PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOW RECIPE BLACKBERRY RETINOL BLEMISH SERUM - Which Retinol should I use as a beginner? How to start using Retinol serum? Does Retinol help with acne?
GLOW RECIPE BLACKBERRY RETINOL BLEMISH SERUM
There’s a curious trend, and countertrend, in beauty today that I find truly fascinating.
It originated with teens and tweens and their desire for the best, most effective skincare products. Why settle for less?!
With cool, even sexy packaging, brands like Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe are hot on TikTok and IG. And they’re driving a whole lot of traffic into retailers like Sephora.
Everyone should be happy, right? Except that Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe sell aggressive, even clinical skincare products.
Between them, they offer many of the most popular (and potent!) face serums – including an intense 15% Vitamin C serum, an advanced Retinol face serum and numerous exfoliating acid toners – the most aggressive product in any skincare routine.
How popular are they? Well, Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Fresh Day Serum is the best-selling Vitamin C serum on the Sephora website – out of more than 100 products. Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner is ranked third among all toners. That’s even ahead of the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant – the brand’s best-selling product! While highly effective, each of these products has a high potential to be sensitizing for any skin type, at any age – let alone teenage skin.
So what do brands do? They want the upside of the buzzy business: sales. But the downside is nothing short of a PR nightmare. Teenage skin can’t handle (and certainly doesn’t need!) high concentrations of acids. Not Retinoic Acid, not Ascorbic Acid, not Glycolic Acid.
And now that countertrend. Brands are beginning to offer lower-grade, weaker versions of products that younger customers can use without the risk of irritation. Notably, Glow Recipe has just introduced Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum – a new Retinol face serum with a relatively low concentration of three retinoid molecules. It’s effective, but nowhere near the clinical-strength of popular Retinol serums.
My detailed review of the Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum is just below.
BEST RETINOL FACE CREAMS & SERUMS
Two weeks ago, I reviewed the new Drunk Elephant C-Luma Hydrabright Vitamin C Serum. It’s formulated with a gentler form of Vitamin C that just happens to be great for acne-prone skin. Pretty much anyone can use it; but who benefits most from a Vitamin C serum for acne-prone skin? Teens and tweens!
The really intriguing thing about Drunk Elephant introducing a new Vitamin C serum is that they already had one – that Sephora best-seller. I can’t come up with another brand that offers a clinical-strength Vitamin C serum for serious skincare users and a weaker one for, well, the kids.
There are several brands that offer multiple versions of a retinoid product, though. Just this year, Cocokind actually introduced two Retinol serums weeks apart – a Beginner Retinol Gel 0.1% and an Advanced Retinol Gel 0.5% for experienced users.
This is what makes marketing, and especially skincare marketing, super interesting. It’s so dynamic, the target audience so broad – across all ages, skin types and skin concerns – that we need multiple versions of essentially the same product.
How fun (and crazy!) is that?
SEE IT IN ACTION ON MY TIKTOK!
Before I get to my detailed Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum product review just below, I wanted to explore some of the most frequently asked questions about Retinol for beginners and the retinoid technology behind the new Glow Recipe Retinol serum for blemish-prone skin (and everyone else!).
1. Which Retinol should I use as a beginner?
There are numerous Retinol face creams and serums ideal for starting your Retinol journey. The key is to start low and go slow. A great beginner Retinol is the Paula’s Choice Triple Active Total Repair Serum. It’s formulated with a blend of 0.3% Retinyl Propionate, a gentle retinoid, as well as 5% Niacinamide and soothing hydrators. The texture is ultra lightweight and great for oily, acne-prone skin.
The Cocokind Beginner Retinol Gel 0.1% is also a great option for day one of your Retinol journey.
Ready to step it up? A more potent, but relatively gentle Retinol serum is the Naturium Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.05%. It’s formulated with a more advanced retinoid, Retinaldehyde. While considered a mid-strength retinoid, the concentration of Retinaldehyde is low enough for serious beginners. It’s a great retinoid product for taking the next step once your skin is acclimated.
Remember, it’s best to start out with a lower strength product and to apply it every other night, adjusting frequency as your skin builds up tolerance. Then, you can step it up to nightly and even move on to a stronger formula.
Explore my top picks of the best Retinol creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Paula’s Choice - The Beginner’s Guide to Retinol; Elle - How to Use Retinol in Your Skincare Routine - A Complete Guide for Beginners
2. How to start using Retinol serum?
The key to using Retinol when you’re just starting out is to start low and go slow. Begin with a milder Retinol serum like the Paula’s Choice Triple Active Total Repair Serum or Cocokind’s Beginner Retinol Gel 0.1% and apply it a couple of nights a week. A good rule is to start by applying it every third night. If you see no irritation, you can increase your frequency to every other night. Then, build up to nightly.
Once you’ve built up a tolerance, you’re likely to have finished up your product. That’s the time to either repurchase, or step up to a more potent retinoid. Honestly, Paula’s Choice has the best range of Retinol face serums, creams and treatments for a broad range of users at every stage. Catch them all here!
Consistency is essential! Using a retinoid infrequently or inconsistently will prevent your skin from acclimating properly and you are more likely to see irritation – and feel frustration.
Remember, start low and go slow!
Explore my top picks of the best Retinol creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic - Retinol: Cream, Serum, What It Is, Benefits, How To Use; Health - Thinking of Starting Retinol? Here Are 5 Things Dermatologists Want You To Know
3. Does Retinol help with acne?
Yes, retinoids like Retinol can help treat acne. Prescription-strength retinoids like Tretinoin (Retin-A) and Accutane have been available in acne medications for decades now.
How does Retinol help with acne? Well, retinoids like Retinol are highly effective acne treatments due to their ability to increase cell turnover and stimulate skin’s natural exfoliation cycle. The accelerated cell turnover works to clear clogged pores to prevent dead skin from building up and trapping acne-causing bacteria.
Additionally, the removal of dead surface skin helps to clear and fade post-acne marks.
Explore my top picks of the best Retinol creams and serums on the blog here.
Sources: Healthline - Can Retinol be Used to Treat Acne?; The New York Times - Retinol Has Many Skin Benefits. Here’s How to Use It.
4. What age should I start using Retinol?
Dermatologists generally recommend starting out with Retinol in your late 20s or early 30s. This is especially important for the treatment of fine line, wrinkles and signs of photoaging as you age.
As a treatment for acne-prone skin, a gentle Retinol face cream or serum can be used earlier. The concern for a teenager using Retinol is its potency and the likelihood of extreme irritation and even sensitization. If you’re younger, consider the Paula’s Choice Triple Active Total Repair Serum or Cocokind’s Beginner Retinol Gel 0.1% or the new Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum – which I review just below.
And don’t forget sunscreen! It is essential to pair a nightly Retinol treatment with a facial sunscreen in the morning. Not only is your skin susceptible to UV damage generally, but Retinol can cause enhanced sun sensitivity. Using Retinol without a daily sunscreen can actually lead to more skin damage than the Retinol can even begin to repair.
Explore my top picks of the best Retinol creams and serums on the blog here. And my top picks of the best sunscreens for face here.
Sources: Vogue - 9 Essential Things to Know Before Using Retinol and Retinoids; Martha Stewart - At What Age Should You Start Using Retinol? Several Dermatologists Weigh In
5. Product Review
As I said above, clinical-strength retinoids have been prescribed for the treatment of acne for decades. Retinoids like tretinoin (Retin-A), isotretinoin (Accutane) and even high concentrations of Retinol remain among the most effective acne medicines.
They’re effective because they stimulate cell turnover to accelerate skin’s exfoliation process and refresh multiple skin layers. The accumulation of dead surface skin cells can quickly clog pores and trap acne-causing bacteria in embedded sebum – a particular problem for acne-prone skins.
Even so, it’s unusual for a skincare brand to position a Retinol face serum as a blemish treatment – especially in the premium skincare channel. Broadly, marketers position Retinol products as wrinkle treatments and leave OTC acne products for the mass market.
But Glow Recipe did something different with their new Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum. By positioning the product as an acne treatment, they’ve clearly placed their bet on their teenage and 20-something consumers who struggle with acne.
That said, Glow Recipe’s Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum is not technically an FDA-approved “acne treatment.” Because acne products are tightly regulated, the brand can’t make claims that the product clears up acne.
But they can make adjacent claims like it can “help visibly clarify blemishes” or “soothe and nourish blemish-prone”. And even put the word “blemish” in the name! It doesn’t mean it’s ineffective; it means it’s not a serious acne treatment that prevents acne or clears up existing acne.
And it’s certainly not an acne spot treatment like the increasingly popular Salicylic Acid treatments, including the Peace Out Acne Healing Dots and The INKEY List’s Hydrocolloid Invisible Pimple Patches.
So what does Glow Recipe’s Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum do then? Well, with a blend of three retinoids (Retinol, Retinal and Retinyl Ester), hydrators like Glycerin, and multiple plant oils, it’s a well-formulated Retinol face serum. While the brand quotes a mid-strength 0.16% concentration of a Triple-Retinoid Blend, the complex is predominantly made up of the Retinyl Ester, generally considered the weakest of the retinoids.
Who’s the product good for? I’d say it’s best for “advanced beginners” – those with some experience with Retinol treatments, occasional users and the teens and tweens whose skin can’t handle more aggressive treatments but don’t want to be left out of the craze.
After all, the bottle looks great on TikTok, including my TikTok!
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum is a solid Retinol face serum ideal for “advanced beginners” – those with some experience using Retinol. I love its moderate blend of retinoids, the inclusion of additional antioxidants, and even 8% Glycerin to hydrate skin and prevent dryness.
What I don’t like about it: The scent is pleasant, even pleasurable; but the addition of fragrance at any level is potentially sensitizing.
Who it’s for: All skin types except very oily.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase the Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum for $48 here.
FIND OUT WHICH SERUM PERFORMED BETTER – AND BY HOW MUCH!
The Ingredient List of the Glow Recipe Blackberry Retinol Blemish Serum:
sii|h 0 0, Squalane 
sii|emo 0 1, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate emo, Ectoin aox|so|h, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil emo, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Bisabolol so, Retinyl Linoleate, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice so|h, Retinal cci, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fruit Extract, Retinol cci, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract aox|so, Sorbitan Isostearate emu 0 1-2, Erythritol h, Citric Acid buff, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer vc, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Sodium Phytate chel, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate vc, Glycine Soja Oil emo|perf 0 3, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Phenoxyethanol pres, Fragrance/Parfum* 
perf
IS IT REALLY A SCAM?
Find out on my TikTok channel.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUMS FOR CLOGGED PORES AND A BRIGHTER COMPLEXION
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
SKINCARE HACKS: GLYCOLIC ACID IS THE NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY AND MORE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
COOL CLEAN FACIAL SUNSCREENS TO KEEP US SAFE AND SMILING IN THE SUN!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE OPULUS BEAUTY LABS RETINOL SYSTEM – THE COOLEST RETINOL INNOVATION I’VE EVER SEEN
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
MY WINTER SKIN SAVIOR: SKINFIX BARRIER+ LIPID REPLENISHING SKINCARE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
A COMPLETE K-BEAUTY ROUTINE WITH THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FROM PURITO, COSRX, MISSHA & MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE YEAR’S BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SUNDAY RILEY, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
A SELFCARE SUNDAY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART – WITH THE PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA PEEL!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
