Korean-American-founded indie; cruelty-free and 100% vegan
| Ingredient transparency | Full ingredient list read and categorised |
| Ownership | Independent (Sarah Lee & Christine Chang) (Founder-owned) |
| Where made | Not stated on the brand's own site; press coverage reports manufacturing in South Korea with some products made in the US. |
| Price | Mid-range |
| Cruelty free | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Organic | No |
| Certifications | CFK-verified cruelty-free & vegan |
| Sold in mainland China | No mainland China retail is disclosed and Glow Recipe holds Leaping Bunny certification. |
| Palm oil | No palm-specific policy found, but Glow Recipe publishes a no-deforestation sourcing commitment. |
| Packaging | Recyclable |
| Good On You | No Good On You rating found. |
| EWG | EWG Skin Deep lists Glow Recipe products individually; the brand is not listed as EWG Verified. |
| External ratings | CFK cruelty-free & vegan |
| Lab tested | Not publicly disclosed |
| Clinical studies | Not published |
| Controversies | PETA lists Glow Recipe as a company that may not be cruelty-free because it has not signed PETA's assurance, even though Leaping Bunny certifies it. |
| Caveat | Glow Recipe is still trading; Leaping Bunny certification is confirmable at leapingbunny.org/brand/glow-recipe, but the Climate Neutral claim rests on purchased offsets rather than verified absolute cuts. |
Why there is no score: Partial read. This verdict is provisional. Only part of the catalogue could be read and the certifications listed have not been checked against the certifiers own registers, so the evidence does not yet support a settled verdict. No score is published. Ingredient lists were obtained for 35 products, but the brand's product listing did not respond when the total catalogue size was measured, so the share of the range covered is unknown. Without a denominator a percentage would be meaningless.
Last checked 22 July 2026.
Not yet independently verified. The certifications listed for this brand are as the brand states them. They have not yet been checked against the certifiers own registers, so they should be read as a claim rather than a confirmed fact.
We analysed 35 Glow Recipe products, categorising every listed ingredient by function, origin (raw natural, naturally derived or synthetic) and safety concern. This is not the whole catalogue, so it is reported as a partial read. Percentages show the share of each formula that is natural or naturally derived.
Most common flags: Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Salicylic Acid, Limonene, Fragrance/Parfum*. *100, Hexyl Cinnamal, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Fragrance, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate. Avobenzone 3, Fragrance/Parfum**. *CoQ10 **100
Coverage: Ingredient lists were read for 35 products. The size of the full catalogue could not be established, so no average is shown.
Analyst note: Ingredient lists were read for 35 products. The brand's total catalogue size could not be measured, so the share of the catalogue covered here is not known.
| Product | Natural | Ingredients | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Souffle Moisture Cream | 87% | 38 | 1 |
| Watermelon Milk Peptide Cushion Cream Refillable Moisturizer | 89% | 63 | 0 |
| Watermelon Glow Routine | 100% | 8 | 0 |
| Vitamin C Brightening Korean Toner Pads | 90% | 39 | 0 |
| PDRN+ Repair + Soothe Korean Toner Pads | 90% | 30 | 0 |
| LHA + AHA Korean Watermelon Toner Pads | 87% | 31 | 2 |
| Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream | 94% | 48 | 1 |
| The Book Of Glow | 90% | 51 | 1 |
| 3-Step Fresh Face Routine | 100% | 8 | 0 |
| Strawberry Smooth BHA+AHA Salicylic Serum | 89% | 36 | 2 |
| Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin | 85% | 26 | 0 |
| Glass Balm Lip Treatment | 91% | 34 | 4 |
| Watermelon Glow Dew Shield SPF 30 | 83% | 29 | 3 |
| Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush | 89% | 44 | 2 |
| Cloudberry Bright Refillable Moisture Cream | 91% | 43 | 3 |
| Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops | 82% | 28 | 2 |
| Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops Jumbo | 83% | 23 | 2 |
| Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer 10ml | 100% | 7 | 0 |
| Watermelon Glow Pore-Tight Toner 25ml | 100% | 11 | 0 |
| Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum | 75% | 28 | 2 |
| Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm SPF 45 | 79% | 24 | 3 |
| Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser | 90% | 51 | 1 |
| Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Oil-Free Refillable Moisturizer | 94% | 34 | 0 |
| Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner | 98% | 51 | 0 |
| Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream | 83% | 46 | 5 |
| Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops | 81% | 31 | 3 |
| Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment | 93% | 28 | 1 |
| Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream | 88% | 49 | 2 |
| Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum | 96% | 47 | 1 |
| Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum | 91% | 66 | 1 |
| Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-Tight Toner | 100% | 15 | 0 |
| Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops | 83% | 23 | 2 |
| Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum 5ml | 100% | 10 | 0 |
| Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist | 91% | 33 | 4 |
| Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser | 91% | 22 | 1 |
Full ingredient breakdown
The full ingredient by ingredient breakdown of all 35 Glow Recipe products (1155 ingredients, each categorised by function, origin and safety concern) is free with an account.
Create a free accountAlready have one? Log in