Even though I'm a beauty editor, I wasn't that familiar with this iconic brand's products—these 6 have truly wowed me
I put them to the test
As a big feature of beauty department stores worldwide, I am confident I won’t be the first to introduce you to La Mer. With an undeniable luxury status, this brand’s products are also famous for being rather… expensive. For the uninitiated, part of what makes the best La Mer products so pricey is a little thing called "Miracle Broth".
The brand’s story began when the founder, Dr Max Huber, was burned in a lab accident. This inspired him to research the healing powers of the sea and, some 12 years and 6,000 experiments later, the fermented concoction known as "Miracle Broth" was born. Made with hand-harvested sea kelp, known for its self-regenerative properties, this broth transformed the look of his skin. Every batch—which takes three to four months to develop—is formulated with a few drops of the batch that was made before it, meaning they all tie back to the original concoction.
All that is to say that a lot of research, time and process has gone into each pot of the famous Crème de la Mer moisturiser, and only a select few are privy to the full recipe. If you have the budget, here are some of the best La Mer products from the brand’s ever-growing range…
The best La Mer products, according to a beauty editor
1. The Lip Balm
A strong contender for one of the best lip balms out there, this has a subtle, sweet mint scent and, naturally, is infused with that famous Miracle Broth. It doesn’t feel at all greasy, coating your lips with just the right amount of comfortable slip. It provides a nice layer of moisture and also works to repair their natural barrier. Marie Claire’s senior beauty editor Katie Thomas also loves it: "Yes, it's bougie. Yes, it's expensive. But I love it, goddammit. It's minty, it's nourishing and I feel pretty fabulous applying it on public transport," she says.
2. La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturising Cream
You knew it’d be here—easily the brand’s most famous product is the iconic Crème de la Mer Moisturising Cream, which is now almost 70 years old. Housed in its recognisable white jar, the largest pot of this cream famously has a price tag in the thousands. The texture is quite thick and pillowy; you rub it in your hands until it goes translucent, loosening it up, before pressing and smoothing it into your skin. Its softening effect is almost immediate; it cocoons the skin but doesn't feel greasy or unbearably heavy while doing so. There is a very small amount of fragrance here—it’s the last on the INCI list—but I barely notice it, and it doesn’t detract from the overall feel. If you’ve never tried anything from La Mer before, this is a great place to start.
3. La Mer The Essence Foaming Cleanser
As a rule, foaming cleansers aren’t my favourite. But, thankfully, The Essence Foaming Cleanser isn’t a super foamy formula that strips the skin of life. As well as Miracle Broth and tourmaline, it’s formulated with La Mer’s trademarked “Deconstructed Waters”, which mimic the way our bodies break down water for more efficient skincare ingredient delivery. The texture feels like some kind of cream-clay hybrid and is fairly thick when you first squeeze some out of the tube. Then, it foams up before rinsing off cleanly. The only downside is it can’t be used on the eye area, meaning it’s firmly second-cleanse territory.
4. La Mer The Eye Concentrate
As the best eye creams go, The Eye Concentrate is up there with the most luxurious, containing a concentrated version of the famous Miracle Broth alongside plumping amino protein. There’s also a little something called the “Clarity Ferment” involved, designed to brighten and revitalise the eye area. It has the silkiest texture, and I like the accompanying miniature metal applicator, which makes application both easy and fun.
5. La Mer The Revitalizing Mist
You’d be forgiven for thinking that, even with La Mer’s Miracle Broth, this is a simple face mist. But inside the bottle lies a live magnet that’s designed to continuously charge the formula to keep it as effective as possible. Sounds pretty clever, no? The user experience is rather elegant, too, as it dispenses in an ultra-fine mist rather than completely dousing your skin. Pop it in the fridge to supercharge its cooling powers.
6. La Mer The Revitalizing Hydrating Serum
This serum has a gorgeous silky, creamy texture. It envelops the skin in a “micro cloud of moisture” to maintain hydration and softness with an algae-powered hydration complex. Meanwhile, peptides are also hard at work to support skin repair. Despite such power, it’s lovely and lightweight and soaks into the skin with ease—though I would point out that, to me, it smells and feels noticeably more fragranced than the cream, so do be aware of this if you know your skin is sensitive to scented products.
