107 Beauty is back at it again with a new skincare lineup called Soseo and they launched it with a vitamin C serum.  The other year, I took part of a test group to try out a vitamin C formula with 107 and it was more of a balmy moisturizer.  This is totally different and I am so thrilled about it!   107 Beauty gifted me their Soseo Vinbiome Vitamin C Serum  complementary without any expectation of a review, but I am making it my mission to REVIEW all of their products officially at my blog!

Skin Type/Concerns: Oily, blemish prone, pores, aging concerns with fine lines/wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation

I received these products complementary to review and was not paid.  All reviews are my own honest opinion and  I never have been asked to write copy for a brand.  This blog post might contain promo codes, affiliate and referral links, which using my links will help generate a small commission that helps support my blog at no extra cost to you.

Brand Intro

107 (One O Seven) is a brand that I truly love and have loved from the beginning.   They are such a fantastic brand, using naturally fermented vinegar as their key ingredients.  107 is a family owned business and they also run Korea’s largest naturally  fermented vinegar brand~ Hanega.  Ohk Ran Chung, a pharmacist,  developed a specially aged vinegar with 21 oriental herbs which will produce essential amino acids, which helps rejuvenate and purify your skin.

There are 8 essential amino acids in the award winning 107 fermented Hanega vinegar and they are all natural and organic.  Our body will easily absorb natural nutrients and these essential amino acids are anti-aging, increase the skin’s tone and elasticity, while healing and strengthening your skin.  If you are wondering what 107 stands for, it is their 107 secret formulas which have been in their family for 35 generations.   107 Beauty is a cruelty free brand. 

107 Vinegar 

image source from 107beauty.com

107 uses cosmetic grade vinegar that has been naturally fermented for over 7 years and contains 8 essential amino acids, for a total of 17 amino acids, along with glutamic acid and acetic acid.  One of the revamps 107 did to the formula was to use vinegar that had been fermented longer, from 5 years to 7 years  up to 10 years as in the Soseo line ~ as the longer it ages, the higher the concentration of postbiotics.  Okay, we know what probiotics and prebiotics are, but what are POST-biotics?

Postbiotic uses the “non-viable bacterial products or metabolic by-products from probiotic bacteria”. * Postbiotics are the by-product from probiotic bacteria fermentation and it isn’t a new type of “biotic”.   I have never heard that term before, but examples are peptides, enzymes, polysaccharides, acids ~ such as lactic acid. So postbiotic is a proven beneficial ingredient in skincare. * source dermatologytimes  

Vinegar is a natural anti fungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory and it will help restore the pH balance to your skin. It contains acetic acid and is known to kill off bacteria and reduce acne. By restoring pH balance to your skin, it will help make your skin inhospitable for bacteria as well, while helping your skin create essential proteins and fatty acids.  The vinegar used in these products are from wheat grown in the Gurye region in Korea ~ why is this interesting? The Gurye region grows its wheat completely free of agricultural chemicals and it is processed free from preservatives and bleaches. 

This vitamin C serum is jammed packed with great ingredients,  starting off with a new formula from 107, their trademark microbiome complex called VinBiome™, which is using proprietary ingredients that are processed from Hanega’s 10-year premium black vinegar, called  VIN-B10.  It contains micro-nutrients and post-biotics,  along with vitamins A, B5, C and D, repairing and strengthening your skin barrier.  It also has antibacterial, hydration and exfoliation of dead skin cell benefits as well.

Wheat VINB10-Biotic is the 2nd ingredient  in VinBiome, and it is wheat extract fermented using that same black vinegar.  Wheat VINB10-Biotic has skin firming benefits as well as being an anti-inflammatory.  Finally, the third ingredient using Hanega’s black vinegar in the VinBiome complex is Ginseng VINB10-Biotic.  Fermenting ginseng will produce more ginsenosides.  Ginsenosides, also known as ginseng saponin, has had numerous studies that show it is effective as an anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, anti inflammatory and brightening ingredient and can aid in the production of collagen.  It helps increase elasticity, improves blood circulation to your skin and also is a superb moisturizer.  Ginsenosides are compounds only found in ginseng and are an excellence source of anti-oxidants.

But this is a vitamin C serum, of which it contains 15% a stable form of vitamin C in 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, which is a derivative of ascorbic acid.  This makes this vitamin C soluble in water and oil. Vitamin C isn’t just any old antioxidant, as not all antioxidants are created the same, as they deal and target free radicals in different ways. Vitamin C has been proven in studies that it is essential for tissue growth, repair and collagen production and it has skin brightening effects. Other skin brightening ingredients are antioxidant  vitamin B3 niacinamide, helping to even out skin tone and reduce post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation while acting as an anti-inflammatory, enhancing your skin barrier function and improving skin elasticity. Arbutin breaks down into hydroquinone, which is a compound that prevents melanin formation and is a common ingredient in skin-lightening products. Arbutin is much gentler and safer than straight up hydroquinone, however.

An 8-hyaluronic acid complex consisting of sodium hyaluronate, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, potassium hyaluronate, hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid and sodium acetylated hyaluronate, are of varying molecular weights, so it can keep both the surface of your skin hydrated and trap moisture as well as hydrating beyond the surface of your skin.

A prebiotic complex to feed the good bacteria in your microbiome, helps keep your microbiome healthy and balanced.  It can help in strengthening  your skin barrier, reduce inflammation due to irritation or blemishes and is also a natural hydrating ingredient.  Probiotic complex should help revitalize skin so it is clear and radiant, increase hydration and prevent dehydrated, rough skin.   It should also firm and restore elasticity to your skin while strengthening your skin barrier to help prevent damage from environmental factors.

Other good stuff include healing and soothing centella, hydrating, anti-inflammatory vitamin B5 panthenol, anti-inflammatory, skin strengthening vitamin B12 cyanocobalamin and vitamin B1 thiamine helps soothe irritated, blemish prone skin, while improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. More vitamins with antioxidant B6 pyridoxine, B9 folic acid gives your skin a supple, hydrated and glowing look, B7 biotin keeps your skin clear,  K3 menadione improves sensitive skin, B2 riboflavin helps heal blemishes, eczema, sun damaged skin, sun damaged skin and hyper-pigmentation while B8 inositol moisturizes, tones, reduces sebum and brightens the skin.

Ingredients: Glycerin, Propanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid(15%), Lactobacillus Ferment, Water, Butylene Glycol, Arbutin, Vinegar, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Triticum Aestivum (Wheat) Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Fructooligosaccharides, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Perilla Frutescens Extract, Niacinamide, Inulin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Thiamine HCl, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Menadione, Cyanocobalamin, Riboflavin, Inositol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-5 Oleate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract cosDNA

I love the sleek black glass bottle this serum comes in ~ it is so different from the pale pink, gray and beige colors of their Classic Line.  This looks très elegant!  This has a glass pipette or as I like to call it, a eye drop applicator ~ the serum really doesn’t have a fragrance to it and it is clear, maybe a tinge of pale yellow, but mostly clear.  In fact, after using this for a few months, it hasn’t changed its shade!  I don’t think this oxidizes AT ALL. I have not had it in a cool place ~ it has been in my bathroom cupboard, but it has been a very hot summer.

This has 15% vitamin C with a pH level of 4 to 4.5, but as I apply this to my skin, I do not experience any tingling or stinging from it ~ but my face does flush a little bit with warmth.  The texture is a very thin, runny oil, and I was concerned about that, as I do have oily skin.

However, I find that if I apply this to my skin and then blow dry my hair, by the time I finish drying my hair, the oil has absorbed into my skin nicely.  My skin is not sticky or greasy looking, so I think if you have oily skin, you might just need to give this a few minutes to fully absorb.  In the photos below, the left side picture is after applying and the right side is waiting several minutes.  It might be hard to see, but the left side is more “glossy” looking as the serum hadn’t fully absorbed into my skin.

I like this vitamin C serum A LOT.  It leaves my skin looking radiant and glowing, hydrated and my pores and skin look much better!  This didn’t cause me to break out either ~ as I go up in percentages with vitamin C, the more I get a bit nervous as higher percentages of vitamin C can wreak havoc on my skin.  I found that this serum actually helped with clarifying my skin!  I have only recommended two vitamin C products in the past, and this is my third one:  Medicube Deep Vita C Serum (review here), Rohto Melano CC (review here) and now 107 Soseo Vinbiome
 Vitamin C Serum.  All of these can have a place in my skin care routine, depending on my needs and they are all different textures as well.

Where to Purchase

Soseo Vinbiome Vitamin C Serum is $72.00 for a 30 oz bottle (click here to purchase)  That may seem expensive, but this product DOESN’T oxidize and lasts a long time.  I am only 1/2 thru my bottle and I have had this for months.   

If you are interested in the other 107 skincare products, check out my reviews here.  You can purchase them at 107 Beauty (click here), which has free shipping with purchases over $40.00 in the USA.  If you want international shipping, you can contact them directly (see info page here)

Bemused Korea ships globally to most countries, with free shipping on purchases over $75.00 and  you can purchase them here. 

  [  products received complementary for review purposes  blog post contains affiliate and referral links ]