La Mer The Cleansing Foam for skin with dark spots
Glycerin
Algae Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
CaffeineAverage
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for skin with dark spots; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dark spots: hyperpigmentation, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate cleansing for your normal skin due to myristic and lauric acids, which help lift impurities, while sodium hyaluronate and glycerin provide hydration, though these are not targeted for your pigmentation concerns.
- The formulation is safe for your normal skin, as algae extract and sodium hyaluronate offer soothing benefits without harsh ingredients.
- This product provides general skincare benefits and is safe for your normal skin, but it does not offer significant improvements for pigmentation.
How to apply
- You can use this cleanser AM and PM every single day. Start slowly 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in your morning routine or the second step in your evening routine. Follow it with toner and moisturizer.
- Massage a small amount of cleanser gently onto your face using circular motions. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- For the best results, apply your cleanser directly to wet skin to help wash away dirt. Make sure your face is clean before you begin.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes. Always do a quick patch test before using the product for the very first time.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers with oily and combination skin appreciate this cleanser's rich lather and effective cleansing, leaving skin feeling refreshed. However, some users with dry or sensitive skin find it to be stripping, and a few long-time users have noted changes in recent reformulations.
Highlights
Luxurious texture Mostly Mentioned
- “soft creamy lather”
- “texture is exquisite”
- “foams up so much”
Very expensive Mostly Mentioned
- “ridiculous price point”
- “not worth the money”
- “too pricey for a cleanser”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “removes mascara easily”
- “face feels squeaky clean”
- “takes off all impurities”
Lasts long Often Mentioned
- “pea size for whole face”
- “little goes a long way”
- “tube lasts a year”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells heavenly”
- “clean calming scent”
- “classic La Mer smell”
Soft post-wash feel Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels silky”
- “leaves face soft”
- “refreshed and bright”
Drying for skin Sometimes Noted
- “stripped all oils”
- “face felt parched”
- “too drying for sensitive skin”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings my eyes”
- “irritating to eye area”
- “burns if it gets in eyes”
Reformulation issues Rarely Noted
- “formula seems watery”
- “quality has lowered”
- “not as good as the old version”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smells like cheap soap”
- “overpowering perfume”
- “smells like grandma”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, macys.com, nordstrom.com, sephora.com, cremedelamer.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does La Mer The Cleansing Foam work for skin with dark spots?
La Mer The Cleansing Foam works moderately well for your skin, lifting impurities and keeping skin soft and hydrated, but it does not offer targeted improvements for dark spots. A cleanser for this skin needs to be exceptionally safe with no irritation risk, effectively address pigmentation with soothing and brightening ingredients, and cleanse without stripping moisture.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser lacks ingredients that specifically target dark spots, though it contains glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to help keep skin hydrated. To properly care for dark spots, a cleanser of this type needs soothing ingredients, antioxidants, and brightening agents that help even out skin tone while washing.
What does Glycerin do for skin with dark spots?
Glycerin helps keep dry skin hydrated and supports a healthy skin barrier, which makes skin feel soft and smooth. While it does not directly fade dark spots on its own, it is often added to spot-fading products to keep the skin comfortable while other ingredients work.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Acta Dermato-venereologica, 2017
What does Algae Extract do for skin with dark spots?
Algae extract helps fade dark spots by slowing down the processes that create excess pigment in the skin. Studies show that these marine ingredients work to calm uneven skin tone while providing strong antioxidant protection against daily damage.
African Journal of Traditional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicines, 2014The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2010
Where does it go in a skincare routine for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser fits into your morning and evening routine as the first cleansing step to wash away impurities. To properly address dark spots, this type of skin needs a routine that also includes targeted brightening treatments with ingredients like vitamin C or exfoliating acids.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to lift impurities, followed by your retinol treatment. A cleanser of this type needs soothing ingredients like algae extract and hydrating ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to help keep skin calm and soft while using strong treatments.
How often should I use it?
This cleanser works safely as a daily step in your routine, but a product of this type needs targeted brightening ingredients and antioxidants to truly help with dark spots.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for skin with dark spots?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for your skin, as it has a safe formula with soothing ingredients that do not irritate. However, a product of this type needs brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide to help fade dark spots.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is safe for normal skin, but a product for the thin skin around the eyes or the skin on the body needs ingredients that target specific thickness and barrier needs.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, linalool, and limonene).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Topical application of 1% Fucus vesiculosus extract gel twice daily for five weeks significantly decreased skin thickness and improved elasticity in human cheek skin compared with controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2002Optimized transfersomes loaded with epigallocatechin-3-gallate and hyaluronic acid increased cell viability while reducing lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS, and MMP expression in HaCaT cells, and exhibited higher skin permeation and deposition compared to plain EGCG.
Drug Delivery, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Treatment with lipid algae extract reduced the level of oxidized proteins in human keratinocytes and stratum corneum skin cells.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004Topical astaxanthin-loaded algae extract hydrogel and lipogel formulations exhibited the highest antioxidant activity and successful in vitro release, suggesting their potential as anti-aging formulations.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Antarctic marine algae extracts increased cell viability, protected against inflammation, and enhanced the barrier integrity of human intestinal and keratinocyte cell lines damaged by lipopolysaccharide or ultraviolet radiation.
Marine Drugs, 2022Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical application of sesame oil combined with standard care significantly reduced infusion-related phlebitis in adults compared to a control condition, with a risk ratio of 0.54.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2025Sesamol loaded silver nanoparticles gel showed a twofold increase in skin permeation and higher antioxidant activity compared to conventional formulations, demonstrating potential for topical wound healing delivery.
Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2024Treatment with moderately ozonated sesame oil accelerates cutaneous wound closure and enhances cell response, angiogenesis, and VEGF and cyclin D1 expression in SKH1 mice compared to oil with lower or higher peroxide values and controls.
Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2011A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021
Why other cleansers fit skin with dark spots better
Transgenic cucumber expressing poly-γ-glutamic acid synthesis genes increased water content by 6-14%, reduced water loss by 11-12%, decreased facial wrinkles and roughness by 19.58% and 24.97%, decreased skin melanin by 5.27%, and improved facial elasticity in human skin and zebrafish compared to controls.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024
Ingredients
Declustered Water, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Behenic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Stearic Acid, Algae Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake Sunflower Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal Seed, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil Leaf Eucalyptus Oil Leaf, Sodium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Quartz Powder, Nephrite Powder, Pearl Powder, Caffeine, Sea Salt, Humic Acids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sucrose, Tourmaline, Macrocystis Pyrifera Protein Kelp Protein, Polyquaternium-51, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Trehalose, Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Coco Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Pca, Peg-3 Distearate, Urea, Parfum, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Yellow 5 Ci 19140, Ci 15985, Blue 1 Ci 42090, Green 5 Ci 61570
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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