Brand background
Originating in the 1970’s, La Prairie is a European skin care brand owned by the German conglomerate Beiersdorf. The brand claims that its product’s are unique because of four rare ingredients. platinum, gold, white caviar, and caviar. In addition, La Prairie skin care products are formulated based on proprietary research conducted at the Clinique La Prairie (a spa resort) in the Swiss Alps. The La Prairie brand has become so widely recognized that it is now sold all over the world, including Europe, the United States, Russia, and South Africa, among others. In this La Prairie review, we’ll discuss key products, key formulation details, La Prairie reviews, and an alternative for you to consider.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2021?
Key products
La Prairie skin care products include moisturizers, face masks, serums, sun blocks, eye products, and much more. The products are divided into seven collections: Platinum Rare, Skin Caviar, Radiance, White Caviar, Skin Caviar Complexion, Anti-Aging, and Swiss Ice Crystal. Since there are too many La Prairie products to cover in one review, below we’ll discuss three of the most popular La Prairie skin care products: Skin Caviar Liquid Lift, Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Cream, and Skin Caviar Luxe Cream.
Skin Caviar Liquid Lift is an anti-aging serum that is said to provide an immediate lifting effect while helping to lift and firm over the long term. It is recommended to follow this product with the Luxe Cream and Eye Cream.
Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Cream is an anti-aging eye cream that is said to lift and firm the skin around the eyes, while decreasing the look of puffiness. In addition, this cream is said to moisturize the delicate skin of the lower and upper lids, leaving it feeling more comfortable.
Skin Caviar Luxe Cream is an anti-aging face cream that is said to help the skin appear more supported, tightened and toned, with a heightened feeling of tautness and suppleness.
Key formulation
Interestingly, La Prairie does not disclose the ingredients that are used in their product formulations on their website. In order to find the ingredients used in La Prairie skin care products, we had to research third party websites.
The most popular La Prairie skin care products all contain caviar. Caviar certainly makes these products seem luxurious, but does this ingredient actually benefit the skin? It turns out caviar extract can offer quite a few benefits to the skin. That’s because the eggs are very rich in nutrients, like vitamins and amino acids. Caviar extract has been shown in studies to enhance the production of collagen in fibroblast cells, as well as boost the production of ceramides. Collagen is a protein that helps to keep skin strong and firm, while ceramides are waxy lipids that help skin retain moisture and give it a nice, healthy glow.
The formulation of La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift is actually pretty disappointing, especially when you consider the first six ingredients in the formula (the highest concentration ingredients). These include water, sodium citrate, glycerin, dimethicone, isohexadecane, and alcohol. The high concentration of alcohol in this serum has the potential to actually cause signs of aging (the opposite of what this serum is claimed to do). That’s because alcohol is well known to cause skin dryness, irritation, and even disruption of the skin barrier, especially when used in high concentrations. The combination of alcohol with glycerin and dimethicone will temporarily reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. This is because alcohol tightens the skin, glycerin hydrates the skin and thereby plumps skin, and dimethicone forms a thin, invisible film that can help disguise signs of aging. However, these effects are temporary and will disappear once you wash off the product.
La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Cream contains high concentrations of emollients like petrolatum, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and acetylated lanolin. These ingredients help to lock in moisture and keep the delicate skin around the eyes soft. Like most eye creams, the Skin Caviar Luxe Eye Cream features caffeine. As a natural stimulant, caffeine causes vasoconstriction (constriction of the blood vessels) when applied to the skin, which helps to reduce eye puffiness or dark circles.
The formulation of Skin Caviar Luxe Cream contains high concentrations of several silicones, such as cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, Trifluoromethyl C1-4 Alkyl Dimethicone, and dimethicone. Silicones improve spreadability and give the skin a silky, smooth feel. Silicones also form a film on the surface of skin that helps to lock in moisture. One problem with this cream is that it’s packed with fragrance ingredients, such as linalool, citronellol, geraniol, limonene, eugenol, and more. These fragrance ingredients have the potential to cause skin irritation and even damage to the skin barrier.
La Prairie reviews
There are no La Prairie reviews on the brand’s website.
What are some alternatives to La Prairie?
The inclusion of caviar in La Prairie skin care products is certainly unique and actually quite beneficial to the skin. Unfortunately, many of the La Prairie products contain only a small amount of caviar combined with high concentrations of ingredients that make you think your skin is more firm and youthful (like glycerin, dimethicone, and alcohol). Plus, the hefty price tag on most La Prairie skin care products makes this brand out of the question for many people.
If you’re looking for an anti-aging serum that won’t break the bank and will actually give you long term results, we recommend Formulyst’s Anti-Aging Concentrate. This serum contains Matrixyl 3000, a peptide complex composed of the matrikines palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7. These two peptides work synergistically to restore and maintain the skin’s youthful appearance by signaling to cells to produce more collagen. The Anti-Aging Concentrate is also full of natural ingredients, such as green tea, vitamin C, and vitamin E. All three of these ingredients provide powerful antioxidant activity, protecting the skin against environmental free radicals that are known to degrade collagen. Overall, Formulyst Anti-Aging Concentrate is a multi-tasking serum that is formulated to help promote the five signs of youth – radiance, elasticity, firmness, skin tone and smoothness.
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that is effective and safe. Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the power of plants with cutting edge science. Not only is Carrot & Stick good for your skin, it is also good for the environment as the formulas skip harmful chemicals as well as the preservatives, emulsifiers and thickeners commonly found in skincare products.
Nico Original review: Aug 24, 2020.
I have used La Prairie products for over 25 years. The quality is exceptional, the performance is unparalleled and the packaging so advanced. While I do enjoy procedures I always use my La Prairie to maintain healthy, strong great skin. My Derm is always impressed with the tone, texture and resiliency of my skin both pre and post surgery. The products are an investment in long term good skin. Worth every dollar!