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Glow Recipe

Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum.

Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum
Serums

About this product

A vitamin C serum with five derivative forms including THD ascorbate, guava seed oil, tranexamic acid, and ferulic acid designed to brighten skin, address dark spots, and provide antioxidant protection.

Serums

The Guru Index verdict

83%

Approved

Approved · 83%
5Reviewers
5Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus consistently praise this as an effective, non-irritating vitamin C option with a hydrating texture that works well for sensitive or dry skin types. The formula's multiple vitamin C derivatives, particularly THD ascorbate and guava-derived vitamin C, deliver antioxidant benefits without the harshness of pure ascorbic acid. Tranexamic acid is highlighted as the real driver for addressing uneven tone and dark spots. The main split: some reviewers credit vitamin C itself with brightening, while others attribute tone-evening primarily to the tranexamic acid and recommend the serum mainly for antioxidant protection paired with daily sunscreen.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin CHyaluronic acidVitamin EPeptidesFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water/​Aqua/​Eau, Propanediol, C9-12 Alkane, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tranexamic Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Psidium Guajava Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ferulic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Musa Sapientum (Banana) Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Pyrus Communis (Pear) Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Coco-Caprylate/​Caprate, Betaine, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"If you're looking for a lipid soluble vitamin C that helps to brighten your skin as well as protect your skin then you got to check out the Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. This is kind of like an all-in-one product that contains five different types of vitamin C derivative including THD ascorbate, so we do know that when it comes to vitamin C derivatives it's the pure vitamin C ascorbic acid and then the lipid soluble THD ascorbate that really has the most number of evidence when it comes to efficacy and working as an antioxidant, helping to brighten your skin and supporting collagen. So this serum does contain that along with other vitamin C's including vitamin C derived from guava extract, and it also contains tranexamic acid that we know helps to offer some skin brightening properties as well as Vitamin E and ferulic acid. This is a great hydrating serum, really suitable for those that have more dry skin or maybe is sensitive to salicylic acid wanting an antioxidant serum at the same time, helping to target hyperpigmentation. So if you're struggling with hyperpigmentation but wanting an antioxidant serum that is more hydrating, highly recommend checking this one out."
Top Pick: lipid soluble vitamin c serum
All 3 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu
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"It helps with evening out skin texture and skin tone but also can serve as a great antioxidant serum. If you are struggling with uneven skin tone whether that's from post-acne marks or sun damage, or you're looking for ways to minimize your routine or just want to use an antioxidant serum in the morning that also has brightening benefits, I highly recommend this one. With the creamier, more hydrating texture, it's really not watery. It's definitely more of a light lotion. I think it's better suited for everyone, but especially for those that have more dry skin or those that have sensitivity and can't tolerate the lower pH, watery version of pure ascorbic acid-based vitamin C serums."
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"The Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum is one of the first I find fairly affordable lipid soluble vitamin C serums that I just fell in love with. It is so elegant and I feel like it really does so many different things. It's not only an antioxidant serum but also has wonderful ingredients that helps to brighten skin. For those wanting something to help with reducing oxidative stress in the morning but also at the same time struggling with uneven skin tone, this is a great one. Lipoic vitamin C is also far less irritating. I love the hydrating texture of the serum. Ingredient-wise, it contains five different types of vitamin C including lipid soluble vitamin C and THD ascorbate along with other ones that helps to brighten, but also contains guava seed oil that is rich in vitamin C, also has vitamin E, ferulic acid, and then tranexamic acid that is one of my favorite ingredients for brightening and improving uneven skin tone. I love the pretty color of the serum and again it's very hydrating, so really ideal for those who are looking for a non-irritating vitamin C serum. For those who can't tolerate traditional pure vitamin C, looking for an antioxidant serum but at the same time help to brighten your skin and improve uneven skin tone, this is the one to try."
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"If you're looking for a lipid soluble vitamin C that helps to brighten your skin as well as protect your skin then you got to check out the Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. This is kind of like an all-in-one product that contains five different types of vitamin C derivative including THD ascorbate, so we do know that when it comes to vitamin C derivatives it's the pure vitamin C ascorbic acid and then the lipid soluble THD ascorbate that really has the most number of evidence when it comes to efficacy and working as an antioxidant, helping to brighten your skin and supporting collagen. So this serum does contain that along with other vitamin C's including vitamin C derived from guava extract, and it also contains tranexamic acid that we know helps to offer some skin brightening properties as well as Vitamin E and ferulic acid. This is a great hydrating serum, really suitable for those that have more dry skin or maybe is sensitive to salicylic acid wanting an antioxidant serum at the same time, helping to target hyperpigmentation. So if you're struggling with hyperpigmentation but wanting an antioxidant serum that is more hydrating, highly recommend checking this one out."
Approved
"Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum is a fragrance-free formula, which is somewhat rare for Glow Recipe, but I really like the ingredients in here. There's five different forms of vitamin C, so they're using a lot of vitamin C derivatives, which makes this a really easy, chill formula. You don't have to keep it in the fridge, you don't have to worry about it oxidizing, and you don't have to worry as much about the potential irritation of pure vitamin C. They're also using some guava in here and tranexamic acid, which is great for brightening dark spots, which is exactly what this serum promises. I do feel like this serum delivers. This is a really beautiful brightening serum, and especially if you are acne prone, I think you're going to like this serum quite a bit. It's really, really good and really great at reducing redness as well. I love the color, the texture, the bottle. I think it's really fun and playful, and sometimes that's a really important element with skincare."
Approved
"Glow Recipe's guava vitamin C dark spot serum, it's really nice, really nice texture to it, very silky smooth. You can put that on after cleansing and then follow up with your hyaluronic acid serum. You can do it in that order, it's a very popular way to use both hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. You can totally do that, they won't interact in a negative way."
Approved
"Glow Recipe is such a fun little brand, and this also has several types of vitamin C in it, the most concentrated one I think is the THD ascorbate, so it's an option if you're looking for a vitamin C serum that's not quite as expensive as the Peter Thomas Roth but with that form of vitamin C in it, which is actually hard to find."
Approved
"This is such a nice serum. I don't really use Vitamin C serums for evening of skin tone. I never truly find Vitamin C effective for that. The Tranexamic Acid in here, however, will do a really, really good job at that. I am after the antioxidant power of a Vitamin C serum to team up with my sunscreen during the day and really fight that free radical damage that can break down collagen and elastin. I have that old fashioned Vitamin C stereotype stuck in my head of hot dog water, stingy metallic Vitamin C serums. And this is anything but. This just feels like a really nice moisturizing, hydrating serum with the Vitamin C benefits. If you are looking to even out your skin tone and get the antioxidant power of Vitamin C, this with the Tranexamic Acid in, I think you'll absolutely love. This is one I really love too."
All 2 takes from James Welsh
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"Whether I like it or not, simply applying a Vitamin C serum in the same routine as my sunscreen is going to do my skin so many favors. I used to get really stingy skin and little red bumps with old Vitamin C serums, but there are amazing Vitamin C serums around nowadays. Whilst I don't find Vitamin C serums amazingly good at reducing dark spots or evening out skin tone, I cannot deny their antioxidant effects. If I dedicate myself to these things a few times a week, I'm going to be fine. I'm going to age gracefully."
The Best And Worst Products From GLOW RECIPE- My Honest Thoughts 1 Year Later 💜 James Welsh
"This is such a nice serum. I don't really use Vitamin C serums for evening of skin tone. I never truly find Vitamin C effective for that. The Tranexamic Acid in here, however, will do a really, really good job at that. I am after the antioxidant power of a Vitamin C serum to team up with my sunscreen during the day and really fight that free radical damage that can break down collagen and elastin. I have that old fashioned Vitamin C stereotype stuck in my head of hot dog water, stingy metallic Vitamin C serums. And this is anything but. This just feels like a really nice moisturizing, hydrating serum with the Vitamin C benefits. If you are looking to even out your skin tone and get the antioxidant power of Vitamin C, this with the Tranexamic Acid in, I think you'll absolutely love. This is one I really love too."
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