Hacking “Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer” from Glow Recipe?

But first, what’s in it? What can it do for you?

The ingredient list wants to convey “natural” and “plum” (just because plum and plump together sound like fun), so you will find many label value ingredients below the 1% concentration, which is the boundary after which you can list the ingredients in any order. This is a good way to hide preservatives, but here there are a couple at the end of the list (Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol). Plums are a type of fruit of the genus Prunus, but this product uses fruits that may look like plums but belong to many different, unrelated species. There are some nice ingredients here, like Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide. Other I don’t like, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid can promote inflammation. 

Forgive me for not giving a function to each ingredient in the list. There are many without a clear function and I got bored.

Water (solvent), Propanediol (solvent), Glycerin (humectant), C13-15 Alkane (emolient), Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride (emolient), C9-12 Alkane (emolient), Prunus Domestica (plum) Seed Oil*, Pentylene Glycol (solvent), Squalane (emolient), Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum) Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate (molecular weight?), Davidsonia Jerseyana (Davidson’s plum) Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu plum) Fruit Powder, Podocarpus Elatus (plum pine) Fruit Extract*, Polyglutamic Acid, Pleiogynium Timoriense (Burdekin plum) Fruit Extract*, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate (bad), Epilobium Fleischeri (Alpine Willowherb) Extract, Niacinamide, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (thickener), Xylitylglucoside, Isononyl Isononanoate (emollient), Caprylyl Glycol (emollient), Anhydroxylitol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Xylitol, Stearic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Glucose, Potassium Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydroxypropylcellulose (thickener), Alaria Esculenta Extract, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride (common salt), Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol (solvent), Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Gluconolactone, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/​Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Silica (pigment, light reflectant), Sodium Hydroxide (pH adjuster), Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

I think that this product is mostly water (solvent), propanediol (solvent), glycerin (humectant), C13-15 alkane (emollient), Caprylic/​Capric triglyceride (emollient), C9-12 alkane, Prunus domestica (plum) seed oil, pentylene glycol (solvent), squalane (emollient), Terminalia Ferdinandiana Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid. Avoid it if you have acne problems or oily skin.  If this serum gives any sort of glow, the silica will be responsible: it reflects light. This is what cosmetics are for: to hide skin irregularities and sprinkles by reflecting light.

I think you will be better off with a light moisturizer like collagen serum. Maybe add a hint of niacinamide to it. If your skin feels dry, use every lipid serum, which will provide emolliency and “building blocks” for your skin to make its own lipids. Have a look at our Tremella gel.

DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.