Glow Recipe’s New Overnight Mask Delivers Glowing Results for Sensitive Skin

For all of the Glow Recipe fans, I have good news and bad news: Their TikTok-viral Watermelon Sleeping Mask is being discontinued, but the very good news is that it was completely reformulated into a brand new product, the Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment, which launched today at Sephora

As someone with supremely sensitive skin, it’s always a sad day when you learn that one of your favorite skin care products is being discontinued. It means you’re back to the search for a new replacement that likely won’t live up to how happy you were with the discontinued one, and your skin will suffer through all of that trial and error. However, given that Glow Recipe isn’t just closing the book on their original Watermelon Mask, but rather presenting a new chapter with an improved formula they spent years refining. I was no doubt curious about how the new treatment would compare against the beloved classic. After learning about the new technology and ingredients that were implemented in the overnight mask, I knew I had to give it a try.

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Product Tested: Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment
Product Ingredients: Blend of glycolic and lactic acids, niacinamide, quinoa peptides, watermelon extract, hyaluronic acid
Period of Testing: Three weeks (and counting). I used it twice the first week, then bumped up to three times a week for the second and third weeks.
Pros:

  • Woke up with taut, glowing skin

  • Pores appeared smaller

  • Face didn’t become as shiny as usual throughout the day

  • Makeup went on seamlessly the morning after using

  • Skin felt super soft for days

Cons:

  • Face becomes slightly red for the first 10 minutes after applying

  • Takes about 20 minutes for the mask to dry into skin

Testing Verdict: Exfoliating can be a delicate dance — peels are way too harsh for me, while gritty, sand-like cleansers are too rough and facial cleansing brushes aren’t intended for more than once a week use. But this overnight mask is super easy to use and the reformulated blend somehow provides the results equivalent to much harsher chemicals, yet doesn’t sting even sensitive skin types (me), or overly strip its natural moisture, triggering that too-tight feeling. My makeup always glides on better after a fresh exfoliation, and I think this magical little treatment is on its way to becoming a regular in my skin care routine.

Glow Recipe Night Treatment
Glow Recipe Night Treatment

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

Price: $40

Buy Now

Related: The 17 Best Overnight Masks, According to Dermatologists

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What Is the New Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment?

This overnight treatment is a seriously multitasking skin care product that addresses a variety of concerns. It not only resurfaces, hydrates and strengthens the skin’s elasticity to reduce the appearance of fine lines, but it also reveals a visibly brighter, more even-toned complexion the very next morning. In fact, I was so surprised by how good my skin looked after using it for the first time that I was annoyed that I was working from home that day and no one would see it.

How to Use the Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

One of my favorite things about this product is how easy it is to use. You simply wash your face and tone if you want to, then apply the mask — that’s it. For those who are looking to pare down or streamline their routine, this overnight treatment definitely lends itself to a curated approach to skin care, especially because you don’t want to go around mixing lots of acids or actives; that’s a recipe for immediate irritation.

After cleansing and toning my skin, I dunked my finger into the surprisingly liquidy formula and scooped out a quarter size amount. I slid a thin layer across my forehead and down to my chin. I was fully expecting a stinging sensation, but it never came, so I decided to go ahead and apply all around my neck (because, tech neck). I was expecting the consistency to be more gel-like, but this was a more watery gel, and it took a bit of time to sink into my skin to the point where it didn’t feel sticky to the touch. I didn’t want to smear it all over my pillows, so while I waited for it to dry, I noticed that my skin turned red — not just in a spot or two, but all over. But surprisingly, it never hurt or stung or felt like irritation — and I’m a true baby when it comes to pain, I would have washed it all off in a second if there was even the slightest discomfort — so I left it on.

After the mask dried down, my skin was still red, but it felt just fine. I went to bed and slept seven blissful hours. When I woke up, I checked my pillows (personal pet peeve when skin care discolors or ruins a pillowcase), which were just fine, then I took a good look at my skin. Every bit of the redness had disappeared, and in its place was a taut looking (but not feeling), radiant complexion, as though I had just gotten an amazing facial. Like I predicted, my dehydrated skin didn’t feel overly moisturized with the gel formula, but it still felt very soft. And after washing the mask off with an oil cleanser and applying my daytime moisturizer, I felt properly hydrated, balanced and happy.

Is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Treatment Worth It?

When it comes to exfoliating acids in skin care, there are many factors to consider before purchasing, from the percentage of the actives to the soothing ingredients they’re paired with to just the way it feels on your skin. But when it comes to the new Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Treatment, the bottom line is that it’s not only effective at resurfacing the skin’s texture, but it also is gentle enough for sensitive skin types to use multiple times a week. It’s an easy way to hydrate and brighten your skin as you sleep, so that you can wake up with a healthy glow.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

Glow Recipe Night Treatment
Glow Recipe Night Treatment

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow AHA Night Treatment

Price: $40

Buy Now

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