Glow Recipe launched their first sunscreen ever in 2022, the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50. It’s a chemical and mineral sunscreen hybrid that took three years to perfect. The Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 is formulated to act as a powerful skincare product on its own, but with the added benefit of UV protection. The founders say that the sunscreen actually achieved an SPF 59 during FDA testing. While it doesn’t lack in the sun protection and skincare ingredients department, I can’t recommend the new Glow Recipe sunscreen. Read on for my honest review of the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 and why it didn’t work for me.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 contains antioxidant-rich watermelon, brightening niacinamide, soothing aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid to make it extra hydrating.

Consistency: Lightweight and silky lotion

Scent: Watermelon

Finish: Dewy

I’m not a fan of a dewy finish with sunscreens because I reapply especially if I’m outdoors and if I’ve gotten a facial treatment (I recently got a PRP Facial that requires protecting my skin religiously). While the Glow Recipe line is known for the signature dewy glow (thanks to the K-beauty trend of glass skin) their products provide, it’s not what I personally want in my face sunscreens. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 is not ideal for reapplication for me.

Application: Pilling issues. Doesn’t work well over other skincare products.

Unfortunately, this is where things start going downhill with the new Glow Recipe sunscreen. The application is where the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen fails. I’m shocked by all these major beauty editors at Byrdie and Allure giving glowing reviews. Have they actually thoroughly tested the product? This is why I don’t trust magazine beauty editors anymore.

For the first few seconds of applying the sunscreen seems to sink in and absorb perfectly. But as you start to work the Glow Recipe sunscreen in more, the product starts to get a little gummy. It starts to clump aka pill when you’re trying to rub the product in.

If you have other skincare products underneath, the product begins to pill instantaneously. So I tried it out on skin with no serums or moisturizer on. Not my ideal scenario since my morning skincare routine is a must! When I apply Watermelon Glow on completely bare skin, I sometimes still have a pilling issue though less dramatic.

They advise patting it in instead of rubbing to avoid the pilling, but this just won’t work if I have to apply makeup or tinted moisturizer on top.

That being said, the pilling issue doesn’t happen every single time; there are times when it blends in seamlessly on bare skin. But there are too many instances where I’ve had issues, so I can’t recommend.

It likes to clump around the nose area too. I took this to TikTok to find out if I was the only one and it seems like this issue is happening to a lot of people, not just myself. So I can rule out that I might have gotten a bad batch.

I appreciate all the effort that went into making the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF 50 a skincare-forward delicious smelling sunscreen, but I think they need to revisit the formulation to eliminate this issue.

Glow Recipe Sunscreen Ingredients

The Glow Recipe Watermelom Glow Sunscreen is formulated for sensitive skin with no synthetic fragrance or essential oils.

Glow Recipe notably contains:

• Niacinamide: Vitamin B3 and antioxidants reduce the appearance of dark spots, pores, and dullness.
• Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrates skin by retaining 1000X its weight in water and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Aloe: Is rich in antioxidants, enzymes, and vitamins A, C, and E to soothe and hydrate.

Full Ingredients: Homosalate 8.5%, Octisalate 5.0%, Octocrylene 8.5%, Zinc Oxide 12.1%, Water/Aqua/Eau, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Lauroyl Lysine, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Olivate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Xanthan Gum, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyester-8, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Lactic acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Coco-Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Silica, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Copper Gluconate.

Glow Recipe Amazon Store