Product Review | Korres Golden Krocus Ageless Elixr Serum

August 13, 2018 Kim

I've written about Korres in my previous posts and I still believe in their underrated hero status. This product, in particular, proved to be a beautiful addition to my skincare routine and has an equally beautiful craft/story behind it.

The Product

The Golden Krocus Elixir is not really a serum nor an essence. It's a combination of both, leaning more on the active serum end. It's great to scatter into your routine as you can use it alone or underneath any of your serums.

It's made up of saffron, one of the rarest plants (and most expensive on Earth), sourced from the Kozami island. On this island in Greece, the villagers farm this sacred plant once a year as it only grows for 2 weeks per year, making it an extremely rare plant. This reminds me of Chantecaille's equally rare base ingredient, rose de mai.

The Application

What I loved about the elixir was the texture and packaging. Shelled in a little egg of gold, the liquid literally looked like a pearlescent stream of golden elixir. It smelled like a light men's cologne, pleasant on the nose and faded once applied to the skin. Around 1 pipette was enough for my entire face and it applied ever so smoothly. Once dried it left a supple texture without a sticky feeling.

The Results

I try to keep track of the numerous product I put on my skin. The Golden Korcus was a product I used most frequently and actually ended up finishing. What I loved about this was the finish it gave to my skin in the morning, especially before makeup. I 'm a dry skin gal and found this to be extremely hydrating and plumping. It took me a while to finish, lending itself on the more valuable side and I noticed my pigmentation was even and lighter than a year ago.

As for this elixir being the product that mimics 10 other popular skincare serums...I'm not sure I believe it. I can believe it's on par with them but not enough to be the holy grail that beats them all.

The Rundown

Water, Alcohol Denat.,Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-5 Laurate, Propanediol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ci77891/Titanium Dioxide, Citral, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Crocus Sativus Stigma Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hexapeptide-11, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid, Limonene, Linalool, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Mica, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum.

From <https://www.sephora.com/product/golden-krocus-ageless-saffron-elixir-serum-P406773>

Crocus Sativus Stigma Extract - There's our little saffron, this guy has a ton of anti-oxidants and a few studies have shown it to have an effect on depigmentation on the skin1
Honeysuckle - this was an interesting one as it helped me look at the benefits of flavanoids and saponins, both of which Paula's Choice references as optimal antioxidant ingredients that create barriers to protect the skin.2 Although, I would be careful in recommending this to those with sensitive skin, as saponins have been known to cause a little irritation. 3 Remember to patch test people!
Beta glucan sacharides - these aid as a natural immune system booster, which functions to increase the skin's resiliency to the environment
Hexapeptide 2 - from a black tree sap, this ingredient slows the rate of aging due to its effect on collagen synthesis and protection and well as cell repair 4
Let's not forget about the elephant in the room, the high concentration of denatured alcohol (alcohol denat.). I know there are lots of opinions out there about the high presence of alcohol in skincare. I have used a whole bottle and was okay, but that doesn't mean that I'm condoning the use of this simple alcohol in skincare products as they can be overly drying (resulting in excess oil production) and strip the skin of it's natural barrier. 5 I'm merely addressing it and saying it didn't over dry my skin. (Thank god!)

I thoroughly enjoyed using this product. Would I buy it again? I'm not sure, I'll have to see the difference in my skin without it.