Opened the famous jar. Took a sniff. My first thought? It smells like my grandma’s cold cream.
The real magic isn’t the scent — it’s the ritual. You have to warm the dense cream between your fingers until it turns translucent. They don’t tell you that on the box.
It’s a $200 moisturizer from La Mer. The claim? A “miracle broth” heals skin. I tried it because decades of hype can’t be wrong… right?
The Broth
Fermented sea kelp is the star — the whole brand hinges on it.
The Jar
Heavy, ceramic, feels expensive. Also wildly unhygienic — you dip your fingers in every time.
The Feel
Rich. Thick. This is not for oily skin on a humid day.
Photo: Tariq Iqbal / Unsplash
Beyond the mystical broth, it’s a solid barrier repair cream. The hero ingredients are classic moisturizers and skin-identical lipids. The broth is proprietary, so who really knows.
- Seaweed Extract: The fermented ‘miracle broth’
- Mineral Oil: Locks in moisture — old-school occlusive
- Glycerin: Humectant that draws water to skin
- Lime Tea Extract: Provides antioxidants
Texture is like chilled butter. It melts on warm skin — leaves a satin-finish shield, not a greasy film. Absorbs in about 90 seconds.
Week 3: My skin felt fortified. Not “glowing,” but calm. The surprise? It pills under silicone-based sunscreen. A $200 cream should play nice with others.
My winter dryness and wind-chapped cheeks were gone. Measurable improvement. But my fine lines? Same. Breakouts? Also same. It’s a brilliant moisturizer, not a time machine.
It’s an excellent, overpriced moisturizer with a fantastic marketing department. The cult is for a reason — but not for everyone.