Sorry for the long wait – real life took the reins for awhile there, but I’m back, and ready to continue with my review of the Benton Snail Bee series, specifically the steam cream and the lotion. As of this writing, I’m pretty certain I am one of the only person who liked both of these products…together. Actually, I might be the only person who likes the lotion in this line at all. But let me back up a little…

The first product I added to my routine was the steam cream. The packaging description says it

is for all types of skins including sensitive and troubled ones. The product will help you to maintin healthy and moisturized skin by using steaming method to cure your rough and damaged skin from various stresses and pollution. Instead of water, the cream uses Snail secretion filtrate, Bee venom and EGF as main components with other vegetable cosmetic ingredients to perform skin trouble care, moisture supply, and skin tone improvement. Also, this high content multi-care cream contains functional materials, such as Niacinamide and Adenosine that help whitening your skin and remove wrinkles.

The ingredient listing for the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream is as follows:

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Glycerin

Butyline Glycol

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Niacinamide

Stearic Acid

Behnyl Alcohol

Phytosqualane

Human Oligopeptide-1

Bee Venom

Arbutin

Adenosine

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (sunflower)

Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) seed oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Glycerol Stearate

Arginine

Carbomer

Urea

Tocopheryl Acelate

Plantao Asiatica Extract

Laminaria Digilata Extract

Diospyros Kiki Leaf Extract

Salix Alba (willow) bark extract

Ulmus Campestris (elm) extract

Pentylene Glycol

Zanthoxylum Pipertium Fruit Extract

Pulsatilla Koreana Extract

Usnea Barbata (Lichen Extract.

The steam cream comes in a little brown plastic jar with a screw-on top, and is a white gel-cream. It’s actually very difficult to categorize the texture, because it doesn’t really compare to any other moisturizers or creams I’ve used – it looks deceptively light-weight, but is actually quite heavy – a little sticky, even – which is why I began using it as my night cream, replacing my EL Daywear Crème. I found that a little really does go a very long way with this cream – an amount the size of a dime was perfect for first application. Because yes… I needed two applications of this stuff to get the moisturizing effect I wanted.

Basically, the cream was so non-absorbent that if I tried to put on as much as I needed, it would just sit on top of my face for awhile, slowing soaking in. I can definitely see why some people use this as a sleeping mask, that’s for sure. However, I wanted to use it as a regular cream, and after some experimentation, found that two light applications half an hour to 45 minutes apart was the best way to get maximum moisturizing capability – the first application would soak in by that time, and I would apply the second and go to bed. On one hand, it worked really well: my skin looked wonderful whenever I woke up the next day, just plump and glowing, and if I overslept and had to skip my morning cream, I wouldn’t get dry patches until about mid-morning.

But let’s be real: it’s a pain in the neck to apply a cream twice every night, especially if you’re tired and just want to go to sleep. Just based on this, I thought that the steam cream would actually be better for people with more oily-type skin, because one application would probably by enough to moisturize. It’s definitely not enough if you have drier skin. However, I will say that I experienced no allergic reactions to using the cream, although I will note that it stings if applied on broken skin, like a scratch or acne scab. I used the cream solo for about three weeks, enough time to think that I would use up the jar I had, but I wouldn’t re-purchase. And then I decided to add the lotion into the mix.

The Snail Bee High Content Lotion is described in a similar way to the Cream. Apparently,

it is for all types of skins including sensitive. Instead of water, the product uses snail secretion filtrate and camellia sinensis leaf water, bee venom and EGF to cleanse your rough and damaged skin from various stresses and pollution. In addition to the skin-soothing, moisture supply and skin tone improvement functions, Niacinamide and Adenosine contents of the product help you whitening your skin and remove wrinkles.

Funny thing, though – if you look at the ingredient list, there is no camellia sinensis leaf water in the mix. Go figure.

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Butyline Glycol

Glycerin

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Niacinamide

Zanthoxylum Pipertium Fruit Extract

Pulsatilla Koreana Extract

Usnea Barbata (Lichen Extract)

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Squalen

Urea

Human Oligopeptide-1

Bee Venom

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil (sunflower)

Carthamus Tinctorius (safflower) seed oil

Pentylene Glycol

Glycerol Stearate

Stearic Acid

Cetostearyl Alcohol

Xantham Gum

Tocopheryl Acelate

Bacillus Ferment

Azelaic Acid

Althaea Rosea Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Panthenol

Beta-Glucan

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Salix Alba (willow) bark extract

Plantago Asiatica extract

laminaria digitata extract

ulmus campestris (elm) extract

aloe barbadensis leaf juice

Adenosine

The lotion comes in a pump container, and it has the consistency of a light lotion – which makes sense, as it is meant to act as an emulsion before the steam cream. Again, like the steam cream, the texture is hard to describe. It has a lot of “slip” to it – if you rub it between your fingers, it is surprisingly slippery and non-absorbent.

I have to admit, the first time used this, I really wasn’t expecting much. On my initial application, I massaged three pumps all over my face, and my initial reaction wasn’t too impressed. It didn’t absorb at all – the lotion left a white film over my face during the initial massage. I was pretty ticked – I was actually going to wash my face and start over, but lo and behold, as I was waiting for the water to heat up, the lotion suddenly absorbed into my face.

Yeah, you heard that right. One second, the lotion was just sitting on top of my face, doing nothing, the next, my skin had sucked it in like it had never been there. I touched my face, and there was no residue at all. Since then, I’ve learned the best way to apply it is just to lightly massage two pumps over my face for coverage, then apply my eye cream. By the time I’m done with that step, the lotion has absorbed, and it’s time to apply the stream cream.

This is where the biggest difference is. However the lotion works, it acts as a facilitator for the steam cream – instead of two widely spaced applications, I can do one larger-than-usual application that will absorb in 15 min and moisturize my face the whole night. Additionally, the “sticky” sensation the steam cream leaves behind when used solo is eliminated by using the lotion first. Below is a comparison of absorption rates for you edification:

So using the lotion and steam cream in tandem is really a must: the lotion isn’t really moisturizing enough on it’s own, but the steam cream is far too inefficient to be used by itself, at least on my skin. Aside from that…well, I’ve been using the duo for over two months now. It has never broken me out or given me hives, and since there is no added fragrance, it basically has no natural fragrance. It moisturizes me pretty well, although I’d like to see how it holds up in the very dry summer months instead of the relatively wetter spring.

However, I haven’t noticed any extra benefits from using this product. It didn’t clear up any more of my redness than the Essence did – although to be fair, there might not be any more redness to clear up – and I certainly didn’t notice any other changes in the texture or brightness of my skin. Lastly, these are not safe to use on broken skin – every time I applied the due over an acne scab or a scratch on my face, both products stung! Not a pleasant feeling.

Ultimately, I feel a little ambivalent about these products. They work awfully well, as long as they are used together, but I don’t really feel a lot of pizzazz while using them, and the fact that I can’t use them on broken skin is a definite mark against them. I’m not sure I’ll re-purchase these – I will definitely try other moisturizers before coming back to these two products.