Ingredients Glossary
We believe in knowing what’s in your products. Here’s a plain-English guide to the key ingredients you’ll find across the Glow and Flow Health range — what they are, what they do and why we chose them.
Squalane
What it is: A saturated form of squalene, derived from olives or sugarcane. Skin-identical — it’s naturally present in human sebum.
What it does: Deeply nourishes without clogging pores. Absorbs instantly. Non-comedogenic. Suitable for every skin type including oily and acne-prone. One of the most effective lightweight moisturising ingredients available.
Where you’ll find it: Glow Lip Oil, Rose Glow Tinted Lip Oil, Golden Hour Body Oil, Liquid Glow Drops, Silk Layer Body Lotion, Glow Base Radiance Serum, Everywhere Glow Balm.
Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate)
What it is: A polysaccharide naturally produced by the body. In our products, we use Sodium Hyaluronate — the sodium salt form, which has a smaller molecular size and penetrates more deeply.
What it does: Holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Draws moisture into skin and holds it there. Creates visible plumping and smoothing effects on the skin surface.
Where you’ll find it: Flow State Face Mist, Soft Focus Skin Prep Spray, Silk Layer Body Lotion, Afterglow Body Mist, Glow Base Radiance Serum.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
What it is: The active form of Vitamin B3. Water-soluble, highly stable, compatible with almost every other active ingredient.
What it does: Refines the appearance of pores, brightens and evens skin tone, strengthens the skin barrier by increasing ceramide production, calms redness and controls sebum production. Consistently delivers on all five of these with regular use.
Where you’ll find it: Flow State Face Mist, Soft Focus Skin Prep Spray, Silk Layer Body Lotion, Glow Base Radiance Serum.
Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis)
What it is: Technically a liquid wax ester rather than an oil, extracted from the jojoba plant. Structurally similar to human sebum.
What it does: Conditions without grease. Fast-absorbing. Non-comedogenic. Exceptional at softening lip skin and body skin without heaviness. Mimics the skin’s natural moisture balance better than most plant oils.
Where you’ll find it: Glow Lip Oil, Rose Glow Tinted Lip Oil, Soft Touch Tinted Lip Balm, Golden Hour Body Oil.
Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii)
What it is: A fat extracted from the nut of the shea tree. Used in skincare and haircare for thousands of years.
What it does: Intensely moisturising, anti-inflammatory and rich in fatty acids (oleic, stearic, palmitic). Conditions dry and sensitive skin deeply. Works particularly well on dry, cracked or rough skin areas.
Where you’ll find it: Soft Touch Tinted Lip Balm, Silk Layer Body Lotion, Everywhere Glow Balm.
Panthenol (Vitamin B5)
What it is: The stable alcohol form of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5). Converts to pantothenic acid in skin, where it’s naturally present.
What it does: Soothes and moisturises. Strengthens the skin barrier. Reduces inflammation. Particularly effective for sensitive and reactive skin. Works well alongside niacinamide for barrier repair.
Where you’ll find it: Flow State Face Mist, Afterglow Body Mist.
Rosehip Oil (Rosa Canina Fruit Oil)
What it is: Cold-pressed oil from the seeds of the Rosa canina (dog rose) plant. Rich in essential fatty acids and Vitamin A precursors.
What it does: Brightens, nourishes and helps improve skin texture over time. Particularly effective for reducing the appearance of uneven tone, scarring and dry patches. High in linoleic acid which is essential for a healthy skin barrier.
Where you’ll find it: Soft Focus Skin Prep Spray.
Mica
What it is: A naturally occurring mineral that forms in sheets. When finely milled, it creates light-reflecting particles that produce a shimmer or glow effect.
What it does: Creates the warm golden shimmer in our body oil and the lit-from-within effect in our glow drops. Not glitter — finely milled mica creates a skin-like reflectivity rather than a visible sparkle. Cosmetic-grade, safe and non-toxic.
Where you’ll find it: Golden Hour Body Oil, Liquid Glow Drops.
Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice)
What it is: Gel extracted from the leaves of the aloe vera plant. One of the oldest medicinal plants in documented human history.
What it does: Anti-inflammatory, cooling and hydrating on contact. Particularly effective at calming reactive, flushed or sensitive skin. Works well as a base for hydrating mists where immediate soothing is needed.
Where you’ll find it: Flow State Face Mist, Afterglow Body Mist.
Peptides (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 & Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7)
What they are: Short chains of amino acids that act as cell-communicating signals in skin.
What they do: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 signals fibroblasts to increase collagen production. Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 reduces inflammatory interleukins that accelerate collagen breakdown. Together they create a dual action: more collagen produced, less collagen broken down. Long-term results include improved skin firmness, density and reduced appearance of fine lines.
Where you’ll find them: Glow Base Radiance Serum.
Ascorbyl Glucoside (Vitamin C)
What it is: A stable ester of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) bonded to glucose. When applied to skin, enzymes cleave the glucose to release pure ascorbic acid gradually.
What it does: Brightens skin, inhibits melanin production (reducing hyperpigmentation and dark spots), supports collagen synthesis, and neutralises free radicals from UV and environmental damage. More stable and less irritating than pure ascorbic acid while delivering comparable results with consistent use.
Where you’ll find it: Glow Base Radiance Serum.
Brown Sugar (Saccharum Officinarum)
What it is: Natural sugar crystals from sugarcane. A physical exfoliant with naturally smaller, softer granules than sea salt.
What it does: Physically removes dead skin cells from the surface, improving texture, tone and product absorption. Also a natural humectant — draws moisture into skin as it exfoliates, so skin isn’t left stripped. Gentler than salt-based scrubs for sensitive skin.
Where you’ll find it: Golden Sugar Body Scrub.
Iron Oxides
What they are: Naturally occurring mineral pigments (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499) used in cosmetics worldwide. Synthetic versions are produced to ensure purity and consistency.
What they do: Provide the warm tint in Rose Glow Tinted Lip Oil and Soft Touch Tinted Lip Balm. Safe, stable and non-irritating. The standard pigment system used in natural and clean beauty formulations.
Where you’ll find them: Rose Glow Tinted Lip Oil, Soft Touch Tinted Lip Balm, Golden Hour Body Oil, Liquid Glow Drops.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
What it is: A fat-soluble antioxidant naturally present in skin. The most abundant antioxidant in human skin.
What it does: Neutralises free radicals, supports the skin barrier, conditions and protects. Present in every oil-based product in the range as a natural preservative and antioxidant. Works synergistically with Vitamin C to extend antioxidant protection.
Where you’ll find it: Every product in the range.
Phenoxyethanol
What it is: A synthetic preservative used in water-based cosmetic formulas to prevent microbial contamination.
What it does: Keeps water-containing products safe and stable. Used at concentrations well within internationally accepted safety limits (typically 0.5–1%). The standard alternative to parabens in clean beauty formulations — safe, effective and non-endocrine-disrupting at cosmetic use concentrations.
Where you’ll find it: All water-based products (Flow State Face Mist, Soft Focus Skin Prep Spray, Silk Layer Body Lotion, Afterglow Body Mist, Glow Base Radiance Serum).
Have a question about an ingredient not listed here? Email hello@glowandflowhealth.com and we’ll answer directly.