SPEAKING OF SERUMS
The last time I was here for serum was for the Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum, which I raved again and again here and on my Instagram (@yanrula). Now that it has been more than a month later and I'm very excited to have this newly launched Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Serum to try and review. Thank you Benton for sending this over! By the way, here's a fun fact: did you know Benton got its name from the fictional movie ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ where Benjamin (Brat Pitt) grew younger & younger as he aged?
It has everything in both languages (Korean 'cause this a Korean brand and English) so don't worry!
NITTY GRITTY
Now that we've got some background story covered, it's time we drill down into what's inside of this little pink bottle of transparent liquid. Here we welcome: the INGREDIENT LIST.
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Butylene Glycol, Aqua (Water), Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Flower Extract, Madecassoside, Allantoin, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Betaine, Panthenol, Carbomer, Arginine
Bolded are the good/star ingredients in the product whereas underlined are those flagged as 4 & above under 'Safety index' in by EWG. Safety index ranges from 1-9 and the lower the number means the less hazardous. Those with asterisk (*) are more likely to cause acne or irritate skin than those without.
The ingredient list on the box. Can you see that bunny logo? It means this is cruelty free!
OH WOW!
That's a long a** ingredient list! Almost all ingredients inside have the ability to condition the skin (skin-conditioning agents). That's a good sign I presume as all these ingredients can provide a soft improved feel and texture to skin. It also reduces evaporation from the skin surface and increases the moisture content of the skin. I'm also seeing a lot of Cacao inside which can provide intensive moisture and nutritive benefits to our skin!
p.s. It is free from paraben, alcohol, sulphate, colorant and PEGs. I'm also not seeing any preservative in this, which is another BIG plus point!
It comes with a plastic dropper, that's hygienic!
YAS, THE GOOD ONES
You can read other product reviews containing the bolded ingredients by clicking on them in the ingredient list above.
Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol are all powerful moisturiser. Hence this could potentially be a life saver for those of you with extremely dry skin! Then, we have Allantoin. An ingredient that aims to improve dry and rough skin as it provides our skin with intensive moisture. Being a skin conditioner, it is also known for its ability to soothe irritated skin and protect our skin from external irritants and dirt.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate is a dipotassium salt of Glycyrrhizic Acid. It is normally used as a flavouring agent and a skin conditioning agent as it as anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties. Licorice Root Extract is good for fighting acne, skin brightening and calming the skin. It can also diminish the appearance of under-eye dark circles, discolouration and even age spots as well as acting as a powerful antioxidant to protect the skin from environmental stressors and balance oil.
Woo look at the transparent liquid!
YAS, THE GOOD ONES (contd.)
Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract is a rich source of epigallocatechin gallate, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants available. Moreover, Green Tea Extract is a good anti-inflammatory agent. It can help reduce skin inflammation (go away acnes!) and inhibit the action of collagenase (an enzyme that breaks down collagen, bad bad enzyme).
Willow Bark Extract contains salicylic acid, a type of BHA which is a natural exfoliant (remember my BHA Power Liquid Review? I mentioned before that it contains this Willow Bark Extract too!) and is used in many acne treatments as it can help skin shed dead cells and clear pores. Not just that, it can also stimulate new cell formation and help reduce the appearance of marks (goodbye acne marks!).
The liquid is quite viscous. But if you put a few more drops, it becomes easier to spread.
YAS, THE GOOD ONES (contd.)
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract is commonly used in skincare products to help relieve inflammatory skin conditions and calm sensitive skin. It has the ability to provide antioxidant protection to our skin and it's also good for dry skin as it can soothe, moisturize and inhibit the growth of bacteria (die acne bacteria! Die!).
Acne-Fighting: Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract
Brightening: Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
Promotes Wound Healing: Panthenol, Madecassoside, Centella Asiatica Extract
Look how it is sliding down my hand!
NAH, THE BAD ONES
Finally I can skip this one again and my heart just did a backflip there out of happiness! Skincarisma has not highlighted anything bad at all from this ingredient list! This is not surprising at all as my skin has reacted very positively over the three-week course of which I've been using this serum. Now, let's go into the texture, smell, feel and results part of this lovely one!
WHAT IS THIS?
This Cacao Moist and Mild Serum is a lightweight and hydrating serum. It aims to replenish the skin's moisture and smoothen out the skin texture. I've been using this for almost three weeks now only on my left cheek. It's a little funny to only use it on one side of my face. But because of the results it's promising, I was worried that this wouldn't show up as well on the camera. So I might have just as well use both of my cheeks as comparison!
After spreading out, can you see the glossier skin on my hand? By the way, the serum absorbs very quickly and is non-sticky!
GIMME THE DETAILS
I was surprised by how light the bottle felt in my hand. When I fist took it out, for a second I thought the product bottle is empty LOL! It is with closer inspection that I realised this bottle is made of plastic, which contributes to the lighter weight yet sturdy design. The dropper that it came with is also made of plastic, which significantly reduces the risk of breakage. I like that!
NOW THE SMELL & TEXTURE
I like the smell. It smells exactly like Benton's Snail Bee High Content Essence. They do have some ingredients, such as Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Betaine, Panthenol and Arginine, in common, which I think may have contributed to the resemblance. In terms of texture, the serum has a rather thick consistency. Sometimes I feel it's a little difficult to get it out of the dropper especially when it comes to the last few drop. I can put one drop on my hand and have my hand turned over, and that drop of serum won't even move an inch LOL.
Now this is my right cheek, which has never benefited from this serum at all. :(
LIGHT & COMFY
However, despite that, it is not hard to spread and it also doesn't change the fact that it is still very lightweight. I rarely put serum during the day under my sunblock because Malaysia's weather really doesn't permit that. But this can sit nicely under the hot weather without making my skin uncomfortable. That itself made me fall in love with it because what's better than a product that can last through even the hot season (it's suitable for all seasons according to Benton!)?
FINAL SAY
This has made my skin so smooth over the past three weeks. I've been using it day and night (with a one or two day break in between when I'm simply too tired and lazy) after my toner and before my moisturiser / sunblock. I sincerely love how smooth and glowy the skin texture of my left cheek has become (I only put it on my left cheek so that I have my right cheek to compare haha) and I just couldn't get enough of it. Definitely highly recommended! This saves my life especially now that my working life is just outright crazy!
And I was worried that the difference wouldn't show up very prominently on camera... LOL! Didn't know I would be able to circle them up!
Buy buy buy:
International
eBay - RM66.15 (approx. USD17)
Connect with Benton
Thank you for reading, see you in the next post!
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The product was sent to me for review purposes. The review is 100% my personal opinion of the product after personally trying it out. Please make sure you consult whoever is selling you the product and ask for samples if you can! Read my disclaimer here.
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