Rave: Why La Mer The Concentrate is the best skincare product of the year
One of my pet peeves when it comes to beauty products? Crazy claims. Anyone who knows how to read labels can easily see past what the product promises heaven and earth to do. And so, as someone who has been doing this for almost ten years, I can be a little jaded when something like the La Mer The Concentrate comes my way. It promises to be "beauty's best kept secret" as it "improves tone and texture, deepens hydration and helps skin feel more like itself: flexible, resilient, soft, more supple."
You know this: I have tried so many things at different price points. I am aware that everybody loves a good product at an affordable price. However, often, the best things in life are actually quite expensive. That's true for The Concentrate, which is easily the best skincare product I have tried so far this year. I do not say this lightly, but it's true! It was actually a close call between this and the La Mer Brilliance Mask!
I found The Concentrate really weird when I first tried it. It felt like primer more than skincare; it is so silicone-heavy. The first ingredient is in fact cyclopentasiloxane, a silicone, which is used as a conditioner, delivery agent, and lubricant in skincare. The texture is thick and my first thought was, oh no, my pores are going to choke! I had half a mind to stop using it after the first try.
The next morning though, I woke up with such nice skin! It felt smoother and had a more clarified, evened-out look. It's like I was wearing light makeup I kid you not! Whenever I have an impending breakout, I just apply The Concentrate to calm my skin down and it works overnight. My face also feels as smooth as a baby's bottom.
Bare face
I have this one big fresh blemish on the left side of my chin (your right on the screen), plus I have a lot of freckles. The texture though is A+, and I don't have blocked pores anymore. My whole face is even-toned, too.
So how does it work? The Concentrate has the most concentration of La Mer's Miracle Broth (algae extract, second ingredient in the list), which is the foundation on which the brand is built. The Miracle Broth almost sounds fake, and so does its mysterious inventor-scientist Max Huber, that people were wondering if he was even real. But he is. The Miracle Broth is from freshly-harvested seaweed - a specific type that grows only in a specific place - that is also treated with a special soundtrack to help it unlock its magic. Yes it sounds like fake news, but its true! And it works at least based on my personal experience with La Mer products.
I've been using The Concentrate for close to two months now, and I am down to product-pinching. There's roughly 30ml a bottle and yes it is one of the most expensive products out there per ml. I only use it like three times a week, and apply a pea-sized amount! I haven't tried anything like it - it works so fast in improving skin texture and brightness. The Concentrate used interchangeably with The Brilliance Mask has allowed me to not wear any foundation if I feel like it.
Now I don't have perfect skin, and maybe I will never have it, but these new products that La Mer has been brewing is getting me closer to my dream skin. Now if only I can make more money so I can buy when I run out!
Have you tried anything from La Mer? Is it a dream brand for you as well?
Photography by Samantha Gonzales
La Mer The Concentrate is around P19,000 for 1 oz. La Mer is available in select Rustan's stores.
La Mer The Concentrate Ingredients List:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Seaweed (Algae) Extract, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Helichrysum Arenarium (Everlasting) Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Lipids, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Meal, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Yeast Extract/Faex/Extrait de Levure, Cholosterol, Linoleic Acid, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavandin), Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol
