I’ve often been told that I seem too nice to be a Scorpio, but all my close friends know I actually embody my sign’s traits to the core, including a tendency to be painfully honest. And so I feel the need to share that my first reaction to hearing about the new Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Serum was, “Plum is the star ingredient, really?” I stand by the opinion that, as stone fruits go, plums are objectively not the tastiest choice (and neither are their dried and mushy twins, prunes).
Since this is Glow Recipe we’re talking about, though, I was willing to set aside my preconceived judgments and give the brand’s latest K-beauty formula a chance. While plum might not be something I get excited about under other circumstances, if you put it in a cute bottle with hyaluronic acid and a skin-plumping serum, you have my attention. (Particularly if that bottle’s contents are made by the purveyors of my favorite Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream and Avocado Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask.)
According to cofounder and co-CEO Christine Chang, the unassuming plum actually has a lot going on beneath the surface. “We used a blend of three different plums that have unique benefits,” she says. “Kakadu plum has the highest concentration of vitamin C, so it’s both brightening and a powerful fighter against fine lines and wrinkles. Illawarra plum is concentrated in anthocyanins, an antioxidant. The Burdekin plum is rich in soothing minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which are beneficial for your skin.”
The fruit’s antioxidant-rich properties also pair well with hyaluronic acid, the other key ingredient in this formula. You’ve probably seen H.A. in most of your hydrating skin-care products due to its ability to absorb and hold mass amounts of water. “It plumps and adds volume to your skin cells to make your skin more radiant and smooth,” says Jessica Weiser, M.D., of the New York Dermatology Group.
As the name implies, that’s the goal of Plum Plump. Cofounder and co-CEO Sarah Lee says the team set out to create a daily-use serum that could be used to enhance glow for any skin type. “We wanted to achieve the ultimate bouncy, juicy skin,” she says. “In Korea, this is called chok-chok skin, and it’s characterized by a hydrated glow.” Along with five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid (think instant maximum hydration), Glow Recipe also includes plant-based versions of collagen and silk protein, which boost the serum’s moisturizing effects.
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At this point in my career, I’ve gamely volunteered to try every single product Glow Recipe has to offer. This time around, I was most curious to see how Plum Plump would differ from other hydrating serums in the GR lineup, like Watermelon Pink Juice or Pineapple Glow. When I received the lilac glass bottle, I added a small pump to my morning routine, right after patting on toner. The faint scent—best described as an idealized, icy version of fresh plums—dissipated almost immediately, and the lightweight gel sank in just as quickly.
The most noticeable difference from previous Glow Recipe serums I’ve tried was the dramatic plumping, smoothing effect, especially on the dry sections of skin around my nose and cheeks. As someone who wakes up daily to the phone reminder to #WearYourDamnMask, I have spent a good chunk of 2020 wearing said mask, and that mask in turn has inevitably worn out my face. A combination of irritation and overly drying acne treatments left the lower half of my complexion in less than ideal condition. A few days (and nights) of Plum Plump later, and you wouldn’t even know it. It erased every flaky patch in sight, didn’t clog my pores, and gently put me back on the path to the coveted chok-chok skin I thought was beyond my reach.
Chang and Lee told me that in the process of testing Glow Recipe’s latest launch, they sometimes layered it with other serums for added hydration or glow-enhancing benefits, but I didn’t feel the need to cocktail it with any other formulas. A thin coat of moisturizer on top to seal those benefits in, and I was sufficiently illuminated even by my high standards. I still haven’t changed my opinion on plums as a food choice, but after experiencing the results of this serum firsthand, I’ll happily welcome them to join my beauty routine anytime.
Sarah Wu is a writer in Berlin. Follow her on Instagram @say.wu.
