La Mer the moisturizing soft cream for sensitive skin
Algae Extract
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Hyaluronic Acid
Glycerin
CaffeineAverage
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 moisturizing for your normal skin, as glycerin and hyaluronic acid provide essential hydration and plumpness, while petrolatum and shea butter support the skin barrier. This product offers general skincare benefits, such as hydration and soothing, which are supportive for your redness and irritation but not targeted for significant improvement.
- The formulation is excellent for normal skin types, providing both humectant and emollient actions to maintain skin hydration and barrier function.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing components like algae extract.
How to apply
- Use this soothing AM and PM routine every day to keep your normal skin calm. Always remember to apply SPF in the morning after your moisturizer.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner in the morning, and after your serum in the evening. This step locks in hydration and protects your skin.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer evenly across your face. Avoid rubbing to keep your sensitive skin happy and calm.
- You can apply this gentle formula on dry or slightly damp skin for the best comfort. It works wonderfully on clean skin to soothe redness and irritation.
- Do a patch test before your very first use to check your skin's reaction. Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 1.8k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is frequently praised for its deep hydration, lightweight feel, and ability to impart a luminous glow, benefiting normal, combination, and sensitive skin types. Many users report improvements in skin texture and a reduction in redness. However, a moderate number of users with acne-prone or oily skin experienced breakouts, and a very high frequency of reviews mention concerns about the product's exceptionally high price point relative to its perceived benefits.
Highlights
Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
- “Keep my skin soft and hydrated all day.”
- “It's deeply moisturising and my skin never looks better.”
- “Provides an excellent base for my makeup... just a hydrated and luminous glow.”
- “This has completely changed the texture and appearance of my skin.”
Extremely expensive Mostly Mentioned
- “While I did enjoy the La Mer face cream, I definitely don't think it's worth the high cost.”
- “If you pay $380 for 2oz of mineral oil... you're a clown in my book.”
- “The long-term results weren't as 'miraculous' as the price might suggest.”
- “Unfortunately high end skincare products are highly overrated and 90% of the times not worth their price tag.”
Lightweight, absorbs fast Often Mentioned
- “The texture is lighter than the original cream, absorbs quickly and doesn't feel too heavy.”
- “Absorb into my skin immediately leaving it looking fresh and healthy.”
- “It feels light weight with out any oily residue.”
- “I put it on my skin and I was surprised my skin immediately drank it up.”
Luminous glow Often Mentioned
- “I really like the luminous glow that it gives.”
- “Not glittery, not oily—just that 'my skin is healthy' look.”
- “Gives a glow effect. nourishes the skin and makes it hydrated.”
- “It gives me a healthy, hydrated glow rather than a greasy shine.”
Calms redness Sometimes Noted
- “The algae definitely helped with some of the redness I had.”
- “When my skin is stressed, this is one of the moisturizers I reach for because it feels calming.”
- “Works well to moisturise and calm skins.”
- “It's a nearly unscented gentle moisturizer that I incorporated... without any signs of irritation.”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “It doesn't moisturize well, it leaves a weird film and it clogged my pores.”
- “Unfortunately, all it did was contribute to massive breakouts and an oily complexion.”
- “Interestingly, I can't do the soft cream and I can only do the original cream [due to breakouts].”
- “Because I have oily, acne-prone skin... I do think [other products] work better.”
Leaves residue Rarely Noted
- “It didn't absorb well and left a heavy residue.”
- “The cream failed to absorb into my skin (like at all), leaving my face feeling coated.”
- “I found it difficult to use at night because the cream would get all over my pillow, leaving behind residue.”
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Questions and answers
How well does La Mer Soft Cream work for sensitive skin?
This cream works moderately well for sensitive skin, providing basic hydration and soothing benefits through glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and petrolatum, though other products fit this skin type better. It is unlikely to cause irritation because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing algae extract. A moisturizing treatment for sensitive skin needs highly effective, soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica, cica ceramide, and nourishing oils that specifically target redness and irritation while strengthening the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cream works for sensitive skin because it contains soothing algae extract alongside glycerin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, plus petrolatum and shea butter to support the skin barrier safely. To achieve a better fit for sensitive skin, a product of this type needs highly effective, soothing ingredients like fermented Centella Asiatica and cica ceramide that specifically target redness and irritation without overwhelming the skin.
What does Algae Extract do for sensitive skin?
Algae extract helps calm sensitive skin by reducing irritation and protecting against daily environmental stress. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated and supports the skin barrier to keep your face feeling smooth and comfortable.
What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for sensitive skin?
Butyrospermum parkii butter helps protect sensitive and easily irritated skin by calming redness and keeping it soft. It supports the outer moisture barrier so skin stays smooth and comfortable, and it is generally well-tolerated without causing discomfort.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cream goes in the evening routine as a moisturizing treatment applied after cleansing and toning, followed by your regular moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your sensitive skin because it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like algae extract.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it after your retinol may help calm dryness and irritation. A moisturizer of this type works best for sensitive skin when it includes soothing ingredients like algae extract and gentle hydrators like glycerin.
Cutis, 2006Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizing treatment twice daily in your evening routine, as this product type helps maintain skin hydration and barrier function. Daily application is unlikely to irritate sensitive skin due to the soothing ingredients and the absence of harsh components.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream may occasionally cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as some reviewers note. However, its safety profile is very gentle and it is unlikely to irritate your skin.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream around the eyes or on your body, as it has a very safe formula with no harsh ingredients that is unlikely to cause irritation. However, because the skin around the eyes and on different parts of the body varies significantly in thickness, a product for this skin needs targeted active ingredients and barrier-supporting components to deliver noticeable improvements.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, citronellol, and geraniol) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
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, 2017Treatment 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, 2022A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Topical 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, 2019The 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, 2012A 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 moisturizers fit sensitive skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A dexpanthenol-containing cream accelerated skin barrier repair, increased stratum corneum hydration, reduced skin roughness, and decreased skin redness compared to vehicle and untreated controls in sodium lauryl sulphate-irritated skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2002
Ingredients
Algae Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Distearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Steareth-10, Urea, Glucose, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Peg-8, Laureth-7, Lecithin, Triacetin, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-51, Potassium Phosphate, Alcohol Denat, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Citronellol, Geraniol, Bht, Disodium Edta, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caffeine, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Pca, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
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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