Interview with Benton & Its CEO Jangwon Lee

We would love to share with you story of one of our latest additions, Benton cosmetics.

Benton is inspired by and named after the movie ‘ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. It may be just a fictional movie, but wouldn’t most people desire to be young again? Benton desires to restore your skin back to its original, youthful condition as well with healthy skin care cosmetics.

The best way to present the company is to allow it’s CEO to share his thoughts and vision about his brand. Here is our interview with Jangwon Lee, CEO of Benton.

History of Benton

Karolina: Jangwon, thank you finding time to say few words to our customers. Let’s start with history of Benton. How long has it been since you started the company and launched the brand?

Jangwon : It’s now the 9th year since launching in 2011.

Karolina: What were your reasons for, approach to, and philosophy on launching the cosmetics?

Jangwon : I started the cosmetics business by chance, but I was interested in health and food.
Considering healthy recipe a top priority, I wanted to make products that people can trust and use like healthy diet. Benton was launched with the slogan ‘Take a journey back in time with Benton’, designed to restore your skin back to its original, youthful condition.

On Benton products

Karolina: What is the most important feature of your cosmetics?

Jangwon: We carefully select healthy ingredients from the development stage so that even sensitive skin can use our products.

Karolina: How does your brand differ from Western brands?

Jangwon: We did not focus on the expensive and glamorous casing but focused on the high-quality and skin-friendly ingredients in our product. Also, we have a principle on producing small amounts of products in order to supply our customers with freshly made products.

Benton on addressing the biggest skin concerns

Karolina: Let’s talk now about today’s skin issues. What is the biggest skin concern nowadays?

Jangwon: The biggest skin concern would be the external environment factor. We are not only exposed to harmful chemicals such as shampoo and detergent everyday, but also environment issues like fine dust and UV rays are getting severe. Therefore, we need special care for skin which can be affected directly.

Karolina: How do your cosmetics tackle this issue?

Jangwon: Controversial ingredients are excluded fundamentally from our products to reduce burden on the sensitized skin due to harmful external factors.

Karolina: How long does it usually take to see the results and benefits of cosmetics?

Jangwon: The results vary depending on the individual’s skin type and symptoms, and it is more important to use it constantly rather than expecting immediate effects.

Future of Benton

Karolina: In which direction is the company going? What are your plans for the next 3-5 years?

Jangwon: We are trying to make Benton a brand which comes to mind when people think of healthy cosmetics brand.

Karolina: What are the new products we can expect? What will be their purpose?

Jangwon: We are planning facial products for trouble care and body and hair care products. Our goal is always same, making healthy cosmetics.

Karolina: How do you want customers to remember your brand?

Jangwon: We want to be remembered as a cosmetic brand that people can trust and can be used with their loved ones.

Benton’s skincare tips

Karolina: AS an expert in skin care industry you must have plenty of tips and information to share. What are two skincare must-have products everyone should have in their everyday skincare?

Jangwon: They are cleanser and moisturizer. Cleansing is the most essential part of skin care step. If we do not remove any residues of make-up thoroughly, it can cause skin trouble. Also, skin becomes very sensitive if we use cleansers that are irritating too much. Benton Tea Tree Cleansing Water washes off any impurities on skin and has only 10 clean ingredients to ease the burden on the skin.

Karolina: It is so important to remember the cleansing step is first and most important in the entire routine. And what are your thoughts about a moisturiser?

Jangwon: If we do not apply moisturizer after cleansing, skin can’t form a moisture barrier causing oil-water imbalance and dehydration. Snail Bee High Content Essence is an Snail Fermentation Essence that helps to balance skin’s oil and water and also, snail secretion filtrate helps to protect skin and bee venom helps skin to recover.

Karolina: If you were asked to give one advice on skincare, what would it be?

Jangwon: I would advise you to apply eye cream from your early 20s. Many people start applying eye cream when they see first signs of ageing. However, it is more important to prevent it than to manage it after it occurs. Benton Fermentation Eye Cream contains galactomyces ferment filtrate and bifida ferment lysate which helps to achieve smooth and youthful eye areas.

Upcoming Korean skincare trends

Karolina: What are in your opinion the biggest upcoming Korean skincare and beauty trends?

Jangwon: Skip care, which means skipping unnecessary skin care steps, is emerging as a new trend because many cosmetics contain preservatives, alcohol, and fragrance. Aloe Line consist of toner and soothing gel would be appropriate for skip care. If you take a look atAloe BHA Skin Toner, you will see it contains aloe barbadensis leaf water which delivers moisture and soothes skin, and 0.5% BHA mildly cares for dead skin cell and black head. Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel contains more than 80% of aloe ingredients which rich in Polysaccharides, keeping skin hydrated and soothed.

Jangwon, thank you for finding the time to answer on these few questions.