Before You Buy: La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizer

Product: La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizer
Price: $180
Where to Buy: Sephora

Using It:

Before applying to face, warm up the formula between your fingers until it’s soft and translucent. Press gently into the face where you would any other moisturizer.

La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturizer Review:

Let me start off by saying La Mer does test on animals due to their choice to sell in mainland China, which requires animal testing by law. I try to incorporate products into my routine that are environmentally and ethically conscious, so this is the biggest negative for me aside from the fragrance in the formula.

If you’re unfamiliar with La Mer, you need to know this is an extremely heavy formula. It’s unlike many moisturizers that have a more lightweight formula, so you’ll likely need to use the scoop which comes with it to get a dollop out. I was surprised by the heaviness of it when I first tried it, but luckily, it’s very malleable, so once you warm it in your hands, it spreads easily. A little goes a long way, and there is some serious hydration packed in this little jar.

The vital ingredient in La Mer is its proprietary “Miracle Broth” which consists of a number of algae. Unfortunately, due to labeling standards, there’s no way to know what exactly is in this miracle broth, but we do know that various marine algae act as humectants and skin conditioners. What we do know is that it makes the moisturizer feel like silk and your skin ultra-soft.

A lot of people report the moisturizer cleared up their acne, which is entirely possible since one of its ingredients is zinc gluconate, acting on inflammatory acne.

While I thought the moisturizer was amazing and left my skin glowing, I can’t justify the price tag for it. If it had a bit more of an ethical guiding principle around it and if it weren’t tested on animals, I might give it more serious consideration for a repurchase. There are so many products on the market right now that work so well, it might not make sense to purchase something so prohibitively expensive.

Notable Ingredients

Ingredients: Algae (Seaweed) Extract, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Powder, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Meal, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Magnesium Sulfate, Paraffin, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Water, Beta-Carotene, Decyl Oleate, Aluminum Distearate, Octyldodecanol, Citric Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Magnesium Stearate, Panthenol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Sodium Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Fragrance.

• La Mer is not a cruelty-free brand.
• Copper gluconate promotes cell regeneration and skin healing.
• Zinc gluconate is excellent for fighting inflammatory acne.
• Contains fragrance, which isn’t helpful for sensitive skin.

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Nataliya Ogle

Founder

Nataliya Ogle likes making sure others live to their full potential. She publishes articles on her primary website styletomes.com and works as a freelance writer for other women's interest sites. Her physical body is in New York but her presence can almost always be found online. The internet is her first love.