The moment we have all been waiting for has arrived. The results of the Cle De Peau La Crème Science Experiment have been analyzed, and I am ready to share them with the world.
For those who have no idea what I am talking about, here’s a quick summary.
A couple months ago, I received the 2020 reformulated Cle de Peau’s La Crème Ultimate Anti-Aging Night Cream as a gift from a friend who works in beauty PR.
What’s so special about this cream, you may ask? Well, for starters, it comes with a hefty $1,000 price tag for a 50ml product making it one of the most luxurious skincare products on the market. When I found this out, my jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn’t understand how a singular night cream could be this expensive and how there was even a market for this product type. So, I put my biology hat on and thought, what better way to use this product than for the sake of science! The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether the luxurious 2020 La Crème Night Cream produces the results that it claims and is worth its $1,000 price tag.
La Crème Formulation:
What makes the cream so unique? While doing my research on la crème, I actually found it very difficult to find detailed explanations about the science behind the cream or how the ingredients work on the skin. All I really found were videos of elegant British women explaining how luxurious the cream was. See for yourself in the video below.
Upon my further investigation, this is what I found out about the cream. La Crème uses the power of Skin Intelligence to rejuvenate skin overnight. What the heck is Skin Intelligence, you may ask? Skin Intelligence is Cle de Peau’s scientific discovery that the skin’s epidermis has the intuitive ability to detect damaging environmental, electrical stimuli and repair and defend. From this, Cle de Peau’s ground-breaking team of scientists created the Skin Empowering Illuminator, a complex that contains five ingredients:
1. Platinum Golden Silk Essence
2. Japanese Pearl Extract
3. Theanine
4. Perilla Extract
5. Angelica Acutiloba Extract
This Skin Empowering Illuminator increases Skin Intelligence. In other words, it is claimed to improve the skin’s ability to respond to multiple sources of stress (UV, dryness, aging) and its ability to regenerate overnight.
If you are in the slightest confused, don’t worry, so am I. If someone like me who researches hours about skincare and skin technology can’t understand the science jargon behind a $1000 cream, we have a problem. But I think that’s the point. Cle de Peau advertises this cream to consumers as being so scientifically advanced that it must work despite not understanding the ingredient list. And this, my friends, is the power of marketing.
How this experiment worked:
Over the past month, I asked (more like voluntold) my 65-year old mom, Karen, to substitute her current everyday moisturizer with La Crème Night Cream. Although La Crème is specifically formulated as a night cream, Karen used it both morning and night to maximize the impact and results, given that the experiment was only a month long. As a scientist, I know that a one-month timeframe is quick short to see any significant improvements in aged skin. However, I thought I would notice small changes as La Crème claims relatively immediate results. Karen didn’t change any of her other skincare steps and tried to go about her life as every day as possible. The only thing that changed was the fact that she wore $1000 on her face every day.
To keep track of Karen’s progress, pictures of her bare face, without makeup, were taken before the experiment, throughout the experiment, and after a full month of using La Crème.
Who is Karen?
Karen is a 65-year-old woman who has dry, sensitive, and easily irritated skin. She often suffers from rosacea and eczema and complains about her natural aging signs: fine lines around her eyes, mouth, cheeks, and under-eye puffiness. Until this past year, she has shied away from skincare products due to her fear of having a bad reaction.
For the past year, Karen upped her skincare game and has followed the skincare regime below:
Morning Routine:
- Wash face with water
- SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic
- La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum
- Embryolisse Moisturizer
- La Roche-Posay Sunscreen - 50
Night Routine:
- La Roche-Posay Toleraine Dermo-Cleanser
- Versed Clarifying Serum
- The Ordinary Buffet
- Embryolisse Moisturizer
The Results:
Before the Experiment:
Half-way Point:
The Final Results:
Karen's Observations:
- Packaging is pure luxury from the box to the jar’s shimmering gold crystal look, glass texture and diamond cut shape that reflects light
- A spatula applicator is included avoiding contamination from fingers in the jar
- A small amount of creamy product goes far, extending the life of the cream
- Cream emulsifies as rubbed into the skin and is light and silky to apply
- Cream absorbs quickly and is not too greasy, but skin is left tacky to the touch
- Skin is brighter, more hydrated and dewy, giving a youthful glow
- Skin tone is more even, with aging spots, redness and broken capillaries minimized.
- Skin texture is more smooth, soft and supple.
- Slight increase in firmness and plumpness near the end of the month
- Fine lines and eye puffiness remain about the same, although others say they are less noticeable
- Gives me a feeling of confidence as I think I look more refreshed and rested
- Enjoyed the experience of using the product, felt so special and, as saw results, was more inclined to continue use
- No adverse reaction to the product or skin irritation
I’ve got to say I’m surprised. This experiment shows that La Crème has noticeable beneficial effects, and many are experienced quite quickly. The initial impact is skin brightening, reduced hyperpigmentation, and hydration, leading to a more youthful and healthy appearance. This effect continued to improve as time went on. P.S. My mom wouldn’t stop talking about all the skin compliments she was receiving over the weeks of using La Crème.
Skin firmness and fullness did occur, but towards the end of the month, and was more subtle. Therefore, wrinkles and puffiness remained visible. It is assumed that as product use continues, results in all areas will be enhanced.
There are a couple things to conclude from this short skin experiment. The first is that this product had an effect on skin brightening and smoothing. It is clear from Karen’s observations that the results gave her confidence she didn’t have before. However, like the good scientist I am, I can’t conclude that La Crème’s ingredients caused Karen’s increase in confidence.
Let me explain.
When you get the privilege of using a $1000 cream twice a day, it affects both your physical and emotional. The impact of the luxuriousness of La Crème may have skewed Karen’s opinions on her skin. We all know what the placebo effect is. The fact that Karen was looking and hoping for skin improvements may have been why she and those around her noticed such impressive skin improvements.
So, is this product worth the price tag?
In my opinion, no. La Crème is the most luxurious product I’ve had the chance to get my hands on, and the price tag is definitely targeted towards a specific clientele. If you have the financial means, don’t let me stop you, as it clearly delivered pretty impressive results in just a few weeks. However, is this product necessary for youthful skin? HELL NO.
Want to know my anti-aging secret?
Its two words: preventative measures. You can’t naturally “undo” wrinkles (cosmetic procedures will give you the best results), but what you can do is take steps now to positively affect how your skin looks in the future. The best product on the market is sunscreen - it’s the world’s anti-aging secret. As “boring” as sunscreen has been made out to be, it is the most important, so wear the DAMN SPF (please).
By the way, I want to thank my mom, Karen, for her participation and for exposing her bare self for all to see. What a good sport!
I would love to hear your opinions about this experiment. Send me a message here to get in touch!
- Sydney