As many of you may know, I’ve developed a fantastic working relationship with the brand One O Seven. I’ve been working closely with them since early February, and love everythaaaaang- the family values, the people behind the brand, the process of making, the ingredients, and the products themselves.
Today I’m going to be looking at what has become my favorite product from One O Seven- the Core Flex Cream. (This product was gifted to me by the company, see my disclaimer for policies).
The Brand
One O Seven are very much a family owned, family run company. They own one of Korea’s finest vinegar breweries, Hanega (FYI I also love their vinegar). Their 100% naturally fermented vinegar is the basis of One O Seven cosmetics. Pharmacist Okran Chung invested great amounts of time and effort in ‘cutting edge R&D’ to create cosmetic care products, incorporating the vinegar to produce a skincare system ‘to purify and rejuvenate’.
The company’s name derives from the one hundred and seven secret formulas, passed down through 35 generations, for healthy body and skin.
Going to the company office for a meeting, as well as the numerous meet ups we’ve had since, have given me a wonderful sense of the family values, and I really admire the hard work and personal touch that are behind these products.
What is this product?
It’s an everyday moisturizing cream, to calm skin and deliver intense hydration.
It should be used after essences and serums, as the last step in your routine (before sunscreen if it’s daytime).
This product actually won the Grand Prize at the 2016 Anti-Aging Expo.
Ingredients and Product Details
Amount of product: 50ml
Time to use after opening: 12 months
Ingredients:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Squalane, PEG/PPG-18/4 Copolymer, Isostearyl Isostearate, Bacillus/Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Ferment Filtrate, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenyl Succinate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Stearate, Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Lactobacillus/ Soy Milk Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus /Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus /Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Trehalose, Allantoin, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fragrance, Polyglutamic Acic, Beta- Glucan, Vinegar
There are lots of moisturizing oils, extracts and ingredients. I’m particularly happy to see squalane, my new favourite moisturizing ingredient that my skin seems to really like.
There are also many fermented ingredients- fermented ingredients have been a trend in Korea for a loooong time, with potential anti-aging, brightening and natural moisturizing benefits. My skin has always enjoyed fermented products before (all hail the Missha First Treatment essence, 2014 version, which got me hooked on the power of essences), although it’s difficult to know how beneficial the fermented ingredients are in the unknown concentrations presented here. Who knows, but I’m sure happy to see fermented okra, ginseng root, pomegranate and soy milk in there, as well as, of course, their own naturally fermented vinegar!
Niacinamide is also a firm favourite ingredient of mine, helping brighten and even out my skin tone when I use a number of products containing it. Allantoin and adenosine are a nice pair to see- allantoin should help with soothing and smoothing skin, and adenosine has proven anti-wrinkle properties.
For those of you who have acne prone skin, a cosdna analysis does suggest that some of the ingredients could be triggers, such as the oils.
Packaging
I love the design of all the 107 products. They are heavy weight, and gorgeously luxe. I’m generally not a huge fan of tubs, HOWEVER look at the absolutely stunning mother of pearl spatula I now own, also provided by 107. I would be sad if I didn’t have a tub of product to scoop with this beauty.
Texture and Application
The texture is a little unusual. It’s thick and buttery, but also has a gel feel to it as you massage in, and it spreads very easily. I’d say it’s medium weight, and I only need a small amount for my face and neck. The texture is actually perfect for me- enough to feel the benefits of an intense moisture punch, but without the heavy, oily feeling that I can’t stand.
The scent is lovely- kinda sweet subtle vanilla? I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but I like it!
Performance
As I said, it’s very easy and pleasant to apply (even more so with that spatula), and a little goes a long way. It goes well over my essences, and once absorbed, sits nicely under my sunscreen and makeup.
It feels immediately comfortable and soothing, but most importantly, intensely hydrating and moisturizing without greasiness or shine. Because of how hydrating it is, it means I can skip other extra moisturizing products such as serums, sleeping packs, and so on.
Another notable effect is how soft my skin feels after I use the cream. I’ve been using a thicker layer overnight and this has been giving me lovely results- my skin is so so soft to touch the next morning.
In terms of anti-aging, it’s hard for me to comment on, as my wrinkles and fine lines are fairly minimal right now. However I would say that my skin has an overall plumper, healthier feel to it with consistent use of the cream (particularly in the testing period where I used it every morning and night for two weeks).
Overall
My skin has been drinking this cream up. I honestly expected it to be too heavy, but when Chloe from the company let me test it on my hand at our first meeting, I was immediately excited, and rightly so. It just feels so good, and is such a lovely cream to use in terms of texture, scent and results.
Because of the medium weight, up until now I’ve been using it both morning and night. However as the warmer months come, I think it’ll probably be too much for my normal/combo skin in the Korean heat and humidity, and will instead become more of a night cream.
An added bonus, I think my tub will last a decent amount of time. As I said, it doesn’t take much product to cover my face and neck each time I use it.
Price and Availability:
For those of you in Korea, you can buy the cream on the 107 online store, Galleria Department Store, and GMarket for 48,000 Korean Won.
For those of you abroad, Beautibi are stocking this cream, for $48.
With the enjoyment of using the cream and the results I’ve been experiencing, as well as this tub (most likely) lasting for a while, I think the price is very reasonable.
Have you tried the cream? I know lots of people are loving it, and I’d really like to hear your thoughts!
