For my entire childhood — and through my college years — avocados were among the most exotic fruits I could imagine (or are they vegetables?!). Even if they were available in the markets in my small Connecticut hometown, they were certainly too expensive for our tastes. And, Italians don’t know what to do with avocados to begin with!

My move to Los Angeles after college changed that. As an “Angeleno,” avocados were suddenly part of my daily life. Nothing made me happier than a weekly visit to my favorite Mexican restaurant, Maria’s Ramada just off the 101 freeway in Hollywood. Even though Maria’s has since closed, it was there that I first experienced fresh-made guacamole table side. It was pure heaven. And it was in those moments diving into that fresh guac that I first realized I loved avocados more than just about anything I discovered in my fifteen years living in LA.

I love avocado on toast on a Saturday morning!

Since my move to NYC in 2002, my love for avocados has only grown. Beyond guacamole, another infatuation is avocado on toast on weekend mornings. What could be healthier than that? With a quick Google search, I found this bit of enlightenment:

Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B-6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. Eating healthy fats supports skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, and may even help boost the immune system.

When I arrived in New York in 2002 to work for Kiehl’s, I was overjoyed to discover that the company was about to launch the first skincare product with avocado that I’d ever seen. It was the first of dozens of Kiehl’s products I worked on. I was instantly smitten with the now iconic Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. All these years later, my beloved “Avocado Eye” is still a fave.

Actually, I appreciate it now more than ever.

Why? Because I know so much more about skin care and skincare ingredients than I did on that fateful day in May. Avocado Eye is a gem. There are no fragrant plant oils, there’s no denatured alcohol — just lots and lots of replenishing plant oils like Avocado Oil, Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter. It was so ahead of its time. And it’s no longer alone — multiple extracts from the avocado fruit have made their way into numerous product INCI’s to nourish, replenish, and moisturize skin.

My latest avocado fave has been the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask. I first reviewed the Glow Recipe formula about ten months ago in a Skincarma Blog article here. At the time, I joked that it seemed like a rich avocado paste for your face. I have been so tempted to spread it on my toast! It’s that good.

In the last few weeks, Glow Recipe has supercharged their original formula with Retinol for a sleeping mask that not only nourishes skin overnight, but helps to smooth wrinkles, firm skin, and deliver potent antioxidant repair. And, they’ve recently come out with a powerful avocado and Retinol powered nightly treatment for eyes, too.

Have a closer look at these Glow Recipe treats…

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask

Applying a sleeping mask before bed feels like splurging on a late night snack! And when it’s infused with superfoods like avocado, I really start feeling like I’m cheating on the nutritionist who cautions me not to eat a single thing after 6:30 pm.

So I’ll just put it on my face instead.

The new Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask feels that decadent and naughty. It’s amazing to me that GR was able to improve on what I already considered a near-perfect formula. When I reviewed the original Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask I said, “I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to go to bed. When I was a kid, I would sometimes race to bed at like 7:30 on Christmas Eve so that I could make Christmas morning come faster. Now? Well, I’m not racing to get to bed, but I’ve been looking forward to my PM skincare ritual even more because Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask is the last step. I’ve always kind of slept like a baby, and now I wake up looking like one too!”

The new Glow Recipe Avocado sleeping mask has been amped up with Retinol.

Little did I know at the time it could get even better! Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask is a richly nourishing treat for skin, infused with humectants Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate — the most skin-compatible form of HA. Of course, there are multiple components from avocados, too, including Avocado Oil and Avocado Fruit Extract.

But the ingredient that really caught my eye is Platonia Insignis Seed Butter — one I’ve never heard of in all my skincare adventures! Common to northern Brazil, where it’s commonly known as Bacuri Butter, it is extracted from the seeds of the pulpy fruit of the Bacuri tree. And, funny enough, each Bacuri fruit has only four oil-infused seeds — so it’s tough to extract. The average tree produces only about 400 fruits each year. On skin, Bacuri Butter has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and can help to minimize redness and irritation. It can apparently prevent blemishes from forming, too. What?!

So let me answer the question that I’m sure you’re dying to ask, what’s the level of Retinol in the Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask?!

My analysis of the formula INCI leads me to believe that the level of Retinol is about one percent. Glow Recipe says they’re using encapsulated Retinol that “allows it to sit on the surface of the skin longer and release smaller amounts at a time, making it more gentle than traditional retinol treatments.” IMO there’s little, if any, chance of the Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask irritating skin — whether the Retinol is encapsulated or not. I wouldn’t consider this a replacement for your dedicated retinoid treatment if you’re using one. And I wouldn’t be concerned about using both in the same PM routine. Think of it as a rich, ultra-nourishing sleeping mask with a kick! I have observed no irritation whatsoever from either using Avocado Melt alone or layering it over a more potent retinoid treatment. Trust me, my skin would show it.

The stuff is a real treat for skin! If it’s not a treat enough for you, I would consider cheating on your nutritionist and topping off your PM routine with a cupcake.

These are going to be a life saver in the cold winter months ahead.

**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF THE GLOW RECIPE AVOCADO MELT SLEEPING MASKS FOR FACE AND EYES ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Glow Recipe’s two new Avocado-infused before bed treats.

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask

There’s something so ridiculously adorable about the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask that I just have to bring it up first. I know it’s shallow and I sound ridiculous, but humor me. This little pot of deliciousness is too cute for words.

Okay, see? Back to the skincare science thing again…

This little pot of deliciousness is too cute for words.

The Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask is an encapsulated extravaganza — with a time release of Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide that works gently in your eye area while you’re at rest. Throughout the night, the formula is nourishing and soothing delicate eye-area skin, preventing both dryness and dehydration. And it couldn’t have come at any better a time than fall in New York. As the temps plunge into the fifties, forties and grr, thirties, my skin is completely traumatized. To add insult to injury, artificial heat only makes matters worse.

The Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask is infused with Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Avocado Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Curcumin, and even Shea Butter. Oh, there’s also a smattering of Coffeeberry Extract — derived from the seed of the coffee plant — to revitalize skin, neutralize free radicals and perhaps help treat dark circles, though I haven’t been suffering from that too much. At least not yet.

It’s not as rich as it may seem. A little goes a long way!

The Avocado Melt Retinol Eye formula is actually not as rich as I’ve made it sound. It’s super spreadable and a little bit goes a long way. I wake up looking refreshed and well-rested. Of course, we’re only lapping the shores of the tundra to come in the months ahead. This is going to be my eye savior soon enough.

Give these two new Glow Recipe treats a look. And especially if you’re heading into the cold winter months where you are. They just might make it a little more bearable for your soul — and a lot less visible on your face.

🖤 SKINCARMA

**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF THE GLOW RECIPE AVOCADO MELT SLEEPING MASKS FOR FACE AND EYES ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**

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Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

The Ingredient List of the Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, C9-12 Alkane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Kaolin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Polyisobutene, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Platonia Insignis Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Hexylresorcinol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Gluconolactone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Malachite Extract, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Hydrated Silica, Curcumin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ppg-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Retinol, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Sodium Phosphate, Pei-10, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Arginine, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Flavor/Aroma*, Pvp, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol *Natural Fragrance.

The Ingredient List of the Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask:

Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, C9-12 Alkane, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Squalane, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylresorcinol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, PEI-10, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Chloride, Fructan, Maltodextrin, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Curcumin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Phosphate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Arginine, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Kaolin, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Polyisobutene, PVP, C13-15 Alkane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Flavor/Aroma*.