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!

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.

• 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.

• 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. :/

• Glycerin

A humectant that moisturizes the skin by slowing down the rate at which water evaporates from it’s surface.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Beta Glucan

A yeast-derived sugar with antioxidant properties that soothes the skin, and is particularly excellent for sensitive or red skin. (16)

• Betaine

An amino acid that works like a humectant and reduces irritation.

• Adenosine

Has skin-restoring and skin-soothing benefits.

• 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)

• 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…..

• 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.

1. Oil cleanser or oil cleansing method.
2. Gentle pH-balanced cleanser.
3. Acid toner (e.g. Pixi Glow Tonic)
4. Low pH serums (e.g. ascorbic acid vitamin C).
5. BHAs (salicylic acid)
6. AHAs (lactic, glycolic, mandelic etc.)
7. Retinoids like tretinoin.
8. Hydrating toners
9. Essence (Use Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence here)
10. Serum
11. Ampoule
12. Emulsion
13. Creams, moisturizers
14. Face oil
15. Sleeping packs or sunscreen.
16. 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).

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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.

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