Overview
Benefit Dear John is a product produce by the brand Benefit Cosmetics, which is itself owned by the luxury giant Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), which owns over 50 high-end brands.
Benefit Dear John is advertised to be a “lustrous face cream” that is like a “moisture magnet for your skin.” Benefit Dear John is directed to be used either day or night, or both, to hydrate and replenish rough skin. Purportedly the product changes the cells of the skin to eliminate wrinkles and quell eruptions in your skin. Benefit Dear John was voted best face cream by Elle magazine in 2006, so it certainly warrants a second look.
Product Details
Benefit Dear John contains “active ingredients” meant to hydrate and strengthen your skin. The ingredients listed on the website are: sodium hyaluronate (a substance similar to that naturally surrounding joints) and Vitamin E. Both of these do appear in many other moisturizers. Marshmallow root is also mentioned, which is unique to this Benefit Dear John product. Supposedly, marshmallow root increases the dermal structure and promotes a resistance to aging. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t give a complete list of ingredients for Benefit Dear John. The retail price for this product is $32.00 for a 2 oz jar, which is actually less expensive than comparable products, and which might be less than one would expect to pay for this type of “luxury” skin care item.
Many customer reviews on websites such as Sephora or Macy’s give this product a positive review. However, there are also some extreme negative comments saying that it made the user break out because they used it every day, as suggested.
The Good
- In 2006 Elle magazine voted it “best face cream”.
- At $32.00 for a 2 oz jar it less expensive than many of its competitors.
- Positive Reviews by many beauty review sites.
The Bad
- Not for all skin types.
- Doesn’t contain any SPFs to protect against the sun.
- No full lists of ingredients are given on the Benefit Dear John website.
- No clinical testing results were found.
- Product has been on the market for a few years and may not use the most cutting edge wrinkle fighting ingredients.
The Bottom Line
The ingredients described are found in many other similar products. So, besides the marshmallow root, what is unique about Benefit Dear John? As a side note marshmallow root is available as an herb readily in the United States. Though this product is cheaper than some of its competitors using similar ingredients, the downside is that only some of the ingredients are actually described. Even though Benefit Dear John was voted best face cream in Elle magazine in 2006, that was nearly two years ago and better products may be on the market. This may not be the wrinkle eraser that you’re looking for, but it could prove a nice addition to your beauty routine as a general moisturizer.
