La Mer Creme De La Mer: Is it worth it?

My Creme De La Mer purchase 4 years ago

I had a jar of the fabled "Miracle Broth" by La Mer 4 years ago; the glass bottle still stands on my dresser, a remembrance of one of the most expensive creams I've ever owned. Why did it take me this long to write about it? I wanted to make sure I had enough product knowledge, experience, and better rationale in order to explain thoroughly what I like and don't like about this cream. I figured, for such an expensive cream, I should be able to provide enough data for you to make an informed decision!

Now let me talk about one of the most coveted luxury creams in the world.

Photo from elle.com

First, a history: Creme De La Mer was created by astrophysicist Max Huber; Huber was compelled to create a solution after suffering a serious burn from one of his experiments; he then experimented with Sea Kelp for years before coming up with a topical solution that "revived the skin" and Creme De La Mer was born. Creme De La Mer is dubbed as "Miracle Broth" and prized worldwide for its proprietary formula that features a very high concentration of Sea Kelp (so high that it's first in the ingredients list), a rare, hard-to-obtain ingredient that's reportedly powerful, it's enough for this cream to warrant such a price.

After Huber's death, the cream and formula were sold to beauty mogul Estēe Lauder Companies and has become legendary since its humble beginnings. A cash cow of La Mer, Creme De La Mer is a favorite among the elite, the aspirants, and basically anyone who won't mind paying $$$ for miraculous skin care; a lot swear by its youth- inducing properties that J.Lo reportedly smears this all over her body (ah, such is the life of a superstar!).

Starry- eyed, cosmetic- crazed me caved in and after toiling over blog posts, endorsements, and engagements, I acquired the smallest tub; I got it for roughly around P8,000 in Singapore.

P8,000 for a puny tub? Not really puny. Because the magic of the cream is you're not supposed to use a lot; only a dollop in every use that you warm up on your skin and gently pat all over; this product is mighty concentrated, mind you, and my precious jar lasted for about 1 1/2 years and take note, it was shared by me and my mother occasionally until she ended up emptying the jar.

Hold up...I just said that my mom ended up emptying the jar.

Now here's where I bring your expectations down. 

THE PRODUCT DID NOT WORK FOR ME.

My analysis:

1. The creme is very heavy on occlusives- Skin care jargon time! Occlusives are products/ingredients that form a rich, protective barrier on the skin. Originating as a burn cream, it is expected of this product to feel extremely rich and heavy as compromised skin such as burned skin needs a ton of moisture to be protected; Mineral Oil, Petroleum, and Microcrystalline Wax are way up there in the ingredients list of Creme De La Mer. As someone who has oily skin and is living in the tropics, I already have enough occlusive on my skin thank you very much and with this cream, it's like I had oily skin times three, thus I would feel uncomfortable and my skin, clogged, every time I use this cream...even with just a dollop.

2. My skin was way too oily then- In case you didn't know, your skin type changes as you age; you lose more oil and moisture, ergo age- induced dryness. I was a really oily gal before that's why the heavy consistency of the cream didn't sit quite well with my skin; maybe if I am using the product now, it would be a bit bearable.

3. I probably mixed it with products that clashed with Miracle Broth- I didn't know too much about skin care and skin-product chemistry then; I used whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and I won't discount the fact that I probably used some products that waged war with Creme De La Mer's ingredients. End result: I broke out. Oh well!

4. Maybe I used the product prematurely- In relation to analysis # 2, maybe I used the product at the wrong time when my skin doesn't need the Miracle Broth at all; the best explanation could be this: it's like a 15- year old using Retinol.

5. Or it just didn't work for me- There are just products that don't work for you. Period.

Creme De La Mer was a sad (and expensive) realization, but hey, that comes with beauty blogging; at least I am able to help you out in your purchasing decisions.

Of course I am only one person with one experience; there are others who praise this cream; it won't be a best- seller for nothing. The thing is, it may or may not work for you; the only way to find out is to try. 

To help you gauge if Creme De La Mer and you will be a match made in heaven, here are some things to consider:

1. It will work extremely well on dry skin- Given its occlusive formula, I believe it will work well on dry skin. My mother has dry skin and she loves this stuff.

2. It will work better on aging skin- Again, my mother loves this stuff. And again, I said that aging skin can be more on the dry side, thus it will benefit from the product's anti- aging ingredients and occlusive nature.

3. Ideally, you shouldn't have sensitive skin- this cream contains a bunch of plant- derived oil extracts. There are some oils that can trigger an allergic reaction, not to mention there's Mineral Oil and Petrolatum that may cause clogging or spark a break out.

4. Choose the consistency that's right for you- if you will purchase Creme De La Mer now, there are variants already such as the Soft Cream and Gel Cream. If you have oily skin, go for the latter. Normal to slightly dry skin? Go for the former.

5. If you can sample it, do it first before buying- the price tag of this cream is no joke so if you can find a deluxe sample in any way, get that first and try it for a week to know if the cream will be good for you. If I could turn back time, I would do the same.

Will I buy Creme De La Mer again? Probably not. But if someone were to give it to me, I'd definitely take it and see how my 29- year old skin will react to it now. But if I can splurge on La Mer, at this point, I'd try the lip balm and loose powder that some of my trusted beauty- crazed friends have been raving about.

Ever tried Creme De La Mer? What are your thoughts?