The Alo Glow System Is the Next Great Thing From the Activewear Brand

Gone are the days of wearing your old camp tee while out on your morning run.

The activewear business is booming, flooding the market with tons of stylish sports bras, leggings and bike shorts. Alo Yoga has long been a beloved brand for yogis (and, uh, people who enjoy lounging in comfy leggings) with its colorful collections and its array of technologically advanced fabrics designed to wick sweat, keep you cool and even lift and sculpt your body while wearing them.

It should come as no surprise, then, that when Alo Yoga wanted to get into the skincare game, they took care to make products that met the same expectations as their clothes.

Enter the Alo Glow System. Powered by the Indian gooseberry amla, this clean, vegan skincare line is designed with anti-aging, protective and healing properties in mind. In order to keep things "clean," do did not use any of the 1,300 chemicals restricted in the EU, nor any of the not-yet-regulated chemicals that some other clean products utilize. 

(via Alo Yoga)

Supermodels Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver are also the faces of the system, which, as its name suggests, intends to make its users "glow." Like the skin of a supermodel, though?! That was what I intended to find out.

Alo Yoga generously supplied me with the full Alo Glow System to try out, and within days, I noticed a real difference in my skin—certainly enough to keep using the products after my review was complete. However, there were definitely some items that I preferred over others—and ones that I knew would become a staple in my skincare routine.

Here's what I loved, liked, and could leave within the Alo Glow System.

 

Loved It: The Enzyme Facial Cleaner ($32)

While your skin should be as clean as possible after using a good cleanser, there is such a thing as too stripped down. That's what this cleanser, which is clear and almost feels like a serum, intends to avoid. The goal here is to remove "sweat and surface impurities, without stripping the skin's natural, protective barrier that keeps in moisture." Given that Southern California is about as dry a place as you can get, I very much appreciated the focus on keeping moisture in. 

(via Alo Yoga)

I loved using this cleanser, which definitely left my skin looking more hydrated than the harsher cleansers I'm used to using. One caveat, however, is that it's not ideal for removing makeup, especially if you're wearing a full face. I'm a makeup minimalist on most days, so I appreciated that the line wasn't overly aggressive.

However, if you love a fully made up face, and you want this to be your primary cleanser, it may be best paired with an initial cleansing step to break down makeup before finishing off with this hydrating option.

 

Loved It: Luminizing Facial Moisturizer ($48) &  Radiance Serum ($88)

In addition to amla, Alo Glow's moisturizer is packed with skin-loving ingredients like aloe, avocado oil and marula oil—yet you probably wouldn't know there's so much in this simple, thick-but-not-too-thick moisturizer. For those with sensitive skin (hi, me) the unscented moisturizer was a welcome change from certain companies who love to give their moisturizers a distinct scent, often at the expense of customer's reactions. No thanks. My skin looked dewy but never greasy after using this, and while I would have preferred it if it came in a pump instead of a pot (a pet peeve of mine with skincare!) it still was a joy to apply. 

(via Alo Yoga)

The radiance serum purports to do all the things a good serum should. It's said to "brighten, refine skin tone and soften fine lines for a dewy, glowing complexion." That comes from the brand's signature superberry amla, but also the serum's hyaluronic acid.

As fun as it was applying the serum pre-moisturizer (using just two to three drops) the $88 price tag ain't cheap. Depending on how much cash you're willing to put into your skincare routine, you may find yourself desiring a cheaper, if not necessarily as luxe dupe. 

 

Loved It: Mega-C Body Wash ($24) & Superfruit Body Lotion ($28)

The Mega-C body wash makes big promises, like protecting your skin from environmental stressors. I'm not totally sure how something you rinse off can achieve such a level of protection, but let's be honest: I'm just here for the smell, okay? Unlike some cloying body washes on the market, this one smells not like a bright orange, but like stepping into a grove of oranges. Just enough to carry you away in scent, without overwhelming you (or stepping on the toes of a more fragrant shampoo.)

(via Alo Yoga)

The Superfruit Body Lotion felt similarly luxe and smelled lovely. It wasn't too greasy, but definitely was welcome to my dry winter-in-California skin.

 

Liked It: Head-to-Toe Glow Oil ($48)

While the Superfruit Body Lotion will hydrate your skin, if you want a true shine, you have to go for the Head-to-Toe Glow Oil. On summer days, this would definitely give your legs that glowy sheen made for shorts and sandals.

(via Alo Yoga)

The problem, for me personally, was the smell. Turmeric is one of the star ingredients here, and while it calms the skin, it wasn't nearly as heavenly a scent as the above products.

 

Could Leave It: Magnesium Reset Spray ($48)

This spray promises "blissed-out sleep" and "quick relaxation" of your muscles, with just three pumps delivering 45 mg of magnesium. As someone who loves her spin bike, but not so much the tight muscles that come with using it, this seemed like a dream product.

Unfortunately, my skin wasn't having this spray, so while the spray had a nice smell that I preferred to the body oil, I couldn't really give it a proper test out. I do have particularly sensitive skin, so your mileage may vary on that—but as for me, I'll have to stick to magnesium beverages to get the muscle-relaxing effect.

 

Want to read more about skincare? Click HERE to read about overlooked skincare products you need.