Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence: An Anti-Redness Powerhouse [Review]

Let's talk about my first skincare essence: Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. This product is a common favorite among online AB communities; in a roundup of the Asian Beauty subreddit's Top 20 Serums put together by user YogaNerdMD, it came in at 2nd place! For me, its reputation for fighting redness and acne, plus the opportunity to incorporate two famous AB ingredients (snail secretion filtrate and bee venom) sold me. In particular, I was looking for a product that would reduce how flushed my face looked by around noon everyday. I had very pink cheeks, as well as inflammation on my chin and Rudolph-levels of redness around my nose. After trying a sample I bought off of eBay, I bought the full size from Crystal Cove during a 30% off sale. It has become an essential part of my routine! (Essence-tial? Heh heh heh... >> ) 

My red nose has never saved Christmas, so it's got to go.

Packaging
The Snail Bee High Content Essence comes in a 50ml brown-tinted, plastic bottle with a pump. I really like the pump - it has the right amount of consistent resistance that makes it easy to dispense however much you want - i.e. just a small amount at a time if you don't want a whole pump's worth of product.

Trying to be artsy with product shots

Application
I just use my fingers to rub or pat about 2 pumps' worth on my face. I usually like to dispense just a little at a time, using about half a pump each for my forehead, each cheek, and my chin/nose. My routine order up to this product goes like this: cleanse, actives + wait time (if I'm using any), hydrating toner (optional), and then this essence. I use it both morning and night.

Texture
The essence is almost clear with a watery gel texture. It smells like absolutely nothing to me; although keep in mind, I have a weak sense of smell. It spreads really easily, especially if my face is slightly damp, and it sinks in quickly.

Left: straight from the bottle; Right: rubbed/patted in

Results
So, the results of this product can seem subtle, especially if you've been using it for months, like I have. However, I noticed a huge difference when I went on vacation and (foolishly) stopped using this for a couple weeks. Redness issues I had totally forgotten about returned, and it was not cute! That's the thing with a lot of products that really work: results build up slowly over time, so it's easy to gradually forget how bad things were before. A great reason to be consistent about taking progress pictures. :)

With regards to my acne itself, I can't say this product made too much of a difference, but it definitely soothes and prevents the redness caused by my acne and acne scars. In my experience, this improves the appearance of the acne-prone areas of my face, even if the amount of actual blemishes stays the same. It also adds some light hydration - more if you put on multiple layers.

Another aspect I really like about this product is how gentle it is on my skin. Whenever I have a cold, I sneeze like crazy, and the skin around my nose gets extremely raw and dry, and it starts to peel. The last time I had a bad cold, literally every skincare product I applied to that area burned, except this one! I ended up doing a few layers of Snail Bee essence in place of my usual routine on that area. It didn't totally eliminate the peeling, but I did notice that skin healed a lot faster than usual. 

Value
I purchased this product for $14 during a 30% off Benton promotion at Crystal Cove Beauty (see Where to Buy), and I've been using it twice a day. My bottle is starting to run low, but I estimate by the time I finish it, it will have lasted 5 months. This qualifies as a good deal in my book! Considering how much my skin likes this product, I would repurchase it at full price if I couldn't find a good deal. Keep in mind that Benton doesn't use much in the way of preservatives, so I wouldn't stock up on this product during a sale, unless I was sure I would be using it soon.

Overall Rating

The difference I saw when I stopped using the Snail Bee Essence for a couple weeks really convinced me of its importance in my routine. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an essence that reduces redness, promotes a more even skin tone, and adds light hydration, especially if you have sensitive skin. (Of course, it's still important to check for ingredient sensitivities and patch test!)

5/5!

Where to Buy:
iHerb, currently $18
 Code for 5% off: HKP964 ** 
 Referral link **

Crystal Cove Beauty, currently $20
 Code for 10% off your first order: LoveBeauty
 Occasionally, Crystal Cove has promo codes for 30% off Benton products, so check for any special offers when you're ordering

Mishibox, currently sold out, normally $20
 Save $5 off your first order: http://r.sloyalty.com/r/vvvmhXDMxzrw **

** Indicates referral link
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