Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence Review: Sexy Magic Sauce
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Spoiler Alert: I have nothing bad to say about this product, and it’s like the Mona Lisa painting in my life. Translation: it’s a freaking magic potion holy grail in a bottle!
Let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Benefits.
Snail Secretion Filtrate (90%), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Arbutin, Bee Venom, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Ulmus Campestris Extract, Bacillus Ferment, Azelaic Acid, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Human Oligopeptide-1, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Adenosine,Panthenol, Allantoin, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Arginine.
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Sexy Snail Secretion
You may have noticed there isn’t any water in this formula. That’s right! They’ve replaced it with 90% snail slime instead! Alright alright, I know a lot of you are already thinking. “WHAT? SNAILS!?! That’s soooooo gross!” But I beg to differ, just look how cute they are! 😀
Just kidding. Okay, but in all honesty I understand that the idea of putting slimy snail discharge on your face isn’t the most appealing thing in the world. So why would you want to?
For starters, it is composed of a bunch of awesome stuff including hyaluronic acid, allantoin, glycolic acid, peptides, a few minerals like maganese, zinc, iron, copper, and last but not least collagen and elastin. BUT CHILL my fellow skincare addicts. These mostly come in trace amounts. Sigh….
With that said, let’s quickly summarize some of the studies out there on snail mucin. Unfortunately, there isn’t much too go off because the research on this is scarce, but what’s currently available it’s looking pretty promising!
- A study involving 27 adult patients with deep facial burns found that applying a cream with snail extract twice daily for 14 days, was an effective treatment for burn wounds, and a natural alternative to MEBO (a burn ointment). (1)
- An in vitro study showed snail mucin regenerates cells and wounded tissue, reduces the breakdown of collagen, and prevents free-radical formation (important for anti-aging). (2) However, because this was an in vitro study, meaning it was tested on cells rather than on humans directly, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Still cool though! :p
- A 14 week study involving 25 patients who applied snail secretion daily found a significant improvement in fine lines after 8 weeks. (3) This kinda confirms the assumption that snail secretion is good for anti-aging, which the in vitro study above speculated would be the case.
- A 4 weeks study with 20 patients found that snail secretion in combination with hyaluronic acid may help treat eczema (atopic dermatitis). (4)
So again, the research is scarce. But what’s out there it’s looking pretty good!
At the end of the day, you gotta just ask yourself? Would you rather have your skincare products made up of 90% water, which won’t do much for your skin, or 90% snail poop which has all these added benefits? I don’t know about you, but I’ll take dat snail poo! Please, and thank you.
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Aloe Vera.
Better known as the sunburned man’s best friend.
(There are two kinds of people in this world.)
Aloe vera is a skincare ingredient that’s been used for over 3500 years. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, soothing, healing, and skin lightening properties. (5)
There’s some preliminary evidence that suggests it may also help treat psoriasis. (6, 7, 8, 9) Here’s what that looks like in case you didn’t know. Yes, it’s painful. :/
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Glycerin
A humectant that moisturizes the skin by slowing down the rate at which water evaporates from it’s surface.
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Arbutin
Considered a safer alternative to hydroquinone. It’s known for its tyrosinase inhibiting abilities, which helps fade skin discoloration like hyperpigmentation or melasma. In case you don’t know what tyrosinase is, it’s an enzyme responsible for the production of melanin — or the thing that gives pigment to the skin.
Excess melanin production is what worsens stuff like uneven skin tone and sun spots, so it’s important to limit it from going into overdrive mode when trying to treat the brown or red marks left behind from old acne and inflammation.
Quick aside: if you don’t know how to treat post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIE) or post inflammatory erythema (PIE), feel free to check out my guide all about that.
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Human Oligopeptide-1
An epidermal growth factor (EGF). There’s some preliminary evidence that EGF increases collagen production — a structural protein that holds connective tissue together and improves atrophic acne scarring and aging skin. (10) It may also help accelerate skin healing, increase skin renewal, and slow down skin thinning which are all important for anti-aging. (11)
When treating acne scars or wrinkles the priority should be on boosting collagen production as this is the best way to remodel the indentations and dips left behind in the skin. So the addition of Human Oligopeptide-1 here, is an awesome plus if you’re trying to fix these concerns.
In fact, I always use the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence after dermarolling to get an additional boost of collagen production.
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Bee Venom
This essentially works by tricking your body into thinking it got a bee sting which increases blood flow to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Again, two things which are great for acne scarring, wrinkles, and plumping up the skin. However, the science on whether it actually does this isn’t entirely conclusive yet. Let’s quickly summarize the research out there.
- A study involving 22 women found that applying a 0.006% bee venom serum twice daily decreased wrinkle depth after 12 weeks. (12)
- A 6 week study involving 30 acne patients, found that using purified bee venom serum twice daily led to a 77% improvement on average across all participants. (13)
- An in vitro study found that bee venom promotes cell regeneration and helps treat wounds. (14)
- Another in vitro study found that bee venom exhibits significant protective effects against UV damage which degrades collagen. (15)
Overall, looking very promising but more research is required.
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Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract
Not to be confused with the chemical exfoliant Salicylic Acid! This is simply a plant extract that has salicin in it, which could potentially convert into salicylic acid in the presence of enzymes or when taken orally.
However, considering that salicylic acid needs an acidic pH of 4.0 of below to work optimally, you shouldn’t expect the willow bark in this formula to do any sort of chemical exfoliation or unclogging of pores.
With that said, willow bark extract does have some skin soothing and anti-inflammatory benefits.
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Bacillus Ferment
A by product made through the fermentation of Bacillus (a probiotic species).
Quick aside: if you don’t know what probiotics are, and the effects they have on the skin — YOU REALLY NEED TO! I can’t recommend them enough.
I wrote a ginormous 5,000+ word article all about them, and how to figure out which is best for your unique skin needs (e.g. anti-aging, kicking acne in the a**, reducing skin sensitivity, achieving the “skin glow,” treating eczema etc.). Here’s the link in case you’re interested.
With that said, the bacillus ferment in this formula acts like a very mild enzyme exfoliant.
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Azelaic acid
An all-star ingredient that does a little bit of everything. It inhibits tyrosinase which helps treat hyperpigmentation. It’s an effective keratolytic agent, meaning it sloughs off dead skin cells and prevents dead skin buildup. And unlike benzoyl peroxide or tretinoin, it’s a gentle and well tolerated acne treatment. Best of all, it’s natural part of human skin!
If you want more information about this active ingredient, feel free to check out my guide on Azelaic Acid.
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Beta Glucan
A yeast-derived sugar with antioxidant properties that soothes the skin, and is particularly excellent for sensitive or red skin. (16)
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Betaine
An amino acid that works like a humectant and reduces irritation.
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Adenosine
Has skin-restoring and skin-soothing benefits.
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Panthenol
A provitamin of b5 that moisturizers the skin, improves barrier function, and promotes keratinocyte differentiation, meaning it helps keep everything working optimally on the cellular level which is great for overall skin health. (17, 18, 19) It may also help treat dermatitis and burn injuries. (20, 21)
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Allantoin
Moisturizers, soothes dry irritated skin, and has some minor exfoliating properties by softening the horny layer of skin. (22) Hmmm…. that sounds kinda sexual. Softening of the “horny” skin. I DIGRESS. O_O
In case you don’t know, the “horny layer” is simply the latin term for the stratum corneum (i.e. the outer most layer of skin made up of dead cells called corneocytes). So yeah, blame the science and latin (not me) for all the funny names they give!
A couple mice studies have also shown that Allantoin helps with wound healing. (23) And last but not least…..
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Arginine
An amino acid with antioxidant properties.
And that’s it! Phew. What a long list of beneficial ingredients, huh? Can you now see why I am such a huge fan of the Benton Snail Bee High Content?
It’s because it has a stellar ingredient list that does a little big of everything while cutting out all the unnecessary ingredients that are little more than filler. Almost every single ingredient in this essence has some kind of benefit on the cellular and skin level. It’s INCREDIBLE!
I said it in the beginning, but I’ll say it again: this thing is a holy grail of mine that I don’t see myself replacing in my routine anytime soon. 🙂 And better yet it feels quite glorious on the skin. Lets discuss!
UPDATE 10/30/17: Benton reformulated this essence and replaced arbutin with niacinamide, and snail is now the second ingredient after water. This isn’t inherently bad, in fact, if your primary goal was skin-brightening and fighting hyperpigmentation, then niacinamide is the superior ingredient as far as clinical efficacy is concerned.
However, the new formulation does contain polysorbate 20 as a stabilizer, which should probably be avoided if you’re sensitive to fungal acne.
Application, Feel, and Scent.
As you can see it goes on like a gel but it literally melts into water on the skin — at least that’s how it feels like. It has a good amount of slip, which allows it to spread very easily across the skin without using too much product. Definitely a plus.
It leaves behind the absolute slightest sticky feeling on the skin, which in all likelihood is the glycerin in the formula. However, it’s really nothing problematic, and that’s coming from me — a person who hates the tacky or “velcro feeling” of skincare products.
As for the smell…. it doesn’t have one. At least not one my nostrils can detect. :p
Overall the application process is very solid! 5/5 here.
How to Use the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence.
Because this is an Asian beauty product, and some might be confused by where to place it in their skincare routine, here’s a sample routine considering many things to help you out. Adjust this accordingly depending on what skincare products you’re using personally.
- Oil cleanser or oil cleansing method.
- Gentle pH-balanced cleanser.
- Acid toner (e.g. Pixi Glow Tonic)
- Low pH serums (e.g. ascorbic acid vitamin C).
- BHAs (salicylic acid)
- AHAs (lactic, glycolic, mandelic etc.)
- Retinoids like tretinoin.
- Hydrating toners
- Essence (Use Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence here)
- Serum
- Ampoule
- Emulsion
- Creams, moisturizers
- Face oil
- Sleeping packs or sunscreen.
- Occlusive like vaseline or aquaphor.
Summary.
- Ingredients: 5/5
LOADED with skin-loving ingredients like 90% Snail Secretion Filtrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Arbutin, Bee Venom, Willow Bark Extract, Bacillus Ferment, Azelaic Acid, Human Oligopeptide-1, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Adenosine, Panthenol, Allantoin, and Arginine in addition to a ton of extracts! Just look at how LONG that list is! Almost every single ingredient in this formula does some good for the skin.
- Benefits: 5/5
Anti-aging, brightens skin tone, (probably) increases collagen production, soothes and moisturizes, treats discolorations, and helps repair wounds.
- Application: 5/5
Melts into water when applied on skin, spreads easily, and is hardly detectable once dried.
- Packaging: 5/5
Comes with a nice pump dispenser in a sweet bottle. No complaints!
- Value: 5/5
Awesome price for a great formula that will last you a while.
Overall: 5/5 — BOOM. Holy grail status achieved! That makes it the 2nd product on this entire blog to reach this level (the other being COSRX BHA).
If you haven’t put two and two together yet: I love this product! It has a ton of benefits and is VERY WELL tolerated across a plethora of skin types and concerns. I can’t recommend it enough, and give it Simple Skincare Science stamp of approval! Try it and see for yourself. 🙂
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this review!
Warmly,
—f.c.
Tell your friends why snail poo is totally in. Share this!
Do you still consider this a HG after the reformulation?
I started reading your site a few weeks ago, and I wanted to thank you for your amazing advice. Taking vitamin A supplements totally cleared my acne, and acid exfoliation/clay masks helped with my other skin issues. I bought some snail gel based on your recommendation too, and it’s amazing for hydrating oily skin and reducing redness. I loved it so much I purchased a big 300g tub of snail gel to use on the rest of my body, because it’s great for dry patches and scars.
I also appreciate that you take time to research everything. There’s so much empty hype surrounding skincare products, and I’m sure your posts have helped a lot of people like me!
They also sent this email regarding the niacinamide/arbutin issue to UnderdogUprising on AsianBeautyAdvice Reddit:
“Dear Customer
Thank you for your keen interest in Benton and contacting us.
First, we understand your concerns about the changes and we apologize for the lack of detailed explanation.
Concerning the changes in the ingredient list, we inform that there is no actual change in the main ingredients percentages and the changes resulted from the way of listing the ingredients.
As Benton products are manufactured in a CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) facility and compliant with EU regulations, we are adopting more strict standards in ingredient listing, separating each ingredient into more detailed level, which is more informative to consumers.
As a result of the new listing, some components (water, preservatives, and butylenes glycol) of each ingredient are separated, totaled up, and listed separately in the ingredient list. For example, water shows up in the lists. It is not that water is added to the formula, but water in each ingredient is separated and listed separately.
Secondly, we are replacing arbutin, a brightening ingredient in Snail Bee Essence and Mask Pack with niacinamide like the rest of Snail Bee products.
This is because we have concluded that niacinamide is a more stabilized ingredient, and more suitable for different skin types than arbutin.
Lastly, Butylene glycol in the new Aloe BHA Skin Toner and Snail Bee High Content Skin is not newly added to the formulas, but it is listed separated from each ingredient.
Azelaic Acid is omitted from the list, because the raw material supplier discontinued the ingredient.
To sum up, the changes in the ingredient lists are not actual formula changes; it is rather the different way of listing. There is no difference in the overall efficacy and texture of the products.
Should you have further inquiries, please feel free to contact us.
Kind regards
Benton”
Source https://np.reddit.com/r/AsianBeautyAdvice/comments/75g3dp/psa_bentons_reply_on_product_reformulation/
Hi fc! Can you please tell me if I use cosrx bha liquid blackhead power at night time, can I use Benton snail serum after waiting for 20 mins?
Hi,
Great site! I’m interested in Benton products. I’ve only used the Aloe and Propolis Soothing Gel. I’d like to hear your feedback on how the Snail Bee High Content Essence compare with the Snail Bee High Content Skin?
dgman
Have you ever tried the cosrx one? The snail mucin essence? I’m still in dilemma whether I should buy the cosrx or benton. Some reviews said that the cosrx is more slimey than benton. Do you have any suggestion or advice? Thanks and good review btw, keep it up!
👏🏼Your👏🏼site👏🏼is👏🏼amazing. So informative. So NOT filled with fluff; only the essential stuff, which makes it so much easier to sift through. Thank you so much!
I have found something very intriguing that doesn’t have polysorbate 20 listed in it’s ingredients. The Snail Bee Ultimate Serum. Is this a possible replacement for us fungal acne sufferers or have I completely missed something else in the ingredients list? I have M.E. and Fibromyalgia and exhausted 24/7, so the fog can ruin my investigating often! Here is the list I found:
Saccharomyces/Snail Secretion Filtrate Ferment Filtrate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Aqua (Water), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Ulmus Campestris (Elm) Bark Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Allantoin, Adenosine, Bee Venom, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum.
Loving this blog, finding it has given me just as I was about to give up. Thank you.
I love your reviews and guides, so full of useful information! They’ve helped me make quite a few decisions lately. I’ve read wonderful things about COSRX 96 Snail Mucin (and may still give it a whirl), but the Benton Snail Bee product seemed like it would be a little better geared for my troubled skin. My order arrived today, but the essence is yellow/amber instead of clear =/ I’m thinking it must have turned?
This is the first leave on product that hasn’t stung and instigated a bunch of pimples ^_^ Cosrx snail essence burned and turned my skin into a war zone of varied issues. It was so bad that I actually preferred to step out my door with hydrocolloids on my face than debut the popped whiteheads. I think I’m gonna have to allow you to be the voice in my head about patch testing…cause the thug life ain’t for me anymore!!!!X’D
Um yeah so this stuff ROCKS my lil socks so far. still need some more time to know for sure if HG but dang this stuff soothes my skin. gonna cry now bye D’X
Now Benton claims they didn’t change the formulation. They’re just “re-listing” its ingredients to comply to more strict standards.
See source: http://bentoncosmetics.com/article/notice/1/11373
That’s confusing.
Hi there! I’ve been binge reading your site for a few days now and am super excited to use all the new knowledge I’ve gained. I want to thank you for making all the information available and easy to understand! You’re amazing!
I started this article convinced I would immediately order this product once done reading… however… I am massively allergic to bees. Is there any chance you know of a different snail poo product that doesn’t contain bee venom and won’t cause issues with my sebhorreic dermatitis? I”m having a hard time finding anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hey!
I’ve been following your site for a long time and my skincare routine is basically all the products you’ve suggested! I just wanted to make a point and say that this product has now changed a few ingredients and people are generally complaining that it’s breaking them out and now it’s less effective. So sad since it was your holy grail! I was so stoked to try this out until I learned it had changed. 🙁 Ah well, any other products you suggest for moisturizing, helping with aging/wrinkles and overall skin texture? Thanks! LOVE YOUR PAGE!!
Just ordered this “sexy magic sauce” thanks to you! I should use after my Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence right? Would there be a wait time in between?
Hiya! Would you use this essence before or after Vitamin C (SAP) in your skin care routine? Thank you! x
Hi, thank you for such an informative site! I’m in Korea for work and was eyeing the Benton Snail Bee essence, but have a few questions:
(a) I’m allergic to aspirin, so any products containing salicylates (homosalate, octisalate, salicylic acid) tend to irritate my skin and cause redness and small bumps. Would the willow bark here pose a problem?
(b) if I use Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum, in which order should I apply these products?
Thank you so much for creating this website. 🙂 I have read almost everything you posted about PIE, haha! For me, I have very bad PIE on cheeks but no active acne. My main concern right now to treat (I’m already getting vascular laser for the PIE) is to get rid of the perpetual “plugs” on my nose cheeks and forehead. They make my pores look HUGEEEE. No matter what I do, the plugs never go away, they are always full of something, even if its clear/oil. Do you think the BHA would help with that?
I already have a routine of k beauty products that is working VERY well, but have not really addressed this issue. I’ve been using glycolic acid pads to no avail, maybe they are too harsh?
Thanks!
Hi there again, f.c.! 🙂 (told you, I’m now really obsessed with your site haha!) Since I’m really convinced now that I’ll purchase this sexy sauce soon (thanks to your wit! <3, though this one is quite pricey for a student like me T_T) I just want to know how long did this one take you to consider that this has really helped you with your acne? And based on your blogs, I noticed that you put some other actives and or treatments on your face like BP/Azelaic Acid/BHA, and other awesome moisturizers and occlusives. This one is just a plain gel that's packed with beneficial ingredients. So yeah. How come that you really gave this a Holy Grail status? (hoping that u get my point hehez. 🙂 )
Hello F.C.! I’ve read your PIE posts and I’m obsessed with anything related to them since I have major scarring and PIE is taking up the majority of my cheeks right now.. I feel very unconfident when I walk out without makeup on. Do you think Benton would help significantly with my acne scarring? I’m on the Acne.Org regimen for about a month, using AHA+ as well, and it has helped heal my active breakouts and I rarely even breakout anymore. Just trying to fix up my PIE and hyperpigmentation, as well as atrophic scarring! My skin is on the sensitive side as well, and almost anything can break me out. But recently, while using Dan’s products, I haven’t been breaking out! Will this significantly help with the PIE, and the redness of my scars? Do you recommend any other products along with my regimen to clear up this PIE? (With respect to my college budget if that’s possible!)
THANK YOU so much for this blog. It has helped me learn more about my scarring and what I can do to achieve flawless skin like yours (YES, your skin looks pretty much flawless now!)
p.s. I’ve tried subscribing to your mailing list, but when the confirmation email came, there wasn’t a link for it! I hope you can fix this when you read this, OR maybe it may even be fixed before you read this. But I’m desperate to get on that mailing list. Your posts are like the holy grail for me.
Hello there! 🙂
Hmmm my new bottle of Essence is crystal clear now and more warery than before… I got it directly from Korea (ebay) and asked the seller about it- he told me thats normal now. Does anyone else made this experience? The bottles before were a bit yellow and more like a gel, and had a liiittle smell… now no smell. I hope the ingredients are the same….:(