you’re ‘unearthing’ baby soft skin. This has become 8 hours of sleep in a jar – we know that we can dependably wake up to glowy, rested skin after slathering this on the night before. #morningglow
Packaging design
We were inspired from the ice cube when we created the jar of the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask. We wanted to convey the cooling effect of this refreshing watermelon ingredient that would hydrate, soothe and calm the skin.
The delicate pink hue of the formula is from the ingredients – no synthetic dyes were used
We’re humbled that we sold out of our first batch of Watermelon Glow Sleeping Masks and Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleansers so quickly on May 17th. The Glow Team is working day and night to make sure we can bring in extra quantities as soon as possible – sign up for our mailing list to get the update on when they’ll be back in stock!
Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement throughout this journey. We can’t wait to hear your feedback!
Get your glow on,
Sarah & Christine
P.S. Stay tuned for a deep dive on the Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser!
Thankful for our #Glowteam!
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Ladies, I cannot wait to get my glow on with your inaugural product, so aptly purchased on Memorial Day weekend! I look forward to waking up ipo thanks to you.