Some companies have gone to the ends of the earth to seek out the miracle ingredient that can help anyone with enough cash turn back the hands of time.
Do you want softer, smoother, more supple skin? It’s going to cost you. It costs $230 to purchase just 2 oz of Crème De La Mer. Why is it so expensive? It probably has something to do with one of its main ingredients: a rare sea kelp that is harvested twice a year and transported back to the lab on ice. However, according to its creator, Dr. Max Huber, it’s not the fancy ingredients that make this skin miracle happen – it’s the way they are distilled. The fermentation process, which takes three to four months, includes harnessing the powers of both light and sound.
Think that’s expensive? Compared to Switzerland’s La Prairie, it’s a steal! A few of La Prairie’s products also purport to harness the miracles of the deep. Ingredients like sea water and caviar in products sporting $500 price tags have people asking why eat this appetizer when I can put it on my face?
This company doesn’t just rely on the treasures found under the sea. When it comes to beauty, La Prairie leaves no stone unturned. Just 1.7 ounces of Cellular Cream Platinum Rare costs $1,000 thanks to its star ingredient – you guessed it: platinum. Rarer than gold, platinum’s unique ability to bond with the human face insures ageless performance by protecting your skin’s DNA. Its most expensive product boasts an even heftier price tag: $2,000. Although caviar is included, the limited edition Jeweled Skin Caviar Luxe Cream is probably so expensive thanks to its packaging. This refillable jeweled jar features 2,400 Crystallized Swarovski elements and targets the makeup jar collector audience.
Do They Really Work?
Although many people have seen results from these products, there isn’t an unbiased consensus among the scientific community on whether they’re worth it. In fact, most experts say that maintaining a youthful glow has less to do with spending exorbitant amounts of cash, and more to do with taking care of yourself. So, protect yourself from the sun, stay hydrated, eat a healthy diet rich in omega threes, exercise regularly, and of course, avoid smoke at all costs.
Want to see more outrageously priced products?
Forbes Magazine published a list of the 14 most expensive skin products it could find. Here’s a list of more really expensive skin serums and wrinkle solutions:
1. RéVive Intensité Volumizing Serum
Price: $600 per oz.
Star ingredient: Keratinocyte growth factor.
2. Sisley-Paris Sisleya Elixer
Price: $582 per oz.
Star ingredient: Extract of weeping willow.
3. Clé De Peau Beauté La Crème
Price: $475 for 1 oz.
Star ingredient: Actually comes with a silver spoon.
4. Dermagenetics DNA Test & Custom Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream
Price: $400 per oz.
Star ingredient: Your DNA. After your genetic propensity for wrinkling is tested, you receive a customized night cream.
5. Natura Bissé Inhibit-Dermafill
Price: $385 per oz.
Star ingredient: Octapeptide and black pepper extract.
6. Kanebo Sensai Ex La Crème
Price: $368 per oz.
Star ingredient: Extract of apricot kernels.
7. Dermalab Swissline Cell Shock 50% Pure Cellular Extract
Price: $331 per oz.
Star ingredient: Pure cellular extract.
8. Darphin Replenishing Anti-Wrinkle Serum
Price: $310 per oz.
Star ingredient: Iris isoflavones and essence of mamaku.
9. Valmont L ‘Elixir des Glaciers
Price: $288 per oz.
Star ingredient: Extract of coneflower, sea buckthorn and rosa moschata.
10. N.V. Perricone M.D. Neuropeptide Facial Conformer
Price: $285 per oz.
Star ingredient: Peptides and neuropeptides.
11. Orlane Hypnotherapy
Price: $277 per oz.
Star ingredient: Red tocol arctic cranberry.
12. AmorePacific Time Response Skin Renewal Crème
Price: $235 per oz.
Star ingredient: Green tea.
13. Guerlain Sérénissima
Price: $210 per oz.
Star ingredient: Patented H-Captine Complex.
14: Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lifting Eye Crème
Price: $100 per oz.
Star ingredient: Crushed South Sea pearls.
So, how much is too much?
How much would you pay for these top-of-the-line cosmetic products? Do you know of any that accomplish the same goals with a much smaller price tag?
