The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of the most sought-after experts and tastemakers in the industry. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go ’round.
Beauty trends come and go, but Korean beauty is always one step ahead—from color analysis and bathhouses to unorthodox ingredients like salmon semen and snail mucin. I’ll do almost anything in the name of glowy skin, but I cringe at the thought of putting something like snail mucin—a buzzy yet somewhat off-putting ingredient often used in Korean skincare—on my face. Luckily, the founders of Glow Recipe created a vegan version of this semi-controversial ingredient, and it just might be the key to unlocking the bouncy, dewy skin of your dreams.
Glow Recipe draws inspiration from co-founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang’s Korean upbringing. They watched their mothers and grandmothers use natural ingredients like watermelon, cucumber, and honey in their skincare routines—ingredients that became the basis of the brand’s suite of antioxidant-rich, fruit-infused beauty products. Recently, the duo struck gold when they realized the humble prickly pear cactus replicates the same hydration and barrier-repair benefits as snail mucin.
“We found that we could harvest stretchy mucin from the prickly pear cactus plant as a snail mucin alternative,” Chang explains. “Prickly pear cactus has been traditionally used to heal wounds for centuries, and is known for its nutrient benefits.” When your skin drinks up all the amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and electrolytes this under-appreciated plant has to offer, you can expect a luminous, ultra-hydrated complexion that elicits endless compliments. “I’ve been using our new serum for weeks and my skin looks so much healthier and brighter,” Lee says. “I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on the even tone and glow recently, and my redness on the cheeks has significantly reduced. It’s also great for transitional weather when my skin is dry and needs that extra hydration.”
Want more K-Beauty secrets from Lee and Chang? Keep scrolling to shop their top picks, from a multitasking, glow-boosting serum to a glossy lip balm to their must-haves for shiny hair.
