The Making Of Crème De La Mer

People always ask me what makes La Mer special and that they don't actually have a special process on making of the cream. Well, here is the article to show you all how it's made! The article was originally published by Refinery29, the link to their website is at the end. 

Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer

 Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer
The area in British Columbia where this kelp comes from — off the coast of Vancouver Island — is very remote, accessible only by air or sea.

Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer

Andy Bevacqua, chief scientist for La Mer's Max Huber Research labs, is the man responsible for unlocking the great scientists' notes for recreating the top-secret formula. Huber, who created the Creme almost a half a century ago as a remedy for his severely burned skin, left the formula to his children when he died, but none of them were able to precisely replicate the process.

Bevacqua, a scientist for Estée Lauder, which purchased the brand back in 1995, set to work deciphering the code. It took him years, but he finally mastered the tricky process, which involves combining sea kelp, vitamins and minerals, citrus oil, eucalyptus, wheat germ, alfalfa, and sunflower in a biofermentation process.

Simple enough, right? Not so much: Huber also would blast his so-called Miracle Broth with sound waves, a branch of science called sonochemistry, in which certain wavelengths of sound can actually affect or even cause chemical reactions. This integral step was the magic key that made everything click together to create the Miracle Broth.

Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer

This is what $8,000 of Miracle Broth looks like.

Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer

 The land is owned by Canada's First Nations People, who harvest and then sell the kelp to the company. The kelp grows on long stems that reach to the ocean floor. The two-man team takes their boat out and hand cuts the kelp off, leaving the stalks intact so that they stay alive and can continue to produce more kelp leaves.

While it would be easier and more cost-efficient to just drag up the kelp stalks and remove the leaves that way, this would cause the kelp not to grow back and basically destroy an entire eco-system — myriad sea creature depend on this plant for survival.

This eco-friendly method of hand-harvesting, along with the complex biofermentation process, and the hand-packaging of the product, are just a few of the reasons Creme de La Mer carries that hefty price tag.

Photographed by Jer Crowle/Courtesy of La Mer

 

So what's so special about this seaweed? According to Bevacqua, you need to think of your skin like a battery: It has positively- and negatively-charged ions, which get depleted over time. The negative ions gravitate toward the surface, while the positive ones remain deeper in the skin. The movement of these ions creates a type of electrical energy, which the skin needs to perform its daily reparative and protective functions.

As we age, get stressed out, or damage our skin, the ions lose their charge and the energy becomes stagnant, meaning our skin can't optimally function. The kelp-based Miracle Broth acts as a charging station, re-establishing the correct circuits so that these positive and negative ions continue to flow where they are meant to, helping the skin to better perform its duties of hydrating and healing.

The kelp we got the chance to handle had been harvested a few days earlier and as such, the nutrients had started to leach out, creating a slimy residue that Bevacqua lovingly referred to as kelp snot. Our senior beauty editor daringly rubbed a bit of this slick stuff on the back of her hands and immediately noticed a difference in her skin. The residue sunk into the skin on the back of her hand instantly and made it look brighter and feel baby-soft to the touch. She tried to convince Bevacqua to let her have a few stalks to wrap herself up in, mummy-style, but he sadly quashed her DIY spa dreams, on the spot.

Article was taken from http://www.refinery29.com/la-mer written by Megan McIntyre

Complete La Mer Serum Rundown Review- Regenerating, Radiant, and Intensifier

The Regenerating Serum: 
Fortified with a high concentration of The Miracle Broth™, The Regenerating Ferment™ and The Marine Peptide Ferment, this active yet comforting skincare powerhouse helps complement skin's natural production of “youth proteins,” collagen and elastin. You will see a difference in a day as skin is rejuvenated on contact. Over time, the appearance of lines, wrinkles and pores is diminished as a firmer, more lifted, beautifully ageless look is revealed.

This is my absolute favorite serum of all time. The difference is overnight. It also cleared my breakouts as well. This is one of the few products where I can see the difference in my face and I've recommended it to everyone and everyone had great results from it. It reduce the lines on your face and clear any imperfection.. It was very hard for me to find a serum that was both anti-aging and soothing to the skin so I don't breakout. After the first week of using this, my face was completely clear and dewy.

This is by far the best serum from La Mer. The texture is very milky and sinks into your skin right away. It's great for both day and night and it kind of creates a soft canvas for your lotion/cream. I've noticed when using this serum during the day, I don't get as shiny as if I were to use another serum. This is one product I will always recommend to anyone that is looking for something anti-aging where you can see the results.

So worth the money!

Verdict: RUN OUT AND BUY IT! 
Regenerating Serum is $260
http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23101&PRODUCT_ID=PROD15901

The Radiant Serum:
This ultralight gel serum boosts skin's ability to reflect light.

The Radiant Serum illuminates the complexion immediately on contact, awakening a brilliant new clarity. Targeted skin tone correctors dissolve the look of discoloration. Water borne anti-oxidants help skin remain looking more even and bright into the future.

La Mer's Radiant Waters™ smooth away dull surface cells that obscure light. Pores are purified and refined. Exclusive marine extracts firm and plump skin's appearance, breathing life into the complexion.

I've tried this serum many times. I like it, but I don't love it. The texture is kind of sticky and and it dries on your skin leaving a strange texture for your lotion/cream to go on. The main reason for my ambivalent feeling about this serum is the fact that I didn't notice any results from it. Originally, I thought I would like this more than the Regenerating Serum because this one is supposed to purify the pores and refine the skin and get rid of discoloration, but it didn't do any of that. Actually, the regenerating serum gets rid of breakouts more than this and does a better job at evening out the skin tone.

I really don't see a reason buying this over the Regenerating since they are the same price. I can see people using this for the day and the regenerating at night, otherwise, just use the regenerating.

Verdict: Try it
The Radiant Serum is $260
http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23101&PRODUCT_ID=PROD16769

The Lifting Intensifier:
This targeted treatment utilizes a mesh-like matrix containing Blue Algae Lift Ferment™ and other key ingredients to help skin promote its natural collagen and elastin network where support is needed most. It instantly tightens skin's surface and works over time to "train" skin to sustain a smooth, resilient, more lifted appearance.

First off, I want you to know I don't have a lot of visible wrinkles that needs to be fixed other than expression lines, so I can't give you a feedback on if it actually lifts the skin. However, a friend of mine tried it and said she really likes it, but still prefers the Regenerating Serum.

The Lifting Intensifier used to be sold as a duo along with the Lifting Serum, but I guess with all the new serums that are obviously doing better, they got rid of the Lifting Serum and just kept this one. I don't really like the texture of this serum. It is very sticky and it leaves a sticky film on the skin and for some reason, I feel like my skin cannot breath under this serum. I also noticed I am more prone to breakout when I'm on this serum. So this is not exactly my favorite one.

As for lifting, I don't really feel it personally. I am not sure I will come back to this and invest the money when Regenerating Serum is far superior. Also, this is more of a targeted treatment than for the entire face....though I used it for my entire face!

Verdict: Try it...maybe. 
The Lifting Intensifier is $155
http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23101&PRODUCT_ID=PROD6842

La Mer also came out with a Brightening Serum, which I've used and will write a review soon (don't buy it, it's not that good).

The La Mer Concentrate is amazing for scars. Way better than ScarsGuard and Merderma. It's great for the face, too, but for $400, i think you should just save that for scars.

La Mer Eye Cream Showdown!

 

I reviewed the two eye creams from La Mer this week- Eye Balm Intense and Eye Concentrate 

So which one reigns supreme?  In my opinion, The Eye Concentrate is superior. I think even some of the more experienced La Mer rep would agree with me (and they have). 

A mini breakdown of each from their website-

The Balm Intense- 

The new Marine De-Puff Ferment™, The Lifting Ferment™ and a potent concentration of The Miracle Broth™ - the seaborne elixir known for its healing energies - penetrate deep within the skin's surface for a remarkable change, while the unique balm texture offers the utmost in comfort.

In a short while, the look of puffiness, lines and wrinkles is diminished as clarity is revealed. La Mer's proprietary silver-tipped applicator cools skin on contact to help stimulate mircocirculation

The Concentrate-

This concentrated cream utilizes three unique forms of Miracle Broth™ to deeply condition, smooth and hydrate the delicate eye area. It significantly reduces the appearance of dark circles, lines and wrinkles for a luminous new life.

Fortified with an iron-rich mineral, The Eye Concentrate dramatically dissolves the appearance of dark circles. It works in tandem with a specially-engineered, silver-tipped applicator which helps cool the skin, immediately improving micro-circulation.

  

The Price- Both $165

Hydration- The Balm Intense takes this one

Dark Circles- The Concentrate, the Balm Intense doesn't even treat dark circles.

Lines and Wrinkles- Both are equally good in this department. It's La Mer afterall.

Puffiness- Balm Intense. 

So why do i think The Eye Concentrate is better? Simply because the anti-aging results are more noticeable than when I was on the Balm Intense and I think it absorbs better than the Balm. Sometimes the Balm just sits on top of your skin, and I don't think you should use creams that are too heavy around your eyes. 

They are equally great products, so it's really up to what you're looking for. I think the price is decent for La Mer. They could've charge up to $200 and I think people would still buy it. I think they were $185 at some point? Anyways, the price currently is $165.

La Mer always put out great products and some people don't like the brand, but from my personal experience, they've always delivered.

La Mer The Eye Concentrate $165

This concentrated cream utilizes three unique forms of Miracle Broth™ to deeply condition, smooth and hydrate the delicate eye area. It significantly reduces the appearance of dark circles, lines and wrinkles for a luminous new life.

Fortified with an iron-rich mineral, The Eye Concentrate dramatically dissolves the appearance of dark circles. It works in tandem with a specially-engineered, silver-tipped applicator which helps cool the skin, immediately improving micro-circulation.

I have previously reviewed The Eye Balm Intense , and stated that I like the Eye Concentrate better, because it's more of a completely eye cream for people that want to get rid of their dark circles. I also like the texture of the Eye Concentrate better, because it's more like a light lotion than a cream. It sinks into the skin faster than the creamy Eye Balm Intense. It's not as moisturizing as the Balm, but I think it provides just enough hydration.

There are so many eye creams on the market and like many of you,  I'm still on my hunt for the next best eye cream. This is my regular eye cream, but I feel like although it does treat dark circles, my dark circles are still coming through. I've used this in conjunction with the La Prairie White Caviar Eye Serum , and that actually helped my dark circles better. But it gets way too expensive to buy both products at the same time.

Bottom line, I do like this better than the Balm Intense and I think it's a great eye cream overall. If you have dark circles, give this one a try, if you have puffiness, you might want to go for the Balm instead.

Verdict: Buy it!
La Mer The Eye Concentrate is $165
Read more on their website- http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23102&PRODUCT_ID=PROD11863

La Mer The Eye Balm Intense $165.00

The new Marine De-Puff Ferment™, The Lifting Ferment™, and a potent concentration of The Miracle Broth™—the seaborne elixir known for its healing energies—penetrate deep within the skin's surface for a remarkable change, while the unique balm texture offers the utmost in comfort.

In a short while, the look of puffiness, lines, and wrinkles is diminished as clarity is revealed. La Mer's proprietary silver-tipped applicator cools skin on contact to help stimulate microcirculation.

La Mer has two eye creams- The Eye Concentrate and The Eye Balm Intense. The Eye Concentrate is more of a complete treatment to me, because it treats dark circles on top of lines and puffiness. Fans of La Mer would know that The Original La Mer Eye Balm has been around forever, but they took it off the shelf and was sold by request only after The Eye Concentrate was introduced.

I've used both Eye Concentrate and Eye Balm Intense and the main difference to me was that the Eye Balm Intense felt a lot more heavier and moisturizing than the Eye Concentrate. However, I have dark circles and the Eye Balm Intense doesn't really treat dark circles as well as the Eye Concentrate, but I do think the Eye Balm Intense is better for puffiness.

The Eye Balm Intense is great for people with puffiness under their eyes and it provides great moisture. The texture is very creamy and goes on smooth like velvet. It also comes with the silver-tipped applicator that helps to stimulate microcirculation, but honestly, who actually uses the applicator? It's kind of a hassle having to clean it after each use and my biggest problem with the applicator is that there's no easy sanitary way of storing it. I wish it comes with an enclosed case of some sort so it's not just laying around on your bathroom counter.

Overall, it's a solid eye cream. My mom loves it, my friends love it, and I still use it. My review for The Eye Concentrate will be here soon!

Verdict: Buy it!
La Mer The Eye Balm Intense is $165.00
Read more on their website-- http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23102&PRODUCT_ID=PROD16361#BVRRWidgetID

La Mer "The Essence" Facial at Hotel Bel-Air

This was at the entrance of the room

So I had the luxury of being invited by La Mer to try "The Essence" facial at Hotel Bel-Air yesterday and I absolutely LOVED it.


The Essence by La Mer is one of the world’s most expensive beauty products, priced at $2100. Its extraordinary packaging was designed by La Mer’s team, including Jesse Chertoff, design director, and Shane Butler, package designer.

The Essence contains magnetized tourmaline, which keeps its active ferments suspended. Magnets hidden inside the package keep the tourmaline’s ingredients magnetically charged.

The Essence is a milky texture, very much like the Regenerating Serum, and it feels like a mixture of The Concentrate and Regenerating Serum on the skin. It absorbs very quickly into the skin like most of La Mer Serums.

I literally had a halo glow effect to my face after the facial. The facialist applied the Cream on my face after the facial and normally it would've been too heavy during the day, but for some reason the combination of the Essence and the Cream provided the perfect balance for my skin.

Obviously for $2100, most people would just pay a visit to the dermatologist for injections, but for those that are looking for an alternative, you might want to give this a try.

"The Essence Facial" included-

• Cleansing of the face with The La Mer Cleansing Foam and Tonic
• Exfoliation by La Mer Refining Facial (which is basically a fine scrub, I will review it in the future) 
• Massage with La Mer Cleansing Gel
• La Mer Mist 
• The Mask-- which is basically a heavy thick layer of Creme de La Mer for 10 mins
• The Hydrating Infusion (Will Review in the future)
• The Essence (LOVE!) as the serum 
• Creme de La Mer as the finishing touch!

Then you leave feeling like a million bucks and glowing for the next few days!

La Mer Radiant Serum $260

The Radiant Serum illuminates the complexion immediately on contact, awakening a brilliant new clarity. Targeted skin tone correctors dissolve the look of discoloration. Water borne anti-oxidants help skin remain looking more even and bright into the future.

La Mer's Radiant Waters™ smooth away dull surface cells that obscure light. Pores are purified and refined. Exclusive marine extracts firm and plump skin's appearance, breathing life into the complexion.

I am a big fan of La Mer. I know a lot of people out there look down on the brand saying they sold out after the company was bought out by Estee lauder and changed all the formulas. I heard they did change the formula at the beginning, but have since received so many complaints from their loyal customers that they had to go back to the way they formulated the products. Some skin care experts refuse to use Creme de La Mer because there's mineral oil in it, which causes breakout.

I use the cream at night and both versions of the lotion depending on the weather of the day and it actually helped clear my breakouts. I'll write more about their moisturizers when I review them.

The Radiant Serum is an ok serum for me. I have friends that love it more than the regenerating serum, which is still my favorite. The Radiant Serum has a watery texture and it sinks into your skin pretty quickly. The one problem I have with the serum is that it makes my face feels kind of dry, and I have combination skin that's more on the oily side. Also, I feel like my lotion doesn't glide that well on top of this serum. I don't wear makeup, so I don't know if people wearing makeup have the same problem. Definitely leave a comment if you have tried it.

I'm not sure if it "reflects" light as it claims, but it does help improve the overall tone of your face. I also feel like the Regenerating Serum refine my pores better than this one. Again, everyone's skin is different so you might have a different experience with this than I did.

If you are someone with a lot of acne scars and sunspots, I don't think this would be strong enough to get rid of them. I would go with their Brightening Intensive Serum instead for dark spots.

Verdict: Try it! 

La Mer Radiant Serum is $260

You can read more on their website- http://www.cremedelamer.com/templates/products/spp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY23101&PRODUCT_ID=PROD16769

The Essence by La Mer $2100

“The Essence” is the latest and most expensive of the La Mer series and, in a three-week regimen, makes the skin glow like a newborn’s. The three emerald-green phials contain the “Miracle Broth,” a combination of seaweed, minerals, vitamin and wheat germ, marine algae and the essence of daffodil bulbs. All three soothe the skin and boost the energy reserves of skin cells.

Will finally be getting my hands ( or should i say face?) on The Essence of La Mer next week. Will come back to give you guys my thoughts.