[Benton Review] Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water

Price: NA [Benton Site]

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase:  Probably

Brand & Product 

I have been a fan of Benton products for a while, so when they put out their feelers for people interested in trying out their Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water, I was, of course, super keen on getting my hands on it! I'm lucky enough to be chosen as one of their reviewers, so here I am! 

Benton is inspired by and named after the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", in which Benjamin Button grows younger with time. It's one of my favorite movies which I will probably never want to watch again because it's not one of those feel-good movies. It's a movie about a man who ages backwards, growing younger and younger, which is where Benton comes in, aiming to restore the skin back to it's healthy condition with healthy recipes. 

Benton Tea Tree Cleasning Water is infused with Tea Tree Leaf Water and Tea Tree Leaf Oil which are made in Korea. The cleansing water gives a refreshing & calming effect on tired skin while mildly cleansing. It also revitalizes irritated, stressed out skin with redness. 

According to their description, Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water is designed to combine cleansing and tea tree treatment in order to ease the inconvenience of those who separately was their faces with tea tree essential oil diluted water. The product only has 10 clean ingredients, which is less of a burden on the skin. 

This cleansing water is recommended for those with skin that is tired from impurities and external stressors/ oily and acne prone skin, and skin that wants a naturally derived cleansing water. 

Personally, my skin has been breaking out from a number of factors recently, so I'm really keen on trying out a mild cleanser that wouldn't react badly with my skin. The clean ingredients, free of PEGs, Sulfates, Fragrance and colorant as well as the limited ingredients means less chances for my skin to freak out from anything, which I am all for. 

Packaging and directions

As is with most Benton products, they opted with a simple design as its packaging. It is a plastic bottle with a small opening at the top of the bottle to allow for easy dispensing onto a cotton pad. 

Instructions are as follows: 

1) Use this cleansing water as a makeup remover or a morning cleanser. Wet a cotton pad with the product and gently wipe the entire face.

2) Place the wet cotton pad for a while on the parts that need thorough cleansing and then gently wipe. (Using an eye makeup remover is recommended to erase eye makeup). 

Ingredients

Ingredients are Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water (Tea Tree), Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melaluca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (tea tree), polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, and Sodium Chloride. Running this through cosdna is a pleasure. The only possible acne trigger is the butylene glycol and even then, the warning sits at a low 1. 

The main highlight here, is the Tea Tree Leaf, of course, with the water covering 70% of the product. Tea tree leaf has been used as infection treatment for having antibacterial effect. It also has calming and deodorizing properties. It has many benefits on the skin, including skin soothing, hydrating, astringent, and anti-blemish effects. 

Texture and Fragrance

Being a cleansing water, it comes as no surprise that this is really watery. It doesn't smell like tea tree, which is quite a surprise considering it's ingredients, but it doesn't smell like anything at all. That's a good thing, I suppose. The product soaks into cotton pads easily enough, since the bottle opening is large enough that water comes out at an alarming rate. Lol. I sometimes overestimate where the water would end up and soak my floor with it. 

Performance

I've been using this two ways, one as a morning cleanser, which I really enjoy, and the second as a makeup remover. 

I have multiple makeup removers despite not being big on makeup myself. One product that comes to mind, which I'd compare this to, is The Saem's Healing Tea Garden Tea Tree Cleansing Water, which has comparable ingredients and is quite refreshing to use. On the other hand, I found that The Saem's Tea Tree Cleansing Water didn't really cleanse my skin well enough, so I've forgone the use of it most days.

Because of my prior experience with tea tree-based cleansing water, expectations for this cleansing water isn't particularly high. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that it's not the same case with the Benton Cleansing Water. 

As you can see from the pictures, I used two cotton pads in order to remove all of my makeup for the night. And that's including my waterproof eyeliner, which I'm quite surprised with, frankly, since it usually takes a lot more effort to get that off. In addition, it says in the instructions itself that it's not meant to be an eye makeup remover... That could be also because it hurts like nobody's business when it does get into my eyes. T.T Regrets. 

So, as a makeup remover, it does a really good job! I've forgone oil cleansing in favor of using this cleansing water for days when I use sunscreen and am satisfied that it can get most of my sunscreen off as well. 

As a morning cleanser, I got to admit I'm satisfied too. It's a very mild cleansing water, and just a single wipe over my face is enough to leave my skin feeling soothed and clean. I was kind of hoping this would work something like a toner, where I don't have to rinse my face after, but it's a necessity as it does leave something of a film on the skin. 

I've been using this  for the past week or so quite consistently and I find that I'm reaching more for this in the morning before I hop into the showers instead of washing my face with the Cosrx low pH cleansers in the morning. Speaking of which, I tested this with a pH strip and found that it lies somewhere between 5-6  on pH level, which isn't as low as I'd like my cleansers to be, but is good enough too. 

Overall, I have to say I'm quite satisfied with this. In terms of long term use, I'm not quite sure yet, since my skin can take a while to decide whether it loves or hate a product. I have my fingers crossed that this isn't the cause of my sudden cystic acne breakout though. :( Seeing as this is the only new product I've introduced to my skin lately, it could be a possibility. For now, I will stop using this, and reintroduce it some time in the future once my skin's healed. I will report back with results. ^^ 

Price: NA [Benton Site]

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase:  Probably

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[Benton Review] Benton Papaya-D Sun Cream SPF38 / PA+++ 50g

Price: ~$20

Verdict: 8/10
Repurchase:  Probably Not

Benton Product & History

It's no secret that I love Benton products. It's one of the brands with products that seem to work for me consistently and I'm slowly building a routine that's made with more and more Benton products. I've reviewed another product of theirs, the Benton Cacao Moist & Mild Cream here. I have oily/combo skin that's proving to be quite sensitive and I've yet to come across a Benton product that my skin dislikes.

Benton is inspired by and named after the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", in which Benjamin Button grows younger with time. It's one of my favorite movies which I will probably never want to watch again because it's not one of those feel-good movies. It's a movie about a man who ages backwards, growing younger and younger, which is where Benton comes in, aiming to restore the skin back to it's healthy condition with healthy recipes. Benton presents freshly made products by sticking to small batch productions, which is pretty great.

I was lucky to be chosen as one of their reviewers for their first ever sunscreen product, the Benton Papaya-D Suncream SPF38/PA+++ 50g, available on benton's official site for about $20. The main ingredient of papaya had me curious, since it's one of my favorite fruits and the trees grow readily around my house. ^^ I'm guilty of not wearing sunscreen consistently, so I'm extra grateful to be able to try this out since it kind of obligates me to use sunscreen daily.

Packaging & Directions

Like the Benton Cacao Cream that was released earlier, this cream also came in tube packaging, which I really enjoy, since it keeps the contents inside sanitary and clean. I do miss their larger tubes that are cheaper per ml though. I can't quite get over the fact that they're charging almost $20 for 50ml of sunscreen, which is pretty high-tier, especially considering how much sunscreen is needed daily for best protection. Anyways, the tube comes with a foil seal. In addition, Benton utilizes 

Anyways, directions say to apply a suitable amount evenly in the last skincare step. It needs to be applied evenly to the face and other parts of the body before sun exposure. Be sure to apply sunscreen on your neck too. I always forget to apply sunscreen on my neck and now my face and neck are two different shades. =.= Reapplication is needed if you're sweating (since I don't think this is waterproof) and in case of strong sunlight exposure. 

Ingredients 

This is a combination sunscreen, both chemical and mineral agents present in order to protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays. Ethylhexy Methoxycinnamate and Isoamyl p-MEthoxycinnamate are the chemical sunscreen agents in the ingredients while the mineral sunscreen component is the Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide, BisEthylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine and Ethylhexy methoxycinnamate are all capable of blocking both UVA and UVB rays.

The main ingredient here is of course, Papaya -  Carica Papata Fruit Water, Carica Papaya Seed Oil, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract and Papain. These extracts are meant to help keep skin moist and vibrant.  The Papain is a protease obtained from the papaya that is effective in pore care, controlling sebum and dead skin cells.

In addition, the suncream contains niacinamide and adenosine for brightening and smoothing complexion. There are plenty of moisturizers, emulsifiers, and emollients in the long list of ingredients. I like this functions both as a sunscreen and as something that's beneficial for the skin, though I don't particularly like how many things they've added to it. For example, they've seem to have added Algin, which ranks 4 as both an acne stimulant and irritant. It's a binding agent and a fragrance. Several oils are also added, with the citrus oils seem to be contributing most to the fragrance.

Cosdna can be found here: Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Water(55%), Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Isoamyl p-Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil,  Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Panthenol, Carica Papaya Seed Oil(5000ppm), Glyceryl Caprylate, Stearic Acid, Water, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract(750ppm), Tocopherol,Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate,Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Papain(100ppm), Propanediol,Adenosine, Sodium Gluconate, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Algin, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Bud Extract, Glucose,Juniperus Communis Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Oil

Texture and Fragrance

The texture is a little creamy and quite thick, but spreads fairly easily. The initial white cast actually helps a little in showing me which part of my face I missed and absorbs fast enough that it's not much of a problem. It smells like sour plums but the scent fades pretty quickly so it's not much of a problem.

This is the effect it has on my hand. As you can see, it makes my skin fairly shiny and even thought there's no obvious white cast, there's a definite difference pre- and post- sunscreen. It never quite sinks in. The cream doesn't dry matte and is a little tacky. I suppose it's the lack of alcohol in the product. In addition, a full day of use seems to make my skin oilier than usual. 

Performance

The sunscreen, when applied on my face, leaves my skin kind of reflective. I can't quite capture the effect with my shitty front facing camera. At first I thought I was overreacting, but my mom commented, while on video call, why my skin was so 'white' and if I was wearing too much makeup. T.T So yeah, definitely not a good look on me.

After a few hours of wearing this, it leaves my skin oily and super reflective. That happens when I use creams that's too heavy for my skin. I have oily/combo skin, so maybe this skin, with all the moisturizers, emollients, and oils in the ingredients were just too much for my skin to handle. Thankfully, other than feeling mildly uncomfortable at the end of the day, the cream doesn't do anything bad.

It does, however, seem to be helping me fade acne scars on my forehead. I just need to remember what not to use. 

So, do I love this?

Well, short answer is, no. It's one of those creams that's just a little too heavy for me when applied for too long a time. I think it might work better for those with dry skin and in weather that's drier than here in Malaysia! The hot and humid weather here means any heavier creams will freak out my oily/combo skin. ><

Price: ~$20

Verdict: 8/10
Repurchase:  Probably Not

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[Benton Review] Benton Cacao Moist and Milk Cream

Price: $21.94

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase:  Probably

Benton Product

It's no secret that I love Benton products. It's one of the brands with products that seem to work for me consistently and I'm slowly building a routine that's made with more and more Benton products. I have oily/combo skin that's proving to be quite sensitive and I've yet to come across a Benton product that my skin dislikes. In fact, I keep the Benton Tea tree Mist handy beside my work computer so I can reach for it whenever I'm feeling hot so I can cool off.

Benton is inspired by and named after the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", in which Benjamin Button grows younger with time. It's one of my favorite movies which I will probably never want to watch again because it's not one of those feel-good movies. It's a movie about a man who ages backwards, growing younger and younger, which is where Benton comes in, aiming to restore the skin back to it's healthy condition with healthy recipes. 

Benton presents freshly made products by sticking to small batch productions, something which I'm sort of familiar with since I'm in love with their Benton's Snail Bee High Content Essence. The color of the essence differs according to the seasons, which one of the ingredients is a plant which color differs accordingly, if I'm not mistaken. ^^ Pretty cool, in my honest opinion.

So, when they put out their feelers for people interested in trying out their brand new product, I was immediately keen. How lucky am I that they actually chose me as one of their testers! I'm one of their first testers for their new Benton Cacao Moist and Milk Cream and I'm loving it so much I'm looking out to see if my favorite stores (Jolse and BBcosmetic) will stock it. ^^ It's available on benton's official site for $21.94. 

Packaging & Directions

The packaging is pretty standard. I'm actually really glad it comes in a tube, since that keeps it sanitary and clean. I kind of miss their bigger tubes though, like the Benton 150ml Snail Bee lotion that's lasting me forever (review coming up soon). Still, I much prefer the tube design compared to say, a jar which requires me to use a spatula every time. =.= I also like that there's a seal on the tube, preventing it from leaking in transit.

Directions says to apply a suitable amount to face and pat until fully absorbed. The texture of this cream is exactly as the name suggests, moist and milky, so I apply this near the end of my routine, but before any heavier lotions or sleeping packs at night. :) It's best to finish up the product six weeks after opening, which is not a problem at all at the rate I'm using this. 

Ingredients 

Ingredients: Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Water, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexandiol, Pentylene Glycol, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Carbomer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum

Benton Cacao Moist and Milk Cream is made with 63% cacao extract, which is rich in polyphenols, which are antioxidants. It helps to moisturize and soften skin. In addition there's 10% cacao seed butter, which is obtained from pressed seeds of cacao. Cacao Seed butter consists of beneficial fatty acids such as palmaitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid. It helps to retain moisture.

Do take note that cacao extract is a fatty oil and it may not be suitable for some skin types. Everything about the ingredients suggests that it might be too heavy for my skin type, which is oily and combination skin, but that's not the case at all. Despite being rich in fatty acids and made with cocoa butter, it absorbs wonderfully into my skin. 

Other noteworthy ingredients are sodium hyaluronate, which is a moisturizer and madecassoside, which is a plant extract, or to be more specific, a centella asiatica extract, which is something that works to calm skin and help with wound healing. 

The product is free from preservatives, which is why it's suggested the product be used up within 6 months of opening.

Texture and Fragrance

To address the elephant in the room, no, this doesn't smell like Chocolate. :( Fortunately, it doesn't smell like anything else at all either, which I really appreciate. :) 

The cream is lightweight and moist, like the name suggests, spreading wonderfully onto my skin and is almost melting inwards. It feels like spreading water on my skin, which is a nice feeling. The mild formula is water-oil balanced and really lightweight. I normally avoid lotions and creams, opting instead for gel-moisturizers, since the hot and humid weather in Malaysia means putting anything heavier would just clog up my skin. This was perfect though. 

As you can see, the product sunk into my skin perfectly, leaving behind not even that sticky finish that some creams tend to do. 

Performance

I've been reading reviews with people going, "My skin is glowy and soft after just one use" for products and I've never experienced it before. Until this.

My skin was so, so soft the morning after using this cream. I was actually fairly worried about the cream working for me after learning that it was made with so heavier ingredients. Thankfully, this was perfect for my oily/combo skin. It does everything a moisturizer should with a bunch of wonderful ingredients to boot and it's not breaking me out or clogging my skin! 

On the other hand, I do have to dock a point for the current asking price of $21 for only 50ml. That's a steep increase from the Benton Snail Bee lotion, which I'm currently using and is 120ml for $20. that's a pretty big difference in price, which is the only thing that's putting me off it.

Price: $21.94

Verdict: 9/10
Repurchase:  Probably

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