Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Serum
5:20 PM
Don't you like it when one of your favorite creams gets a new sister product in its line? That's the case with Benton Cacao Moist and Mild line. Last year the Korean brand Benton launched their Cacao cream and I really liked it because it's such a fantastic lightweight moisturizer, it feels hydrating upon contact but still provides deep moisture. I love it so much that I've already repurchased it. If you want to read my full review of it, click here.
Following the success of the Cacao cream Benton has decided to launch a Cacao serum. Just as in the cream you will find a good amount of cacao extract (1st ingredient in the list), some humectants and lots of botanical extracts and of course, it's formulated without alcohol, fragrance, and irritating ingredients as all Benton products.
CLAIMS
"Benton Cacao Moist and Mild Serum is a hydrating & nourishing serum that is smoothly absorbed into the skin. The serum is suitable for dry skin and skin with a poor oil-water balance because hyaluronic acid hydrates and minerals from high cacao content nourish skin. The serum helps to keep skin revitalized and glossy. Free of colorant, fragrance, alcohol, and PEGs."
HOW IT LOOKS / FEELS / SMELLS
This is a clear gel serum. I use the word gel to describe it but this is not exactly a gel. I mean that when you deliver the product on your skin, it forms a drop that doesn't immediately spread like if it was a liquid, it has a higher viscosity than water and retains its form. However as soon as you start spreading it, it litterally melts into your skin almost as if it was water.
This is a clear gel serum. I use the word gel to describe it but this is not exactly a gel. I mean that when you deliver the product on your skin, it forms a drop that doesn't immediately spread like if it was a liquid, it has a higher viscosity than water and retains its form. However as soon as you start spreading it, it litterally melts into your skin almost as if it was water.
It doesn't have any scent (cf most Benton products) and it's easily absorbed with no residue. That's typically the kind of serums I love using liberally because it's so gentle, so hydrating and so easily absorbed. It feels very hydrating and immediately makes my skin smoother and look more resilient. I've started using it not so long ago and have already used 1/4 of it so I think it won't last me very long.
In the above picture you can see a before/after on my skin hand. The zoom is about the same for the 2 pictures and I didn't edit them. I'm not a fan of before/after pictures because it's hard to show something meaningful, but Benton asked for this so here you are. What surprised me is that you can see my skin structure well on the before picture while it looks completely smoothed on the after picture, I didn't edit it so that's how it turned out but this is just a temporary change so don't take it too seriously.
In the above picture you can see a before/after on my skin hand. The zoom is about the same for the 2 pictures and I didn't edit them. I'm not a fan of before/after pictures because it's hard to show something meaningful, but Benton asked for this so here you are. What surprised me is that you can see my skin structure well on the before picture while it looks completely smoothed on the after picture, I didn't edit it so that's how it turned out but this is just a temporary change so don't take it too seriously.
It comes in a 30mL/1.01 fl. oz. bottle and is dispensed with a pipette. There is one thing I don't like about the pipette: most of the time I have to dip 2-3x into the serum to get enough product.
INGREDIENTS
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 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
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 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
The main ingredient of this serum is....cocoa extract! It is well-known to be rich in polyphenols which possess antioxidant activities and are involved in defence against external stressors like ultraviolet radiation (but they don't replace a sunscreen!) or aggression by pathogens. Also present are Cocoa seed and flower extracts but they're present in lower amount.
Another important group of ingredients here are the humectants (glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, butylene glycol) that will draw water in your skin and therefore hydrate it. You also have solvents, such as water, dipropylene glycol, hexanediol and pentylene glycol.
The third main class of ingredients in this serum after cocoa extracts and humectants are botanical extracts. Among them, centella asiatica (wound healing, anti-inflammatory, read more here) including also madecassoside one of the active ingredients of centella, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory), Japanese Knotweed aka Polygonum Cuspidatum (antioxidant), licorice (brightening, even skin tone, antioxidant, soothing), green tea (antioxidant), etc. so only great plant extracts except Rosemary extract that is fragrant and can therefore be sensitizing but I don't think here there should be any issue to be honest.
That's a fantastic lightweight serum that is easily absorbed and doesn't leave any residue. It feels very hydrating and a little bit calming, too. It contains a good amount of cocoa extract which is a great source of antiodixants that will help protect your skin against environmental damage. I also like the inclusion of some humectants and botanical extracts with anti-inflammatory, wound healing, soothing and antioxidant properties. Overall this is a great ligthweight yet moisturizing serum particularly interesting for people with senstive skin. It would also be a great people with dehydrated skin.
Concerning the results I got with this serum, I can mainly feel the hydrating properties of the serum and a little bit the soothing and calming effects. I found my skin a bit uneven with enlarged pores in the last past weeks but now I have the impression this is undercontrol and my skin feels smoother and more even. I can't say that this is solely due to this serum of course (I've also started using a couple of other products at the same time and I think this is more due to the fact that I found a new routine that works great for me at the moment), but I think the hydration it brings helps with evening my skin out and plumping it which makes it looks overall healthier.
Purchase Info
If you're looking for Switzerland-based retailers for K-beauty products, you can purchase from Ebeautyandcare.ch and Niasha.ch.
*Product provided by Benton for review purpose*
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