Product: The Concentrate, La Mer
Price: $375 ( Available at Neiman Marcus)
If you speak to most women who buy high-end skincare, they either swear by La Mer or they don’t- either way, it is the one brand that manages to illicit a strong reaction from the market. I grew up seeing my mom use the mini-tubs of their signature ‘Creme de La Mer’. To me, La Mer has always represented the epitome of high-end skincare. However, lately with brands such as Sunday Riley on the rise which emphasizes green-technology, and natural brands like Kahina which emphasis clean ingredients, La Mer’s products have been looking a bit dated.
In order to appeal to a younger generation, La Mer has diversified their product line launching cleansers, toners, sunscreens, makeup, and hero-serums. The Concentrate was the product that most appealed to me.
This product is regarded as the most “potent” in the entire line due to it’s concentration of their renowned active Miracle Broth derived from seaweed. It’s primary purpose is to treat scarring, and skin that needs to heal. As someone with mild acne scarring, I was interested in testing this out.
The Concentrate comes out as a thick, yellowish gel that smells a bit medicinal and minty. Like all La Mer products, you must heat it with your hands/fingers before you apply it on the face. This makes the consistency a bit more absorptive. I found that unlike some of their other products, this wasn’t that heavy and didn’t cause me to break out. It absorbed fairly well, and moisturized my skin.
After 2 weeks of use, I’m not sure if it did anything for acne scars but my skin did feel more supple. Although I don’t agree with the product’s claims that it can be a considerable alternative for people considering chemical peels/laser, I do think it is a well formulated, versatile serum that is good for skin. But for acne scar treatment, not so sure.
It was supposedly initially designed to heal burns. I burned my hand on a searing hot cast iron skillet and immediately applied my La Mer products. My hand was healed within 24 hours. I’ve used La Mer for years and everyone thinks I’m in my mid to late thirties. I’m 50.
Hi – great blog! – I found you on a search because I just discovered The Concentrate for acne and wanted to know if others were blogging about it. Starting late November I did a “half face” test alongside Dermalogica’s Barrier Cream, which also features silicones and anti-inflammatory botanicals. I was hoping the Dermalogica, which is just $42 per ounce, would perform as well as the LaMer but was disappointed.
After two weeks the difference between the two brands was remarkable: The La Mer treated side of my face had two acne cysts that left behind clear skin with bright pink hyperpigmentation that faded quickly. The Dermalogica treated side of my face also had two cysts, but they oozed and peeled repeatedly and left the typical ice pick scars. After 3 or 4 weeks I gave up the experiment and am using LaMer all over my face!
As for old scars, however, I’m not sure LaMer really CAN do anything. I think it’s power is in fighting active inflammation. Anyway, I’m sold on LaMer even though I’m not thrilled by the silicones. If you know of anything as effective that’s “green” I’m all ears. Well, eyes.