Review: Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream

 

The last product in my Benton haul also rounds up my nighttime skincare routine: Benton's Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream, a heavier cream moisturizer that contains the company's usual star ingredients of snail filtrate and bee venom.  The "steam" method of producing this product means the ingredients are subjected to high temperatures that fuse everything together and support a creamier texture.  I've never tried other steam creams but if they're all like this one then they're definitely worth trying out.  This face cream is now a solid star in my collection of moisturizers and I definitely plan to repurchase.



The ingredients for this cream have very low potential for irritation or triggering acne.  I love how they've skipped the commonly used cetyl/cetearyl alcohol (ingredients my acne-prone & sensitive face dislikes) and how there are so many anti-inflammatory actives (niacinamide, willow bark, etc) for my troubled skin.  A tub version exists but I always prefer the more hygienic squeeze tubes for less chance of contamination and oxidation.  (The soft plastic also lets me estimate how much product is left over so I'm not late to re-order.)  

There's a nice heavy density to this cream so if I squeeze out a pea-sized amount onto my palm and then turn it over it'll stay stuck to my hand instead of dripping.  The texture is super smooth but I do need to take a bit more time to gently massage it into my skin (otherwise I see white streaks over my face).  It's hard to say if this is because of the cream itself or because I have so many other products already layered on my face.  In any case, I don't mind this extra massage step because I usually apply in bed when I'm feeling relaxed and ready to snooze so it's a bit of pampering for me.  A small amount goes such a long way that I'm still using the same tube after 4 months of nightly use.  (At the rate I'm going I estimate each tube should last me and my needs ~5-6 months.)

I can tell there's a faintly chemical odor to this cream but it's so light I can only detect it when applying under my nose.  By holding my breathe for a few seconds I consider this problem solved.  After application my skin ends up feeling soft and plump without a greasy feel.  There's a slight sheen but since I mainly use this cream as a night cream it doesn't bother me.  When I apply acne treatments over this cream I have no issues with it clumping up or being incompatible texture-wise.

Over the last year my skin type has slowly improved from mainly dry to normal/dry and I give some credit to this snail cream for helping the process along.  In the past I could feel tightness in my cheeks, nose and around my lips within minutes of washing my face if I slacked on immediately applying skincare products.  Today I'm still vigilant about quick application but I have some leeway if I need it!

Also need to mention that this rich cream has not increased my breakouts, an important requirement for any heavier creams I use because of my sadly acne-prone skin.  I used to apply products on only one side of my face at a time to test a product's claims for treating breakouts but I neglected to do so with this one.  Now I'm regretting I wasn't more scientific about how I use this cream because it'd be nice to quantify how much benefit for acne I'm actually getting.  

Many bloggers raved about how this steam cream (along with the essence I reviewed here) eliminated all of their pimples but my lower cheeks and chin continue to break out (especially before my period comes).  Anyway, I've accepted my skin is more stubborn than most and my hormonal issues will continue to cause troubled skin regardless of the topical products I use.  In other words, I would have loved to be one of the lucky folks that found a Holy Grail cream for acne, but I'm still happy with the performance of this Benton product and plan to repurchase.  This is an inexpensive moisturizer that delivers a solid performance as a night cream and also interacts well with the other skincare products I apply to my face.

Summary

• Packaging:     5/5 (hygienic; easy to control flow; opaque)
• Smell:             4/5 (slight smell but I have an oddly sensitive nose)
• Performance:  4/5 (hydrating; easy to apply/mix w/ others; doesn't stop acne)
• Value/Price:    5/5 (~$15 for a 50g tube; long-lasting)
• Recommend? Yes (for normal/dry skin types)
• Repurchase? Yes