Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C + Ferulic Dark Spot Serum

Name: Glow Recipe - Guava Vitamin C + Ferulic Dark Spot Serum
Brand: Glow Recipe

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WORKS FOR

Anti-aging
Anti-oxidation
Moisturizing
Evens skin tone
Anti-blemish
Exfoliation
+3 more

KEY INGREDIENTS

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid
ascorbyl glucoside
magnesium ascorbyl phosphate
sodium ascorbyl phosphate
ferulic acid
hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate
betaine
caprylic/capric triglyceride
coco-caprylate/caprate
corallina officinalis extract
glycerin
melia azadirachta leaf extract
psidium guajava seed oil
pyrus malus fruit extract
sodium hyaluronate
tocopherol
tranexamic acid
tremella fuciformis sporocarp extract
+16 more

PROMISES
FULFILLED

100 /100

IRRITANCY

MEDIUM

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In stock $45.00

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Formula review

See a mistake?

Promise

What does the product description say?

"89% noticed a visible reduction in post-acne marks ."

Sephora

WIMJ summary

This product contains ingredients (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) that could help reduce blemishes and clogged pores in theory, but there is not enough evidence that they actually work.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
sodium ascorbyl phosphate	MEDIUM
melia azadirachta leaf extract	LOW

See a mistake?

Promise

What does the product description say?

"Dark Spots, Dullness, and Loss of Firmness and Elasticity Formulation."

Sephora

WIMJ summary

This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate.

These ingredients in the product can also be helpful, even though there is less evidence for their effectiveness: ascorbyl glucoside, ferulic acid, hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate.

Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate	HIGH
ferulic acid	MEDIUM
hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate	MEDIUM

See a mistake?

Promise

What does the product description say?

"Guava Vitamin C + Ferulic Dark Spot Serum"

From product name

WIMJ summary

This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, tranexamic acid

The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually can help even out the skin tone: 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucoside, ferulic acid.

Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate	HIGH
tranexamic acid	HIGH
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid	MEDIUM

See a mistake?

Promise

What does the product description say?

"Uniting a trifecta of takes a deep breath vitamin C, ferulic acid vitamin E, guava extract and resurfacing acids, it creates an effective yet gentle formula to help unveil bright, smooth skin sans dark spots and hyperpigmentation."

Cultbeauty

WIMJ summary

This product does not contain effective exfoliating ingredients. It might be able to deliver physical exfoliation, that is scrub off some of the dead cells on the surface of the skin. We do not recommend physical exfoliation, because it is not uniform (some bits of skin can get exfoliated too much while others not at all). It can also traumatize the skin and aggrevate acne and other skin conditions.

See a mistake?

WIMJ summary

This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": betaine, glycerin.

When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).

The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
betaine	HIGH
corallina officinalis extract	HIGH
glycerin	HIGH

See a mistake?

WIMJ summary

This product contains antioxidants (ferulic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).

The following ingredients - 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid, ascorbyl glucoside, sodium ascorbyl phosphate also can have an antioxidant effect, but there is less evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin.

Ingredient	Effectiveness	Concentration	Irritancy
tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate	HIGH
ferulic acid	HIGH
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid	MEDIUM

Potential irritants

IRRITANCY

MEDIUM

Ingredient	Irritancy	Skin Benefit
psidium guajava fruit extract
tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate
tranexamic acid

Ingredients by volume

Ingredient	Estimated concentration
water Plain old water	45% - 55%
propanediol Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin	4.7% - 5.8%
c9-12 alkane Helps dissolve other ingredients in a formulation	4.7% - 5.8%
psidium guajava fruit extract A fruit extract that might have some anti-oxidant effect	3.4% - 4.2%
tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate Being a lipid soluble form of vitamin C. It is more stable than ascorbic acid, but still degrades quickly and needs to be stabilized in a formulation with another ingredient. It is claimed to penetrate skin better than pure vitamin C and have the the similar benefits, but solid studies of its effectiveness are lacking. Is likely to require a higher concentration in a product than pure vitamin C to be effective.	2.5% - 3.1%
tranexamic acid An amino acid that is effective in reducing hyperpigmentation and evening out the skin tone	2.1% - 2.6%
sodium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate Helps oil and water mix together	1.8% - 2.2%
3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid A vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Can help neutralize free radicals and help reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products	1.5% - 1.9%
ascorbyl glucoside A vitamin C derivative that is more stable but less potent than pure form of vitamin C. Has a potential to boost collagen production, nutralise free radicals and reduce hyperpigmentation, but the required concentration is likely to be much higher than for the pure form of vitamin C, limiting the ingredient's effectiveness in products	1.4% - 1.7%
magnesium ascorbyl phosphate A derivative of vitamin C that is more stable, but less bioavailable than the pure form of vitamin C. It does not penetrate the skin well, but has been shown to convert to pure vitamin C once in skin. It can be helpful in stimulating collagen production and lightening the skin tone, but the required concentration is likely to be very high	1% - 1.2%
sodium ascorbyl phosphate A stable derivative of vitamin C. It is oil-soluble which means it is more likely to penetrate the skin compared to the pure form of vitamin C (which is water-soluble), but it is less bio-available and is way less effective in stimulating collagen and reducing wrinkles compared to the pure form of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and its other derivatives (for example, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate). At the same time, this vitamin C derivative has been shown in studies to be effective in reducing acne, blemishes and clogged pores. It is less irritating then the pure form of vitamin C	0.75% - 1.15%
psidium guajava seed oil Helps soften the upper layer of the skin	0.7% - 1.05%
tocopherol Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself	0.6% - 0.9%
tocopheryl acetate A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.	0.55% - 0.85%
sodium hyaluronate One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin	0.55% - 0.8%
ferulic acid A potent anti-oxidant that has been shown to be effective in neutralizing free radicals in skin. There seem to have a synergetic effect of ferulic acid, vitamin E and C, meaning that when the ingredients are used together, they enhance each other's ability protect the skin against free radicals. Ferulic acid also helps to stabilize other ingredients - including vitamins C and E. It can help to even out the skin tone. Ferulic acid is approved for use as a sunscreen ingredient in Japan in concentrations up to 10%	0.5% - 0.8%
tremella fuciformis sporocarp extract Mushroom extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin	0.5% - 0.75%
pyrus malus fruit extract Can have some moisturizing properties due to its sugar content	0.45% - 0.7%
musa sapientum fruit extract	0.45% - 0.65%
prunus armeniaca kernel extract	0.4% - 0.65%
pyrus communis fruit extract Can have some moisturizing properties due to its sugar content	0.4% - 0.6%
rubus idaeus fruit extract A fruit extract that might have some anti-oxidant properties but evidence of effectiveness in skin is lacking	0.4% - 0.6%
melia azadirachta flower extract A plant extract that might be helpful to neutralize free radicals in skin	0.35% - 0.65%
melia azadirachta leaf extract A plant extract that has anti-bacterial properties. Can be used to preserve the product. Can be irritating	0.35% - 0.65%
corallina officinalis extract Red algae extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and might contain antioxidants	0.35% - 0.65%
coccinia indica fruit extract A plant extract that might have some anti-oxidant effect helping neutralize free radicals in skin	0.35% - 0.65%
hexanoyl dipeptide-3 norleucine acetate A type of peptide. Peptides are excellent moisturizers and might be able support collagen production reducing fine lines and wrinkles	0.35% - 0.65%
polyglyceryl-10 dioleate	0.45% - 0.65%
glycerin One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant	0.45% - 0.65%
1,2-hexanediol A preservative	0.35% - 0.65%
caprylic/capric triglyceride A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin	0.45% - 0.7%
caprylyl glycol Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture	0.45% - 0.65%
hydroxyacetophenone Used to increase effectiveness of preservatives	0.4% - 0.6%
sodium stearoyl glutamate Helps oil and water mix together	0.45% - 0.7%
coco-caprylate/caprate Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin without creating a greasy texture	0.4% - 0.65%
betaine Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improves the product texture	0.35% - 0.6%
lecithin Used mostly for creating emulsions - helping oil and water mix together. Helps soften the upper layer of the skin	0.45% - 0.65%
polyglyceryl-10 dipalmitate	0.45% - 0.65%
sodium citrate Helps to control the skin's pH level. Maintains the skin's natural film of amino-lactic acids and oils. Helps to preserve products	0.3% - 0.55%
sodium phytate Used to stabilize product formulations	0.3% - 0.55%
potassium sorbate A preservative	0.25% - 0.45%
decyl glucoside Helps oil and water mix together. Can be irritating	0.3% - 0.6%
lauryl glucoside Helps oil and water mix together	0.3% - 0.55%
ethylhexylglycerin A preservative	0.2% - 0.35%
citric acid Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH	0.2% - 0.35%
xanthan gum Used to create a thicker product consistency	0.15% - 0.25%
phenoxyethanol A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products	0.2% - 0.35%
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