Creme de La Mer

The product is supposed to be phenomenal; it feels great, it smooths the skin, it is a miracle in a jar. Well that is what a close friend used to push on me all of the time when she worked for la mer; now since she has left them she 'lost' her enthusiasm so to say.
I actually spoke to a few women, who had known the scientist who had created it, and they said what is in the stores is a pale reflection of the original. They said the original was truly magic in a glass jar, the one in stores now...well, not so much so. You see; the scientist who created this wonderful cream, never actually wrote down the formula, he re-created it always from memory. So when he passed away, and Estee Lauder approached the estate, all that was left to work from were all his old reel-to-reel recordings. So what you are purchasing is a lovely face cream, maybe somewhat close to the original formula, but not exactly the original. And, just to make it even more of a treasure, it costs a small fortune, money better spent elsewhere. I worked in the beauty industry for over 22 years, here are some very nice products that you should sample; I highly advocate sampling before purchasing, no sample= no purchase. Definitely give La mer a try, just to put the desire to rest. Then try; Guerlain Issima products, speak with the consultant to find what is best; Givenchy skincare is quite under-rated, yet truly effective; Yves Saint Laurent, also makes fabulous skincare; Sisley or Darphin are great if you want to stay with 'Botanical' lines, and are pricey enough to fulfill your desire to splurge, yet still more reasonable than La mer. If your concern is first signs of aging, I don't know your age, Chanel came out with the Initiale line of skincare, and it is very impressive. I tried a sample,and my husband commented on how my skin looked 'radiant'; that took me by surprise, radiant.
If you ever have any skincare questions feel free to ask, I love to talk about skincare. I also will never say something is wonderful if I do not believe it. I also will give credit where it is due, the Chanel for instance, since I am not a huge proponent of their 'whole' range of skincare.
Good luck, let me know what you end up going with.

Oh, and yes, I forgot to add that I have tried La mer, my friend kept giving me samples, and I found it quite heavy and uncomfortable. Which is amazing I would say heavy, or uncomfortable, since my skin seems to resemble a parched desert at times. I was not thrilled with the offerings of La mer.

Unless he was a scientist in 700 BC, that is absolutely ridiculous. Havent people heard of absent minded scientists?

Sounds like some story spun by people who want to believe that the original version was much much better..

what about about "revive" which is like $600 for a half ounce cause it has growth hormone.

it's a ripoff I think.

Difference between pages of notes and ramblings, and a formula to be followed time and again. Who knows, makes no difference anywho; people will still by it in droves just like every other overpriced thing out there.
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It is all a ripoff. My favorite thing, that I always tell people is "Beauty and skincare are a multi-billion dollar industry. If anything actually worked it would not stay that high." It is the eternal quest for youth; if a product actually could do what it promised, we could all use it once, then use the inexpensive stuff for maintainence.

Similar to La Mer in effect, but also very natural is Fresh's Creme Ancienne. As the name implies, it's a pretty old recipe, dating back over 1700 years and made by monks in the Czech Republic. I use it as my night cream, when I travel, and also used it on my arm as after-care for a sleeve of tattoos. Those healed beautifully within a week... it delivers hydration and lasts a while. It's similar to Creme De La Mer in that it must be emulsified, but a little goes a long way with this product. I've had one jar for almost a year and have only gotten halfway through it- remember that I used it almost daily on my face and then used it on my whole arm for a period of months while getting tattooed.

there is also an Elixir Ancienne; a lighter oil formulation of this product that can be used around the eye area. It's pretty awesome as well.

This is Paula Begoun's take on Creme de la Mer (she's a consumer advocate for cosmetics):

"My favorite example of this type of claim is Estee Lauder Creme de la Mer. Quite a story accompanies this very costly little cream ($165 for 2 ounces)! It was created by Max Huber, a NASA aerospace physicist, supposedly to take care of burns he received in an accident... The reality is that this very basic, and I mean really basic, cream doesn't contain anything particularly extraordinary or unique, unless you want to believe that seaweed extract (sort of like seaweed tea) can somehow be worth this much money, or that it can in some way heal burns and scars. According to Susan Brawley, professor of plant biology at the University of Maine, "seaweed extract isn't a rare, exotic, or expensive ingredient. Seaweed extract is readily available and used in everything from cosmetics to food products and medical applications." Creme de la Mer contains mostly seaweed extract, mineral oil, petrolatum (similar to Vaseline), glycerin, waxlike thickening agents, plant oils, plant seeds, minerals, vitamins, more thickeners, and preservatives. How expensive can it be to stick some seaweed and vitamins in a cosmetic? According to the cosmetics chemists I've interviewed, it costs pennies, not hundreds of dollars..."

Kiehl's Cryste Marine Firming Cream is supposed to be quite similar; it too has algae in it. It's $45 for a 1.7 oz. jar; it's also available as a complimentary sample when you purchase something else on the Kiehl's website, so it wouldn't cost much to try it. Begoun's pick for a rich moisturizer is Dove's Essential Nutrients Night Cream, but the ingredients are not similar (no algae or seaweed I don't think). Still, for the (drugstore) price it might be worth a try.

I know what you mean! When I was in high school, medication turned my skin desert dry. My mother worked for Mary Kay, and insisted I use some MK dry/sensitive skin cleanser. Just imagine slathering your face with vaseline, then trying to gently coax it off with tepid water and a small, worn face cloth...

I've never tried La Mer. I find the price quite frightening!

oh yeah... two things that I feel I should bring up after reading some of these replies...

La Mer's ingredient list is what turned me off. Their highly regarded creme felt heavy to me, so I read the ingredients (I didn't read it first because SO many of my colleagues swore by it) and saw that it's a petroleum base. Not my fave, and not good for my super oily skin.

Revive is actually kinda awesome... I've used Sans Veins on my face to get rid of the tiny veins I could see from having worn glasses for the past 25 years and it totally fixed it in about 6 weeks. Dr. Gregory Bays Brown is the chemist/scientist behind Revive, and he's actually been awarded a Nobel prize in 86 for his work in helping child burn victims to heal. That's where so many of his products were developed. This story is outlined in his book "about face". I skimmed through it the last time I was at Nieman's because I wanted to know more... I tried their clay mask and wow... it was intense. Which sounds weird... but my face actually THROBBED and when I was done I was hooked.

Creme de la mer would work for some; it would be particularly good for skin that had lost its ability to protect itself (think: post-facial peel, perhaps even post-burns as the original lovely story goes).

What makes la mer such a good occlusive (keeping things out; keeping skin covered) is not worth that much money though. The mineral oil/marine extract/vitamin combination would not be that expensive to formulate and manufacture.

I would also not recommend using mineral oil or petroleum jelly on facial skin for a long period of time because these petroleum by-products can clog pores. (Don't even start me on people using mineral oil, e.g. baby oil as an eye-make up remover; just don't do it, unless you want to stuff your tear ducts full of gunk and get puffy eyes for life).

So, how come Creme de la mer is so hideously expensive?

Because if it wasn't, it wouldn't sell as well. The storytelling, the marketing concepts and the price are "just right" for that brand and people will buy because the want to believe. Pricing such a "miracle product" at a lower price point would suggest that the "miracle story" wasn't true either.

I've heard people have either enjoyed it very much, or been extremely disappointed and used it on their boobs or baby bumps.

There are good alternatives available (I know of one but won't mention it here; PM me for details).

The best thing for skin health is to ensure you have a good balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in your diet, not to over-exfoliate or over-treat the skin; not to smoke, not to drink excessively and to always wear a good, PABA-free broad spectrum SPF during the day. It's also healthier to wear lightweight oil/oil blend or serum during the night (rather than a thick cream) because your skin needs to breathe and regenerate without lots of gunk on it overnight.

For one of the "cheapest" and most amazing skin treatments, go to a good food shop, buy the most expensive cold pressed extra virgin olive oil you can find and apply a few drops of it overnight, or under your normal moisturiser.

And if your skin has suffered so much it needs an occlusive, healing, vaseline-like cover...and you don't mind using a petroleum derivative as a temporary fix, then instead of Creme de la mer, buy some vaseline and use it overnight for a few nights until your skin is no longer sore.

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any input on Cle de Peau skincare?

My mom used CdlM for a while, preferring the serum over the cream for texture. Nice but no miracles and certainly not worth the price. If you are looking for the beneficial seaweed extracts, try Alba Sea Plus Renewal Cream, even just at night if it is a bit too heavy for day. I converted my mom to it and she uses the day cream as well. The Alba is about $12 and for the price it is worth checking out. I have gone through a few jars of this (and Complex 15 face cream) and for me that is saying a lot, I have never repurchased moisturizers until these two products. If you're into ingredients, I'll post them below:

Aloe Barbadensis, Lavandula Angustifolia Juices (Certified Organic), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea Gratissima Oil (Certified Organic) (Avocado), Glyceryl Stearate, Vegetable Glycerin, Aleurites Moluccana, Macadamia Ternifola Oils (Kukui Nut), Sorbitan Stearate, Emulsifying Wax, Dimethicone, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Butter, Sorbitol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil (Certified Organic), Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Squalane (Oliver), NaPCA, Allantoin, Alpha Lipoic Acid, DMAE, Echinacea Angustifolia Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, L Ascorbic Acid, Organic Marine Complex: Chondrus Crispus (irish moss), Dermochlorella (algae), Enteromorpha Compressa (algae), Laminaria Digitata (kelp), Macrocystis Pyrifera (kelp), Spirulina Maxima (algae), Ulva Lactuca (sea lettuce), Camellia Sinensis Extract (Certified Organic) (Green tea), Phenoxyethanol, Methyl, Propylparaben, Botanical Fragrance

Interesting thread, really. I am a big fan of Paula Begoun and her demystification of the cosmetics industry. Thanks to her, I am a picky, but smart consumer. However, I still need some pizzaz, which means a lovely, scented cream.

So, I currently do use Paula Begoun's antioxidant serum, but then apply Nuxe's Reve de Miel. What a heavenly scent! My dog tries to lick my face! I do like Nuxe's products. They are both elegant and affordable.

I find Paula's work interesting and she does get many things right, but not for 100% of the time. I've found several pretty glaring errors in her work. If you want to look at cosmetic ingredients, her work is certainly an intriguing starting point, but I recommend checking from at least one additional independent source.

It's also very difficult to sit on the fence and to be truly objective when you have any kind of involvement in selling, manufacturing or promoting your own brand (which Paula obviously does). I don't mean this disqualifies anyone, but it's a tricky situation nevertheless. Paula's strenghts are her chatty style and engaging writing. I don't trust her to be of a particularly scientific mindset, although she does quote journals and other professionals in her work. Certainly, compared to most "beauty journalism" and "beauty writing", Paula's work is of some merit.

However, I don't really think there are any truly objective, thoroughly researched books on cosmetics and the industry out there (which is why I'm writing one, aha! However, I will have to dance on that awful "declaration of interest" fence too, as I am also involved in the making and promotion of products. ).

As with encyclopedias, history books and guide books on pretty much any topic - books on cosmetics are still subject to human error and to poor sources (I conduct research as part of my job and I have learned that it's wise to be paranoid about the accuracy of your sources). It depends on the author really, how much on "good faith" they take what a particular source might claim. I feel it is certainly a must to check any information you claim as factual at least twice; from sources independent of oneanother.

Traditional beauty journalism usually involves either printing a press release word-for-word without fact checking, or chancing a few words in a press release, then printing it without fact checking. Beauty editors are also duty bound to promote and push products and their department heads usually have a policy of "if you are going to say anything critical of a product, we won't print it. Positive, promotional blurb only, please!".

Most beauty books are written by beauty journalists, ex beauty journalists and other similar professionals, often working to a brief not too dissimilar from the one above.

That's where Paula's work stands out; she's gone out to at least have a go at separating fact from fiction. I do find it regrettable that there are errors in her work, as this has lead her to perpetuate some of the mis-information out there, which is a real shame.

A great deal of beauty writing is treated as opinion-based, of course, but because Paula pitches her work as a more fact and science-based look at what the ingredients are actually supposed to do, I do wish she had taken more care to remain objective and to educate herself a little more before publishing.

got a sample of the moisturizer yesterday, I'll review it for you all next week. I have dry, very sensitive skin and a touch of hormonal acne.

has anyone tried the oil-free version or the gel of CdLM?
& what about the under eyes product????

I've tried the original and didn't think it was worth the price.

I got a sample of this and it's nothing I would ever use on my face again. De Luxe vaseline. My skin is suffocating and I just want this off my face.
I added a few drops of myrrh and used it for handcare instead.

So many creams are much better.
E.g. Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Rich if you like the a super moisturising and dewy feeling, that I believe CdlM is only aiming for. Since I started using that my skin is as perfect as it was at 25, no breakouts, no dryness and all those fine lines that just had come are now gone. I love this cream. It's the first one ever I get out and buy one jar after another.

(I'm 37 with (formerly) dry and oily, extremely fair skin, with a tendency to occasional breakouts during stressful periods since the last ten years. No affiliation to aforementioned company).

I have been using samples of it for a month. It works wonders. I have very oily skin prone to break out and so far the new Gel CdLM keeps them away but moisturizes amazing. They sell 1oz on fragrancenet.com

A much better/cheaper alternative to CdLM is skinactives...mix your own "creme de la mer". I have no association with them. But I use their products and like them very much. They have an ultramarine bioferment...same stuff as the "secret ingredient" in la mer. MUCH, MUCH cheaper. If you don't care about packaging, check them out. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their stuff!