There are some key points that Benton emphasizes about their new product; one of which is that the word "redness" in the title of the product is meant to encompass "skin concerns, irritated skin, blemishes, and uneven skin tone". Benton states that their gel:

• "contains more than 80% of natural Centella Asiatica ingredients harvested in Korea." 
• "allows instant nourishment and hydration while actively soothing irritated skin to help skin become healthy and clear." 
• "does not have oily ingredients and instead, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, and other botanical hydrating ingredients." 
• "[allows] consumers of all skin types, including people that tend to stay away from oily products, to use without discomfort." And also "consumers with dry skin can use the gel before applying cream to maintain oil-water balance." 
• "contains Centella Asiatica Extract harvested from eco-friendly Korean plantations, which is good for soothing, protecting, and healing the skin." 
• "is free of artificial fragrance, volatile alcohol, PEGs, and other harmful ingredients." 

Centella Asiatica was definitely the star ingredient of 2018! This skincare darling has been making appearances in nearly every brands's product line up, across every price-point. So why is Centella so hot right now? Let's take a closer look at it!

Zoolander reference because I'm super old now, apparently

Centella Asiatica is known as Gotu Kola in India and Sri Lanka, Yomogi in Japan, Ssuk in Korea, Huanghua Ai in China, and Cica in France. Cica is a shortening of the word 'cicatrice' which is French for 'scar' because French pharmacy skincare brands were the first to internationally popularize the use of Centella Asiatica for the treatment of scars. They were not the first to use Centella though, and credit for knowledge of its medicinal uses belongs to India and China.

Centella also has a charming story to help back its popularity. To quote Benton once again: "Centella Asiatica is also known as Tiger Grass because it is said that tigers lie down in Centella Asiatica grass after getting wounded and their wounds would heal after being in contact with the grass. It is also known that the herb is used to cure skin diseases, used as remedies, and [as a medicinal plant] in parts of India. Centella Asiatica is used as the main ingredient in many ointments because of its famous skin soothing and healing properties."

Western Medicine doesn't have a lot of studies to back up the efficacy and use of Centella Asiatica, but there appears to be a fair amount of research and writing about it from non-English sources. Like most plant extracts, it is the components inside that do most of the heavy lifting. The active components of Centella Asiatica are madecassoid, madecassic acid, asiaticoside, and asiatic acid. It is important to note that plants are not consistent in the amount and types of active components that they produce due to things like soil quality, water quality, harvesting technique, and extraction technique. By sourcing their Centella from one specific location, Benton is doing their best to maintain a consistent level of active components.

The megaphone and the little bump caricature are.. something

I have been using the Centella Gel on my face since December 26, 2018. I typically apply it during both my morning and evening routines, after my serums but before my creams. My routines tend to be a bit extra so I was able to incorporate the gel without disrupting my other products. Speaking of which, my very first impression of the Goodbye Redness Centella Gel is that it plays nice with other products. I have not experienced any pilling or difficulty in layering the gel with any of my other skincare steps.

I've goofed around with its placement in my routine just for the sake of experimentation but in general I prefer to use Benton Goodbye Redness Centella Gel post-serums and sheet masking. I already had a gel in my routine; the beloved HG-status Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel. In this review I will compare them against each other.

I have used, emptied, repurchased, and gifted to friends and family, whole 250mL tubs of Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel. When I was selected to review Benton's new gel I thought to myself that there way NO WAY it could ever usurp my beloved Hanyul. After using them side by side for two weeks, I can maybe admit that Benton is giving my beloved a run for its money.

Speaking of money, let's talk about cost: the price for Benton's 100mL tube ranges between $16-20 USD. I have paid anywhere from $15-25 USD for the 250mL tub of Hanyul depending on where it is being stocked. That gives us a comparative cost of $0.20 USD per mL of Benton versus $0.10 USD per mL of Hanyul. So the Hanyul is literally half the cost! However, the Hanyul gel can be a little harder to get reliably outside of Korea. Being an Amore Pacific brand, Hanyul is dead easy to get in Korea, but I live in Canada so I must rely on various online retailers to fulfill my needs. Benton also needs to be purchased online, but due to their prolific presence on the sites of English-speaking retailers, they are very easy to get. Benton even has their own eBay store which makes things extra easy to access.

See? So many jars of Hanyul!

The next easiest talking point is packaging. Benton's tube format is much more hygenic and portable than the huge tub of Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel. I have considered decanting the Hanyul into a tube for easier portability but I absolutely love the *poof* of fragrance that I get every time I dig in to the jar. Benton Goodbye Redness Calming Gel is unfragranced and has no detectable scent to me. For folks bothered by fragrance, this is a huge boon.

Naturally, the ingredients of both gels are extremely different because they feature different star ingredients. For Benton, Centella is the star as well as the darling skincare ingredient of 2018. Let's get into Benton's ingredients:

Centella Asiatica Extract (80%), Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol (Ecocert), Arginine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Gluconate, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Oleanolic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol

[EDIT JANUARY 12, 2019 - Benton has additional information on their dermatological testing that I missed earlier. My bad, guys. My bad]

They provide a n-value!

Benton claims that they have had their gel tested dermatologically and that it has an irritation value of 0.00 (non-irritating). To be perfectly frank, I don't know what that means. Is there a standardized irritation patch test used in dermatology and cosmetics, and is there a certification/validation process? I don't know. In my personal experience, ingredients that are non-irritating to some are highly irritating to me. I'm looking at YOU lanolin. Nothing in Benton's ingredient list is irritating to my skin but you need to check and test for your own personal sensitivities.

For me, this gel feels very cooling and soothing. I like that the cooling sensation lasts and that it isn't due to the addition of menthol or mint oils. I really do feel like this Centella Gel gently lowers the surface temperature of my skin, which is often overheated. I think that excessive heat and irritation causes inflammation and acne along my cheeks so I love that this gel works to soothe my skin. The Goodbye Redness Centella Gel is also quite hydrating. I think that if you live in a humid climate, or if you have very oily skin, you will be able to use this as your final moisturizer. I live in a very dry, very windy climate so I need heavier occlusive layers to hold my hydration in. Nonetheless, I can remain comfortable for some time with just the gel on my skin before I apply my creams.

I attempted to take before and after pictures, as you can see. It was difficult to really see the difference at first until I was extremely zoomed in, and even then the difference can perhaps be attributed to slightly different lighting. When Benton says "Goodbye Redness" I do believe them but not in an immediate redness-reducing way. It's more that soothed skin is less red overall than flushed, hot, or irritated skin. And actually, my skin is better right now than it ever has been since my early teenage years. Perhaps if my skin was more irritated (no thanks) then the immediate difference would be much more visible. In any case, my skin has been feeling good lately and this gel may be playing a part in that.

So would I recommend buying it? Yes, I would.

If you like the ingredients and you want to add a gel to your routine, then go for it! The tube packaging and the easy accessibility make Benton Goodbye Redness Centella Gel a good choice for both experienced skincare buyers and k-beauty newbies alike. Therefore I rate this as a 4/5

4/5 - I like it. I would strongly consider purchasing it again or even gifting it to a loved one

To see how I create my rating, click here.

As of right now the Hanyul Pure Artemisia Watery Calming Gel is still my favourite gel moisturizer, however I need more time with the Benton Centella Gel in my routine before I make a final judgement. I am experimenting with using the Centella Gel around my eyes before eye cream and I feel comfortable doing so because of the gentle ingredients and lack of fragrance. If it can work nicely with both the sensitive skin around my eyes and help my eye creams to work better then I will let the world know!