A sticky disappointment: Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream
Written By Jenny Wu on
So it’s been about 2 months since I hauled my Korean skincare products, so I’ve had time to use the products and see if they really live up to the hype. Sadly the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream was one that did not.
I first read about the Benton brand and their Snail Bee Steam Cream on Skin & Tonics, where Kerry raved about this product. Looking at at the ingredients, I was impressed myself, as there were plenty of excellent actives and not too many fillers .
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, Sunflower Seed Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, Argan 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
While the packaging itself isn’t very sexy, I give it points for the hygienic tube packaging. I don’t understand why so many cosmetic companies insist on packaging their day/night creams in jars!
Now when I think steam cream, I immediately picture the SteamCream brand moisturizer (the ones that come in beautiful little tins), which has this lightweight yet luxurious texture and instantly soaks into your skin. Unfortunately the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream was nothing like that. Instead it was thick and surprisingly difficult to spread. On top of that, I had to really massage this product into my face for my skin to finally absorb it.
Sadly, even when the product seems to have absorbed it still feels really heavy. On top of that, it leaves behind this sticky residue, which I can’t seem to make go away no matter how little of the product I use.
Disappointing consistency and post-application texture aside, the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream didn’t wow me with any spectacular results. Given its thick consistency I use this only at night, and while my skin is brighter the next morning, I found that I got the same results from my Algenist Genius White Brightening Anti-Aging cream, which had a much more pleasant texture. Unfortunately I have not noticed any other positive results, so I’ve pretty much stopped using it when the weather got warmer. If it felt this heavy in the winter, I can’t even imagine what it’ll feel like in the summer!
Key Points
- Excellent active ingredients with great potentials
- Hygienic tube packaging
- Brightens your skin
- Thick texture suitable for dry skin only
- Difficult to apply and absorb
- Leaves behind a sticky residue
Final Verdict
-
Packaging
8
-
Ingredients
9
-
Performance
5
-
Price
8
Given this Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream's impressive ingredients I was really hoping for more than just brightening effects. But I think the biggest deal breaker for me was the texture and post-application heaviness. Yes it was so bad that whatever benefits this product had - brightening, good packaging, reasonable price, etc. - just wasn't worth it. If you have dry or maybe even normal skin, you might have better luck with this, but I definitely don't recommend this for combination or oily skin gals.
Where to Buy
Cosmetic Love – $17 – Free worldwide shipping and earn points for every purchase. Orders come with a lot of samples, and they have new sales every week.
W2 Beauty – $15 – Free worldwide shipping and frequent sales. Get $5 off your first order with promo code 119681001
Further Reading
Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.
Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨
Comments & Questions
Cat
That’s too bad that this one didn’t live up to the hype =/ I wouldn’t want to use a cream that is thick and leaves behind a sticky residue. Having the right texture is pretty important!
Jenny Wu
I agree Cat! Especially now the weather is getting warmer and more humid, the stickiness is extra intolerable!
Uglyfish
I really dislike residue! I'm sorry to hear the product didn't match up to your expectations - particularly as it has so many active ingredient benefits. The Algenist cream looks nice however. I'm not a fan of little tubs, I'd much rather have squeezey tubes or pumps too!
Jenny Wu
I'm not a fan of tubs either :( When I have longer nails the product always gets under my nails when I scooper, which really bothers me! Tubes or a bottle with a pump is definitely the way to go.