Benton Memebox Review

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

Back in May I purchased the Benton Box ($30) from Memebox. Now that I've been using the products for a little over 2 months, I thought it was time to give them a proper review. For reference, I have oily, congested skin with under the skin bumps (sebaceous hyperplasia) and dark spots from sun damage from years of living on the Gulf Coast and an aversion to wearing sun screen (now reformed).

If you are not familiar with Benton, they are a South Korean brand that features a skincare product line made from snail mucus and bee venom, appropriately named Snail Bee. Those are two ingredients that my oily skin really enjoys, and while I've used both snail mucus and bee venom separately in other products, this was the first time I was able to use products with a combination of both. The products also feature niacinamide (skin brightening, improve elasticity, enhance skin barrier) and green tea (antioxidant), as well as other plant extracts with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammation benefits.

Included in the Benton box (now sold out, although I wouldn't be surprised if it comes back around again) are:

• 3 Snail Bee High Content Mask Packs: these facial masks have become a favorite.  They are plenty hydrating without leaving a sticky residue on my face, something I really don't like and is not that uncommon with sheet masks. The sheets are completely saturated with essence and I can wear these for a good 30 minutes of refreshing coolness.
  
  
• Snail Bee High Content Skin ($15): a toner designed to hydrate and prep the skin for better absorption of other skin care products. Used immediately after cleansing, I do a few pumps into my hands and apply directly to my face, patting it in as opposed to rubbing.  Alternately, I sometimes apply it to a 2-piece facial sheet that I let sit on the skin for a few seconds before tearing it apart and lightly swiping over my face.
  
• Snail Bee High Content Essence ($18): I've really been enjoying using the High Content Essence during the day, as it's light texture works well in the summer heat and provides enough moisture when used in combination with a hydrating toner that I don't feel the need to add another moisturizer to the mix.  Ingredients: Snail Secretion Filtrate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Arbutin, Zenthoxylum Peperitum Fruit Extract, Uanea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Bee Venom, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Ulmus Campestris (Elm) Extract, Althaea rosea flower extract, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Bacillus Ferment, Azelaic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Beta-Glucan, Adenosine, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Human Oligopeptide-1, Allantoin, Arginine, Panethnol
  
  
• Snail Bee High Content Lotion ($15): A light weight moisturizer that I use sporadically when I feel like my skin needs more moisture than the toner and essence supply on their on. It  doesn't seem to make my skin more oily and works will under makeup, and I can see using this even more during the cooler weather months.
  
• Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream ($15): This moisturizer is made using a process where high temperature steam in injected into the ingredients, which helps the ingredients work better together plus gives the cream a lightweight creamy texture.  I haven't used this much at all, as I'm waiting for cooler weather when my skin is not in oil hyper drive. I did read one review which said the lotion was more moisturizing than the steam cream, so I should probably give this one a go to see for myself. I did read some reviews from people who said the steam cream broke them out, but the ingredients look pretty clean to me, based on cosDNA.
  
  
• Honest TT Mist ($8): I used this as a makeup setting spray, and I loved it!  It's on the smaller side but lasted 2 months, which isn't bad for near daily use. Good stuff.

The box also contained samples of the Aloe BHA Skin Toner and Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel. I've since bought a full size of the Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel, I like it so much.  I'll leave that to another review, however.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that several years back Benton experienced a contamination issue with their Snail Bee line.  Benton uses only natural preservatives, which means their products have a limited shelf life (both the origin and expiration dates are clearly marked on the packaging) and they can become unstable at extreme temperatures. I admit I was a bit nervous, as you never know the storage or shipping conditions of items, especially those originating so far away. I did some skin testing prior to fully immersing myself in the products, and have not experienced any problems at all.  I really like this line! 

I will continue to use the toner and essence during the rest of the summer, as they are worked very well for me. I'll incorporate the lotion and steam cream more once the temps cool down and my skin needs a bit more moisture.