When you take the time and effort to care for your skin, you’re doing more than improving its outward appearance. A good skincare routine will help prevent acne, reduce the likelihood of wrinkles, keep you looking youthful, and help your skin glow and look its best.
In this article, we compare two titans of the skincare industry: L’Oréal Group’s SkinCeuticals brand and The Estée Lauder Companies’ La Mer. You will learn everything you need to know about their moisturizers and cleansers, ingredients, how it feels to experience the product and a look at some concerns we have.
Contents
La Mer and Skinceuticals Moisturizers
La Mer’s Crème de la Mer moisturizer is the brand’s signature product and one of its bestselling items. SkinCeuticals’ Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 anti-aging treatment is a comparable product because both products claim that they aim to reduce wrinkles, intensely moisturise , encourage smooth-looking skin, and develop a healthy and rejuvenated look.
Let’s take a closer look at these products and see if these formulas really do nourish and hydrate or if they are a luxury splurge worth indulging in or not.
Both of these moisturisers are sulfate and paraben-free, with triple lipid restore also claiming to be fungal-acne safe. Fungal Acne isn’t a condition I’ve experienced but finding the right intensive moisturiser that doesn’t block pores and worsen acne is a challenge.
There are a few key differences between these two products that are important to note. First, the Triple Lipid Restore is a bit more expensive than the creme de la mar. Secondly, the Triple Lipid Restore is a bit thicker in consistency than the creme de la mar. Finally, the Triple Lipid Restore contains three different types of lipids whereas the creme de la mar only contains two. In my opinion this doesn’t really make a difference in how the product works on your skin when both formulas also contain other moisture holding humectants.
Lipids are an important part of any skincare routine. they provide the skin with essential moisture and help to protect it from environmental damage. However, if overused or your skin type is very oily, they can also clog pores and cause breakouts. Lipids come in different consistencies, from oils to creams. how they work depends on their structure and what other ingredients are present in the formulation. for example, some lipids can penetrate the skin to provide deep hydration, while others sit on the surface and form a barrier.
Both the triple lipid restore and creme de la mer are very thick and heavy moisturisers that do feel like they are forming a barrier but also with a sense that they are soaking into your skin and not just sitting on top making your skin feel greasy. I know of ladies applying Triple lipid restore as a makeup primer and they haven’t found it to cause piling or runny makeup.
If I had to choose one of these two products to wear under makeup I’d choose Triple lipid restore because you might get away with a lighter foundation as the formula itself tends to lightly block pores and create the appearance of even and smooth skin.
Comparing ingredients
Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is named for its key ingredients, ceramides natural cholesterol, and fatty acids. Crème de la Mer moisturizer contains La Mer’s trademarked ‘Miracle Broth’ and Lime Tea, as well as algae extract, citric acid and mineral oil. Triple lipid restore contains glycerin and hyaluronic acid which are both help hold in moisture and Creme de la mer also makes use of glycerin.
Triple lipid restore contain linoleum and limonene which are used to create the scent, which is very faint and could be described as a light blend of lavender and peppermint. Unless you are really sensitive to scented skincare products this very delicate scent shouldn’t cause you any problems and I personally enjoy a light scent as it make the product feel more luxurious.
One point to note it that peppermint is known to create a tingling and cooling sensation on your skin and in this formula the peppermint does very minimally create a gentle cooling sensation. I love this because it makes me feel like a product is really having an effect, even if this is just a nice sensation.
Concerns
The Crème de la Mer moisturizer works best with dry skin and is best avoided if you have oily skin. The main reason for this is because the Crème de la Mer contains a lot of oil, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts. Additionally, the Crème de la Mer is quite thick and heavy, which can further contribute to the problem of oily skin. If you do decide to use Crème de la Mer, it is important to only use a small amount and to apply it sparingly. Otherwise, you may find that your skin becomes even oilier than before.
In comparison users of Skinceuticals Triple lipid restore have complained about the consistency of the cream, saying that it is too thick and difficult to spread on the skin but I actually think you’ll find it pairs well with makeup and blends into your skin without piling.
A closer look at Cleansers
SkinCeuticals’ Gentle Cream Face Cleanser is a good sample to compare with La Mer’s The Cleansing Lotion as both are designed to be gentle on the skin while claiming to be robust enough to remove even the most stubborn makeup.
The Gentle Cream Face Cleanser is free of parabens, sulfates, soap, synthetic fragrances, dye, and alcohol. It is gentle enough to be used every day and works well for people with dry, normal, sensitive, and post-procedural skin.
La Mer’s The Cleansing Lotion is also free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates and is formulated with magnetized tourmaline to help cleanse the skin.
Key ingredients
SkinCeuticals’ Gentle Cream Face Cleanser’s active cleansing ingredients include the hydrating allantoin, glycerin, orange oil for rejuvenation, and an emollient-rich surfactant system derived from coconut oil fatty acids. La Mer’s The Cleansing Lotion contains two trademarked ingredients, the ‘Miracle Broth’ and ‘Deconstructed Waters’, as well as the gemstone tourmaline and several other ingredients.
Concerns
As a foaming cleanser, La Mer’s The Cleansing Lotion tends to dry out the skin, leaving it feeling tight and uncomfortable.
The key ingredients of La Mer and Skinceuticals products
La Mer stands out from the skincare crowd with its trademarked ‘Miracle Broth’ and ‘Deconstructed Waters’, as well as its active use of unusual ingredients such as the gemstone tourmaline, algae extract, Sesame Seed Powder, Green Tea leaf extract, and caffeine.
SkinCeuticals, on the other hand, regularly use ingredients that are commonly found in skincare products such as water, glycerin, ascorbic acid (vitamin e), propylene glycol, laureth-23, propanediol, cetyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol, tocopherol, triethanolamine, ferulic acid, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate.
For many products, both La Mer and Skinceuticals claim to be free of parabens and sulfates.
The final word
Although both La Mer and Skinceuticals are priced at the premium end of skincare products, La Mer is regularly more expensive and has a limited line of products that make product selection much easier than Skinceuticals.
However, the lack of transparency over La Mer’s trademarked ‘Miracle Broth’ and ‘Deconstructed Waters’ is a cause for concern for those who would prefer a full list of ingredients for health reasons, allergy concerns, and ethical worries.