Primera 프리메라 Watery Oil-Free Gel Cream Review

Many of you might not be familiar with Primera since the brand is relatively new to the market and has not yet gained much recognition outside of Korea. It is one of the many brands under AmorePacific, which is the mother company of popular mass market brands like Etude House and Innisfree. Primera is a natural skincare brand with a focus on using natural ingredients. Basically, it is a high end version of Innisfree, generally aiming at users with higher budget. Since it doesn't really use celebrity endorsements like other Amore brands, I feel like Primera is targeting a more mature age group and emphasizes more on the product itself. Recently, many of its products have gained recognition through awards such as the Allure Best of Beauty and and Get it Beauty ranking. Since I saw its products being featured on Get it Beauty and many Korean magazines, I've decided to try out some of their products and have seen great results. Therefore, when Primera releases this Watery Oil-Free Gel Cream just at the time I was searching for a summer moisturizer, I bought it without much thought.

The Watery Oil-Free Gel Cream is an "oil-free moisturizing gel cream which deeply replenishes with moisture without making skin too shiny or oily due to excess oil." It claims to be ideal for dehydrated yet oily skin. Alright, when I saw that it is supposed to work great on "dehydrated yet oily skin," I was sold. I have been searching forever for the perfect gel cream that helps control excess sebum but is moisturizing enough for my dehydrated skin. Most, if not all, of the gel creams I've tried failed in the moisturizing aspect. They just made my face too dry and irritated, not to mention clogged pores.

The cream comes in a glass jar packaging, which is not as heavy as I thought it would be. It looks absolutely expensive. Well, considering the price point I'd expect such luxurious jar. There's a concern for hygiene with jar packaging but I always make sure my fingers are clean so there shouldn't be any problem.

With my almost nonexistent Korean knowledge, I think I don't see any alcohol in the ingredient list. That's awesome because I've come to a conclusion that all the gel creams I've tried didn't work due to alcohol. It just dried my skin out, causing it to become extremely irritated and flaky. Apart from that, there seems to be a lot of natural plant extracts in the list.

One cool thing about Primera boxes is that they are designed to contain product information so that product inserts would not be needed. I think it's such a great idea to go green :)

The jar comes with a cover, which you can keep if you are concerned about hygiene. But, I find it a bit annoying after several uses so I just threw it away.

The gel is transparent. It is quite difficult to describe the consistency. It kinda feels like a very soft jelly. It has a herbal scent but I don't find it unpleasant.

On the right is the richer version of the product. I used the rich cream during the harsh New York winter and it worked amazing. It's definitely not something for summer though because it is so rich and hydrating, unless you have a super duper dry skin.

As you can see above, the Alpine Berry Watery Cream is so much more emollient than the Gel Cream.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Not only is this the best gel cream I've tried so far, it has become one of my holy grail products. As I've mentioned before, most gel creams contain alcohol and therefore dry my skin out. The Watery Oil-Free Gel Cream does not dry my skin out since it does not contain alcohol. The consistency is a bit thicker than many gel creams, but it glides on easily and absorbs quickly without leaving sticky residue. It does, however, feels a bit tacky right after application. I think the tacky feeling may be the result of lack of alcohol in the ingredient - that's why it takes a bit longer to dries down. Well, if that's the case, I'd rather endure 10 seconds of tackiness rather than flaky, irritated skin.

While controlling the excess sebum, the cream also keep my face hydrated pretty well. During the day, I don't feel the need to blot that often and my face feels comfortable. Also, I somehow find my skin firmer after using the product for around a month. The texture of my skin has become more even as well. One downside to this product is that it may not be moisturizing enough for combo/normal skin that leans towards the drier side. If you have similar skin type as me (oily-combo but dehydrated), you'll likely find this cream amazing :)

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PROS: Moisturizing, Controls sebum well, Oil-free, No alcohol, Non-drying, Glides on smoothly, Absorbs quickly, Contains many natural plant extracts, 5-Free, No breakouts
CONS: A bit of tackiness right after application, May not be enough for drier skin
PURCHASE: TesterKorea (KRW 55,000/100 ml), Shop at Korea ($38.50/50 ml)

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Have you heard of or tried any Primera products? Do you have any holy grail products for hot summer days?