Comments on: Creme de la Mer – Review

By: Colin

Colin — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:03:14 +0000

It isn’t strictly speaking paraffin. The mineral oils used in skin creams are very different to the paraffin you use in a stove.

By: martha

martha — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:22:01 +0000

I know I wouldn’t pay this much money for a cream with PARAFFIN in it

By: LNR

LNR — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 06:32:42 +0000

Very interesting read, thank you. I love the product and have bought it about 3 times over the years – depends on when House of Fraser have a 10% off promotion, or I’m at the airport! It lasts about 6 months for me being used once a day in the evening. I’d be scrimping and not feeling so well moisturised if I tried to make it last longer.

I use Soap & Glory Night in Shining Armour cream as a more affordable alternative when I’m not feeling so indulgent. However I absolutely think it’s worth the investment, in fact I’m going to inspect the state of my credit card bill to see if I can squeeze in another purchase I love the feeling of my face when I wake up in the morning and it’s still well moisturised.

I have had sample pots of it before, possibly through a voucher though. Don’t blame them if they don’t give them out freely, they’d get inundated!

By: Alison

Alison — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:00:52 +0000

Hi Colin,

I have a cream here that contains the following ingredients :

Water
Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Betaine
Butylene Glycol
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Triethanolamine Carbomer
Methylparaben
Propylparaben
Phenoxyethanol
Human Oligopeptide-1
Fragrance
Ceramide 1

Can it be used as a face moisturizer and is it good for sensitive/combination skin?
It is really expensive for a small tube of only 15ml so I am wondering if it is worth it.
Thanks in advance

By: Colin

Colin — Mon, 30 May 2011 21:10:21 +0000

@Livia, I am afraid I can’t recommend one in particular. I would say though that if you have dry skin you want to be looking for one with a pretty high oil content. The only thing I would say is ignore the price tag. A cheap one might be just the thing for you. On the other hand, even a really expensive one like Creme de la Mer isn’t that expensive when you work it out per application. So pick the one that gives you the best results. Eve Lom TLC is extremely rich in oil, much richer than Creme de la Mer. It is a water in oil emulsion rather than the more usual oil in water, so it is a seriously good barrier cream. Another one that you might want to consider in the same vane is Atrixo. It is a fraction of the price but as i say judge it on the results not the price tag. For anyone other than Livia reading this – Eve Lom TLC and Atrixo are intended for very dry skin. If your skin isn’t dry you will probably find using either of these products a horrible experience.

By: Livia

Livia — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:19:56 +0000

Hi Colin

Great website – I purchased Creme de la Mer and thought it wasn’t worth the money or the hype. Prefered Eve Lom TLC cream so I took it back.

….now you say it, both are very similar to Nivea.

What cream for dry skin (face and body) would you recommend?

By: Colin

Colin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 23:45:36 +0000

Obagi isn’t a name that I have come across before but I have just had a look at the website. The claims are impressive, and as they are using some pretty serious actives like tretinoin and hydroquinone are likely to be justifiable. I am pretty sure that they are both prescription only in the UK. There may be some wriggle room legally on that, but in my opinion there shouldn’t be. They can both be used quite safely if used with care, but they can also be harmful if overused. I don’t really think they should be sold over the internet with no controls even if a lawyer has managed to find a loophole in the legislation.

By: Maria

Maria — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:54:28 +0000

Hi Colin

Have you heard of Obagi? Thought your review of La Mer was really helpful. Agree that a comparison against another cream would be good and would like to know what you think of Obagi Nu Derm System which is about £500 for a 3 month supply.

Thanks

Maria

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:13:11 +0000

Colin,
Thank you for taking the time to answer. Do you think that the above formula is as effective as la mer?
The sales person also claimed the creme would brighten my skin, something la mer hasn’t done for me.
Thank you

By: Colin

Colin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:49:50 +0000

Hello Michelle, thanks for posting that list. I can say straight away that whoever formulated it didn’t skimp on the ingredients. There are some pretty expensive raw materials on that list. The ones that catch my eye are the peptides. There is a lot talked about peptides. There is a story about how they are supposed to work which is hard to believe but I suppose you have to admit might be true. More convincingly there is some published data that shows them to have a measurable, though still modest, anti wrinkle effect.

The salicylic acid is well known to promote cell turnover which some people find beneficial.

So on the whole based purely on that list I would be inclined to think that it might be an effective formulation. As to Creme de la Mer being overpriced, the whole ultra premium skin care sector is overpriced. But so are Louis Vuitton handbags by the same criterion. Those kinds of products are much more about a lifestyle than cost effective skin care.