Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

Skincare guides & product reviews for hydration lovers & the moisture barrier obsessed

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream Review

I’m only 19 days into using Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream, and I’m already itching to gush about it.  I normally like to use a skincare product for at least 28 days before I review it, but, like the rest of the Benton line, the results have been so dramatic so quickly, I’m having a really a hard time keeping it to myself! This moisturizing cream has already managed to reach HG status for me, and has become part of my official baseline skincare routine.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

What is it?

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream ($22) is a moisturizing cream from my favorite Korean skincare company, Benton Cosmetic. The term “steam cream” describes the process by which the cream is made – the idea is that high-temperature steam is injected as the ingredients are being mixed in order to better facilitate the way the ingredients work together. The steam injection process also contributes to the creamy texture of the final product. This cream is said to be good for sensitive skin, and promises to help with acne, dry skin, and oily skin, in addition to whitening/evening skin tone, and reducing the signs of aging.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

Ingredients:
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Phytosqualene, Human Ogliopeptide-1, Bee Venom, Arbutin, Adenosine, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Arginine, Carbomer, Urea, Tocopher Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow Bark) Extract, Ulmus Campestris (Elm) Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pilsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract

The notable absence of fillers and stellar skincare actives in this ingredient list has become a hallmark of Benton skincare products. One of the reasons I was excited to try this cream is that I have recently developed a sensitivity to certain amounts of Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohol, both fatty alcohols. In their pure form, they’re white, waxy substances. As skincare ingredients, they are found in high amounts in a majority of moisturizing creams because of their emollient and emulsifying properties.  Unfortunately, they are also common irritants and acne triggers for many acne prone people, including myself.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream does not contain Cetyl Alcohol or straight Cetearyl Alcohol.  Instead, it uses a combination of Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate. Cetearyl Olivate is a derivative of Cetearyl Alcohol and fatty acids derived from olive oil, while Sorbitan Olivate is derived from Sorbitol and olive oil.   While Cetearyl Alcohol is still present as part of the Cetearyl Olivate ingredient, in this form it is much, much milder and far less likely to trigger any acne events. In fact, neither Cetearyl Olivate nor Sorbitan Olivate rank at all as acne triggers or irritants according to COSDNA, as opposed to Cetearyl Alcohol, which scores a whopping 4 out of 5 as a potential acne trigger, and a 3 out of 5 as a possible irritant.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

Other notable ingredients in this moisturizing cream include:

Snail Secretion Filtrate – This is comprised of 64% snail mucin, which is great news. Snail mucin might still be icky to some, but there is no denying the power of the skin-friendly antioxidants, proteins, elastin, and glycolic acids. It’s also antimicrobial, and in addition to being shown to effectively promote wound healing in a couple of in-vitro studies, there was a newer study released in April of this year that showed snail secretion to be effective when it comes to repairing photodamage. It’s especially helpful for acne, overall skin tone, and reducing acne scarring. (Study: Effects of Snail Secretion Filtrate on Photoaged Skin)

Urea – First, let’s get the gross news out of the way: urea is a primary component of urine. But don’t start vomiting yet! The urea contained in skincare products like this one is actually synthetic, which means there is no pee in this, or any other face cream. Phew! The thing about urea is that it’s actually a fantastic skincare active because of its antimicrobial and water-binding properties. Urea acts as humectant, attracting water to the skin and retaining moisture, making it a common ingredient in creams used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Urea is an effective exfoliant, and additionally, it improves product penetration and strengthens the skin barrier, building resistance against potential irritants.

Niacinamide – Hydrating, anti-inflammatory ingredient that has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. (See the study)

Human Ogliopeptide-1 – Often called EGF (an acronym for Epidermal Growth Factor) in skincare products, Ogliopeptides are molecules that are used in medicine to help treat wounds and burns, assisting in the regrowth of skin. They work by increasing cell growth, and in addition to helping with cell and blood vessel growth, they also play a role in collagen and elastin production. I had a hard time locating any studies that are specifically focused on Ogliopeptide-1 (that doesn’t mean they don’t exist – it just means I couldn’t find one), but this is a very interesting study concerning the efficacy of Ogliopeptide-10 (PDF), which showed it to effectively stimulate collagen production without any serious side effects.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

Bee Venom – The claims surrounding bee venom as a skincare active state that Melittin, a peptide found in the venom, “tricks” your body into thinking you’ve been stung, causing it to increase collagen production to promote healing. Bee Venom also contains a couple of beneficial enzymes. Phospholipase A2 is an enzyme that is said to assist with the penetration of skincare actives. It works by thinning the cell’s outer membrane, allowing other ingredients to penetrate the cell. Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that works by increasing the synthesis of hyaluronic acid naturally produced by our skin. There is at least one study that has shown bee venom to significantly increase wound healing activity. (Study: Effects of Honeybee Venom Treatment on Animal Skin Wound)

Salix Alba (Willow Bark) Extract– Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that is often used as an acne treatment. It is a naturally occurring ingredient, usually derived from willow bark, but also occurs in other sources, such as Aloe. It’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and an exfoliant. Salicylic Acid has been shown in multiple studies to improve barrier function and collagen production. It’s best used in concentrations from 0.5% – 2%.

Performance

Application
I apply a dime-sized (or large pearl sized) amount on my face as my last skincare step in the evening, and as my second to last step in the morning (just before my sunscreen).

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream  Product Order

Recommended Product Order

Packaging
This cream comes packaged in a small tub. I know a lot of people don’t like tub packaging because it can be unsanitary, since we’re constantly dipping our fingers into it. However, my hands are always clean when I used this product, so I really don’t mind. Still, it would be nice if it was available in a pump like the Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel or the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence.

Smell
This product is unfragranced and doesn’t smell like anything.

Results
Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream has a thick, creamy, consistency that feels luxurious going on, but does not leave behind a greasy residue. My face is moisturized but matte within a few minutes of application.

The first thing I noticed was that any bit of residual redness that might have been left (which isn’t much) after applying my other Benton skincare products completely disappeared with the application of this cream. Seriously – if you’re after a smooth, even, complexion with no signs of redness, this cream is a miracle worker. Over time, it visibly brightened my skin and accelerated the lightening of my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation marks, which were already disappearing quite rapidly because of my other Benton products. I didn’t think it was possible for them to fade any faster, but they did.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

This cream is extremely non-irritating, and I would feel comfortable recommending it even for extremely sensitive skin. The moisture it provides is spectacular and lasting – definitely on par with Cerave Moisturizing Cream, if not more. Most importantly, this cream did not cause any breakouts, making it the first moisturizing cream in months that I am able to use without triggering a crazy acne party on my face.

I’d actually planned to take some pictures of my smooth skin this morning so I could include them in this post. Unfortunately, a BB cream I’ve been testing for the past couple of days has given me a pretty nasty breakout. Thankfully, I have full confidence that it will disappear quickly thanks to my Benton products, and when it does, I’ll update this post with a photo close-up of my skin.

Pros:
+ Very Moisturizing
+ Non-Greasy
+ Non-irritating
+ Lightens hyperpigmentation
+ Did not cause any breakouts in my acne prone skin
+ Dramatically reduces redness (to the point of near non-existence)
+ Brightens
+ No Cetyl or Cetearyl Alcohol

Cons:
– Tub packaging, which can be unsanitary (use clean hands!)

 

Skin & Tonics Rating:

Performance: 5/5 – The cream brightens, lightens, moisturizes, and doesn’t irritate skin

Quality: 4/5 – I reluctantly deducted a point for the tub packaging – I personally don’t have a problem with it, but a pump would be more sanitary

Value: 5/5 – At $22, it’s a little more expensive than a standard drug store moisturizer, but still far less money than a department store product. When you consider that the performance of this cream is better than any other moisturizer I’ve used at any price point (and I’ve tried many!), it’s an amazing value.

Where to Buy

I bought mine from the eBay seller, iamlove-shop, where it sells for $22 plus free shipping (direct from South Korea).

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream is also available from the following Skin & Tonics approved sellers:

–       Ruby Ruby Shop (eBay seller, $22 plus free shipping)
–       W2Beauty ($22 + free shipping, get a $5 voucher by entering my sponsor code at sign-up: 025605)

There is one more way you can get your hands on this Steam Cream! I’m hosting a giveaway for the ENTIRE Benton skincare line until August 4th.  It’s open internationally and easy to enter.  Go check it out!

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

 

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67 comments onBenton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream Review

  1. This is so great to hear! I realized last night that I’m already half way done with my essence and emulsion from Laneige, so I decided to just bite the bullet and order the whole Benton set, including the steam cream! I’ve been using that CeraVe moisturizing cream in the tub and I just hate the texture ): It’s so thick and hard to spread compared to my usual gel-based creams. Super excited to see results! x

    • Kerry

      I hope you love the Benton line as much as I do! The cream does have a similar consistency to the Cerave cream while it’s in the top, but I think it spreads much easier and absorbs faster. It’s still thicker than a gel based cream, though, for sure.

  2. As soon as my other cream is empty I’ll give this one a try. It sounds awesome! Thanks for the review and the giveaway 😉

  3. Would this cream be suitable for oily, acne prone skin though? I don’t want to risk any breakouts, but seeing from the ingredients list, I don’t really have much to worry about.

    • Kerry

      Hey Lily! I think these cream would great for oily, acne prone skin. It’s not greasy at all, and this moisturizer is formulated to help heal acne marks. I’m extremely acne prone, and right now it’s the only cream I can use without worrying about breakouts. 🙂

  4. I love the sound of this product! I recently bought a couple of skincare products but once I use them up I will definitely look into this 😀

  5. At fist I didnt like this cream, but now im in love with this. It’s very creamy and hydrate very well, but is not greasy and dry out matte very fast. And.. a little goes a longgggg way. I really love putting a tiny blob on my face and massage it out.. It’s awesome

    • Annie, is your skin dry or oily? I would love to try out this cream, but I have oily skin prone to breakouts. I don’t want to risk anything 🙁

      • I have normal skin, sometime oily, sometime dry, but also very acne-prone. I’m dealing with consistent acne break out (meaning i get them very often, 2 – 3 times a week, mostly cysts)

        This cream doesnt break me out, but I do think it’s a bit too moisturizing for oily skin. I have slightly dry (most of the time normal) and I thought it was too much at first. But since im on benzyl peroxide now, it’s perfect for keeping my face from turning flaky

    • Kerry

      Yes, I love how matte it is when it dries! Just curious – what was it that you didn’t like about it at first?

      • I didnt like that it was kinda sticky and too creamy for my taste. But i realized later that it was the gel that was sticky and the cream stickiness doesnt persist very long. It was too moisturizing for me at first, but is perfect for me now that i decide to use benzyl peroxide treatment

  6. This is def on my list of items to try! I ordered the snail bee masks after reading your other Benton reviews. I am so excited to try them!

  7. I keep hearing such great things about Snail products. But this cream seems to have other things as well. I have to say, I really applaud you for finding the studies linking their effectiveness!! I’m bookmarking this page because it’s been so helpful. I wish they would sell tiny packets of samples for this though.

    • Kerry

      You know, I believe RubyRubyShop on Ebay does sell samples sizes of some of the Benton products – I’m not sure if this is one of them, but it might be worth looking into!

  8. I recently bought the whole Benton skin care line after reading your reviews on them and I had one question, what’s the functional difference between the aloe gel and the steam cream? Both moisturize but what is the purpose of using both? Thanks! Fantastic blog by the way, so blessed to have stumbled upon this! xoxo

    • Kerry

      Hi Marianne! I somehow missed seeing your comment until now!

      To answer your question (which is a great question, by the way) – the aloe gel and steam cream are both moisturizers, the steam cream being the heavier of the two. In an Asian skin care routine, all the steps are moisturizing to some degree, but there are two steps in particular that are more moisturizing than the others – the emulsion and the cream. In this case, the aloe gel is the emulsion step, and the steam cream is the cream step.

      The benefit of layering the moisturizers has a lot to do with the type of moisture the different products offer. It differs depending on the brands/products being used, but for the Benton, the aloe gel is a humectant, so it draws moisture into the upper layers of the skin. The moisture in the steam cream is emollient and occlusive. Occlusives provide a barrier against epidermal water loss, and they are especially beneficial when used in conjunction with a humectant. If a humectant such as aloe (or hyaluronic acid or glycerin) is used without an occlusive agent, you’ll lose all that water you’ve attracted with your humectant. If you live in a dry environment or work somewhere with man-made heating or air-conditioning, using a humectant without an occlusive agent can even be drying instead of moisturizing! Using the Benton steam cream in conjunction with the aloe gel will ensure you get the maximum amount of moisture from both products, as well as prevent epidermal water loss.

      I hope that information helps! Have you started using your Benton products yet?

      • Leigh

        Sorry to jump in so long after this was posted. Since I have oily skin, I usually use only an emulsion, but based on what you are saying maybe that is incorrect?

  9. I also recently bought the whole Benton skin care line thanks to reading about it here, and I am just so impressed by what it has done for my normal-dry but adult acne prone skin in such a short time. I get these cystic acne patches from time to time, and they usually ‘hang around’ and irritate my skin for weeks (and months, which is just horrendous), but using this line has done wonders, it feels almost unreal how quickly those patches have calmed down and are already starting to recover, and I’ve only been using the products for a week or so. I don’t know if it’s specifically Benton or the ingredients (I haven’t tried any snail or bee venon products before), but I’m in love, that’s for sure. 😀

    This cream I love especially because it manages to quench my dry skin completely without making those acne patches irritated (and in fact, soothes them), whereas before I have to reapply lighter moisturizers throughout the day and still have to worry about it inflaming the acne.

    Anyway, just thanks again for your blog, otherwise I would have never tried it.

    p.s. I am just slightly concerned as to the process of extracting the snail goo from the snails (in terms of cruelty) though!

    • Kerry

      Hey Belinda! I’m so happy to hear Benton is working out for you! And thank you so much for coming back here to update me on your progress. 😀

      I’ve often wondered about the process of extracting the snail goo myself. My understanding is the farms tout themselves as very humane – the snails are fed a diet of fresh ginseng, and they are not killed in order to harvest the mucin. However, I’m unclear on how the harvest actually happens. The most detail I’ve been able to find about it thus far is that they are exposed to “safe mechanical stress” multiple times throughout their lifecycle. I wish I knew more about how the “safe mechanical stress” worked!

  10. After reading your review i ordered the essence and the cream 3 weeks ago from ebay, hopefully it will be arriving soon. I hope it works well for my oily and acne prone skin. I am currently going crazy over korean skincare products. This will be my first product to try. Gonna try Tomatox mask too. I have a lot of acne scars. I hope this product exceeds my expectation. Thanks KERRY for your review and before and after pictures.

    • Kerry

      You’re welcome, Nisa! I hope it arrives soon! I really hope you’ll come back and give me an update after you’ve had a chance to try everything. I’d love to know if your acne scars lighten up for you – mine certainly did. 🙂

  11. Laura again! So I’ve been using this for a couple of weeks aaaand, I dunno. I have come to realize that I just dislike the heavy, thick, cream consistency that this cream and the CeraVe one has. Do you have any recs for a good, lighter weight, night cream that has worked for you?

    • Kerry

      Aw man, I wish I did! I generally gravitate toward the thicker cream consistencies myself, so I haven’t tried a whole lot of lighter ones. The lightest one I’ve tried and liked was the Missha Super Aqua Cell Renew Snail Gel. If you find one you like, I would love to hear about it!

    • hi I’m not Kerry, but if you are interested in a more light weight, gel texture but still moisturize well, then I recommend Cerave PM. I’m using it right now, after I finished my benton steam cream sample. TBH, i miss the silky texture, rich and heavy consistency of the steam cream. The Cerave PM is a lot lighter, sink in much faster and very matte. It has niacinamide, ceramides and hyaluronic acids.

      • I’ll look into it, thank you for the recommendation. I recently ordered a DIY la mer cream dupe kit from skinactives, so I can control how thick the cream will end up being. If that doesn’t work out then I’ll definitely try out CeraVe pm. 🙂

  12. Hi Kerry,
    i’m using Benton series as well since i read it on your site.
    I would like to ask, do you use Benton essence/gel/steam cream on your neck as well?
    if not, what product do you use for your neck?
    Thank you for your suggestions.

    • Kerry

      Hi Yuni! I use all the Benton products on my neck as well. I almost always use the same products on my neck as I do on my face! 🙂

      • Kerry, thanks for your reply.
        would like to ask one more question, since i cant find out on your daily regime skin care.
        What product do you use for eye skin care?
        any recommendation for wrinkle around eye?
        thank you.

  13. I can’t wait for their cleanser and sunscreen to be released! I will literally be the happiest girl alive! I’ve already stocked up on my second bottles of the toner and essence, literally all I’ve been using and there’s a drastic improvement in my skin. It went from being oily, red, and full of acne to becoming really soft and blemish free. They really weren’t kidding when they said suitable for all types of skin!

    • Kerry

      That’s such great news, Lily! I’m right there with you – I can’t wait to try all of Benton’s future products!

  14. An extremely good bb cream that I love is Skinfood good afternoon peach green tea bb cream. It’s a reaaly good bb cream for oily or combination skin. Thank you for the review, it was really helpful! 🙂

  15. Great review – I just searched for info on this product since my usual Korean skin care supplier is having a sale on Benton (30% off by the way; if anyone is interested it’s http://www.roseroseshop.com/en).

    Anyway, thank you Kerry for explaining every single ingredient. I normally have to do this myself because I am obsessive about using safe/mostly natural products and many reviewers simply give a general overview or leave readers to do the research themselves. Your explanations and the links to actual scientific reviews are perfect, and I will totally keep checking your site based on that throroughness.

    I’m glad to hear this was such a winner for you as well. I’ve been looking for a gentle but highly moisturizing cream, but most either end up sticky or don’t do enough during the harsh winter weather. This sounds like a perfect fit and you’ve sold me on it. Thanks again!

  16. Hi Kerry,

    I wanted to pick your brain for a minute since you’re so knowledgeable on ingredients. I adore the Benton Snail Bee Essence and have been using it daily for months. I just recently picked up the Steam Cream and it’s causing breakouts. I’m sure it’s the Steam Cream as I’m testing it and only using it infrequently. Any thoughts on what ingredient might be causing this? I’m so sad because I LOVE the essence and I really wanted this to work for me. I may switch to using it as an eye cream as it didn’t affect that area at all. Thanks again for such an informative blog. I really enjoy your very detailed reviews!

    Cheers,
    Angel

    • Kerry

      Hey Angel! That’s such a bummer about the Steam Cream! I’m not sure what’s causing it, but if I had to venture a guess? I would guess it’s possible it’s the Cetearyl Olivate. I know that olive oil can be comedogenic for some people, and Cetearyl Olivate derives it’s fatty acid from it. Do you know if you’ve ever had issues with olive oil before?

      And thank you for the kind words about my blog! I always looks forward to your comments. 🙂

      • Hi Kerry,

        Sorry for the super late reply, and thanks for your thoughts. I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem with olive oil. I used to use it in my DIY cleansing oil with no issues. But perhaps this is different as it’s really absorbing into my skin and not being rinsed away. I’m going to experiment a bit more with straight olive oil just to see. You have me curious 🙂 Have a very happy holiday season!!

  17. Hi Kerry,

    I bought the snail essence and the aloe toner after your reviews, and I must say they have reached HG status for me! I am thinking of buying the steam cream too, but I am worried it might break me out since it seems to be rather heavy. Just wondering, in terms of clearing up bad breakouts, which of the three products are the most effective? I just want to know if it’s worth getting the steam cream too, because if the essence/toner does most of the work then I might skip out on the cream to avoid any possible reactions… stupid sensitive skin :'(

    • Kerry

      Hi Grace! I think the Essence is the most effective of the three. What moisturizer are you currently using? Do you remember any of the specific moisturizers that have broken you out in the past?

      • At the moment I’m using one recommended by my aesthetician called Dr. Eckstein Azulen Balsam (facial balm/ moisturizer). It’s a German brand that (apparently) specializes in skincare for sensitive skin and while it is quite good at soothing my crazy reactive skin, it doesn’t do much for my acne (other than calming down the redness). I do love their products especially their spot treatment, but Benton is fast becoming my top favorite 😀 The last moisturizer that broke me out was probably one from Aveeno (can’t quite remember the name of it).

  18. Hi Kerry! I’ve also purchased the entire Benton line (all minus the gel!) from W2Beauty because of your fabulous reviews of all of the products. Thank you so much for going into detail about ingredients, your experience, and even providing pictures and answering questions (your skin looks so good btw!). I’ve been using it for a few days now, and I haven’t seen too much of an effect yet, but the products certainly feel good and haven’t caused any adverse reactions, so I’m extremely hopeful!

    I wanted to ask you about incorporating another product into the Benton routine. I was using Hadalabo’s Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid before starting Benton and I really liked the results I had with it! I was wondering if it would be okay to use it in addition to the Benton toner (two toners?!), and if so, whether I should use it before or after the Benton toner (or somewhere else in my routine)?

    Thank you for sharing your expertise!!

  19. Hi Jackie! Like you, I have been using Hadalabo’s Gokujyun HA Lotion for years before discovering Benton from this site and been only using it for less than a month now. What I do is I use Hadalabo as my toner in the morning and the Benton toner in the evening because of its BHA. One time, I just felt like doing, “what the heck, I’ll mix them instead, ” so I combined the two toners 50/50 in my morning routine. 😀 No complaints. so far.

  20. Would you recommend the Benton range for a men?
    Also, Alice from w2 beauty recommend to stick to one range or the other for better results ( snail or aloe) but not mixing them, so for the snail line, it will be skin+essence+lotion+cream (it also shows the same order on the official picture for the products description) but the special set include the aloe products along the snail ones (aloe toner+essence+soothing gel aloe+cream) so I’m a bit confused…should I get the set which includes aloe or buy just the snail range? Sorry but as a man I’m not very used to match and mix products :/
    Thank you

    • Kerry

      Hi Cyril! I would absolutely recommend Benton for men. In fact, this range is specifically designed to be unisex, and because there is no added fragrance, it;s not going to smell like flowers and strawberries.

      I don’t think it’s necessary to stick to one range – it’s just a matter of personal preference. The Snail Bee Skin and Snail Bee Lotion are both brand new products, so I’ve only been using them for a short while. The Aloe BHA Toner is different from the Snail Bee Skin, and the Snail Bee Lotion is very different from the Aloe Propolis Gel. I would personally go for the special set that includes the aloe products – I personally still prefer a mix of Aloe and Snail Bee in my skin care routine.

      I hope that helps! I would love to know what you decide to get!

  21. Love your review. Thank you, i just applied the cream last night for the first time, amazing how it glides on my face. One question (or two), how long you usually wait a product to be absorbed between each step in your daily skin care regime? Especially how long you have to wait to apply the Benton Cream after the Argan Oil?

  22. Hey,do you know that this bentom steam cream available in tube packaging? You should give it 5/5 for packaging cause they already settle this 😉

  23. wow, this sounds great! i am already using the benton essence and i must say that it definitely improved my skin in terms of moisturized. as for the red spots i am not so sure, but maybe if i combine it with the steam cream and toner, it will give much better results 🙂
    one question: does the cream absorb quickly into the skin? i’m always in a rush in the morning and it’s inconvenient to have to wait before applying makeup.

    • Kerry

      Hey Anna! It takes about 5 minutes or so for the cream to completely absorb into the skin. If you do decide to try this, let me know how it works out! 🙂

  24. I just bought the steam cream and essence – SO outrageously excited x

  25. Ashley

    Hey! I recently purchased this steam cream along with the aloe toner, gel cream, and snail bee essence (per all of your suggestions!) but I have a question. Is the steam cream okay to use in the daytime? I am wary about putting makeup over such a creamy moisturizer. Also, can I still use a sleeping pack on top of it at night or is that overkill?

    • Kerry

      Hi Ashley! I like using it in the daytime, but my sister doesn’t. It’s really just matter of personal preference.

      I use a sleeping pack on top of it often! My skin type is dry though – again, it’s really just a matter of preference. If your skin is happy, there’s no wrong way to use it. 🙂

  26. Katy Mae

    After scouring the internet for an alternative to my La Mer Gel Moisturizer- and a cystic acne breakout trying mizon snail cream- I stumbled on your Benton reviews. After some more research, I ordered the full Snail Bee line plus the Aloe Toner and Gel. I wanted options, so if one toner or essence/gel caused a reaction I could swap out and try the other. I’m only on day 2, and I have some unrelated breakouts, but I’m hopeful.

    I was wary of trying some of these because of a suspected sensitivity to salicylic acid that plagued me for years. However, at the time I was having reactions to it, I also smoked. When I quit smoking two years, my breakouts all but disappeared. I was left with only hormonal or acidic food acne. Maybe smoking was responsible. When I noticed willow bark as an ingredient, I was worried. Maybe this formulation will be better for me. I’ll let you know in a few weeks if I react to this cream, because the only possible acne trigger I see here is the willow bark. Perhaps people breaking out from this might discover that salicylic acid is a trigger. If I don’t break out, then a whole new world previously closed to me will open up, and I won’t need to avoid salicylic acid like the plague.

  27. Eelin

    Hi Kerry! I’ve just noticed that the steam cream has a new packaging and it comes in a tube now. It seems like there is a slight change in the ingredients as well. I was just wondering if you’ve had a chance to try it yet? I’m just a bit worried because I’ve been using the essence and steam cream and although my acne is far from gone yet I think I’m starting to see some changes. I’m looking into getting the rest of the products from Benton.

    • Grace

      I’m not Kerry (clearly lol) but I’ve used the old Benton steam cream and have recently started using the new updated tube version. There are some slight differences but I can confirm the new version does not break out my sensitive acne prone skin. The consistency seems to be a little lighter and not as creamy as the older version imo but still feels really nice on the skin….HTHs! 🙂

  28. Georgiana

    Hello,dear! First of all,i must congratulate you for the very detailed and useful blog. Because of you 🙂 😛 i started using Benton products and i am so happy i did it! My face is clean and smooth and per all much better. Still,i have a question: can a niacinamide product be layered over a AHA/BHA toner? i’ve read that this combination changes niacinamide into another thing(forgot the name of it…next purchase-Gingo Biloba!). So,is this available for Benton Aloe Toner or any other toner of this kind?
    Many thanks!

  29. Angela

    Hey, came across your blog. Your skin looks fantastic and I was sold on this product. About to purchase it online, but then I came across this blog: http://www.samplehime.com/2014/08/warning-report-benton-to-fda-do-not-buy.html
    Now I’m thinking twice 🙁

    • Toya

      as long as your batch isnt from March 2014 its fine. It was a qc manufacturing issue. everything was cleared up and benton refunded everyone. why simplehime didnt mention that is weird but then again I find her to be quite the alarmist

      I order my first batch of the BHA toner from W2 beauty and it said Oct 2014 on the bottle, the contents are clear and my skin is fine.

  30. Lenny

    Thanks for your informative review.
    Can I use it in the morning? Is it recommended?

  31. Ashley

    I’m not sure if anyone else has experienced this but I have had a reaction twice before when I was stung by a wasp so I was iffy about trying this. The first few times my face turned red but the redness was gone by morning and I still feel what I’d call a slight burning or tingling feeling when I use this and some redness. It works though. My pug scratched my face while playing and I put this on it after I gave that area a rest for a day or two and I was amazed at how much it healed over night.

  32. Molly

    Ooh. I like this. The texture looks perfect and the price is good. Niamacides though, they make my skin freak out. 🙁

  33. […] The Benton Steam cream is super-luxurious, and is made out of snail secretion filtrate and bee venom amongst other things. It might sound quite odd that you’d put snail secretion filtrate (the little trail of goo that snails leave behind when they move) on your face, but this stuff seems to be like liquid magic for your skin. Kerry from Skin and Tonics went into detail here. […]

  34. Russy

    Hi, am russy .. can i use foundation or bb cream after using benton steam cream.? Thanks ?

  35. Anna

    Hi! I’m looking for some moisturizer for my sensitive, acne-prone skin and this seems perfect! A question though, I do have some whiteheads and I am avoiding fatty alcohols because many said that it may be the reason for whiteheads. I realized you mentioned that too in the post your wrote. My question is that, the product contains Behenyl Alcohol, does it also counts as fatty alcohol though?

    Thank you in advance!