It can sometimes feel like the market is full of dozens of luxury face creams that promise to smooth, protect, or hydrate the skin. But how can you tell which skin cream will actually work for you?

In this article we’ll be looking at the three brands that have become iconic in the world of skincare. These are Natura Bissé, La Prairie and La Mer.

They promise their customers the best of best in facial skincare and each one has developed their own formulation over decades of research.

Here we look closely at what exactly is inside their bestselling face creams, whether it has worked for their customers and how to know if it’s right for your own skin type.

La Mer vs La Prairie vs Natura Bissé

Each of these legendary companies have one skin cream they’re known best for.

For La Mer it’s their Crème de la Mer Moisturiser that has become infamous for its use of sea kelp. This is fermented for a few months before being added to their creams, to break down the nutrients so that they can be better absorbed into the skin.

Sea kelp is known for its ability to moisturize and protect the skin as it has high antioxidant and mineral content.

La Prairie made waves with their Skin Caviar which uses natural caviar extract to protect and rejuvenate the skin. Caviar is also high in antioxidants and contains fatty acids and omega-3s too. These can moisturize the skin and help it to have a smoother texture.

Natura Bissé on the other hand are known for their ultra hydrating Diamond Extreme Cream. Their main ingredient is artemia salina extract which is a kind of brine shrimp. This extract is well known for having anti-aging qualities as well as hydrating and protective effects.

Although we’ve listed the main ingredients here, each cream also has a long list of other ingredients and complexes included. These are designed to work together to boost the overall effect on the skin.

Here we’ve compared the main features of these three skin creams so that you can see how they stack up side by side:

Comparison Table: La Mer vs La Prairie vs Natura Bissé

Main Ingredients	Giant Sea Kelp (fermented) Lime Tea Algae Extract	Natural Caviar Extract Algae Extract Shea Butter	Artemia Salina Extract (brine shrimp) Ursolic Acid Grape Seed Extract
Skin Types	All but especially dry-normal	All Skin Types	All but especially dry-normal
Alternatives for Oily Skin	La Mer Moisturizing Matte Lotion	Caviar Cream is for all skin types	Natura Bissé Stabilizing Gel Cream
Size Options	1 oz/30 ml 2 oz/60 ml 3.4 oz/100 ml	1.7 oz/50ml 3.4 oz./100 ml	1.7 oz./50 ml
Price	$460 (2 oz/60ml) ($7.60 per ml)	$510 (1.7oz/50ml) ($10.2 per ml)	$385 (1.7oz/50ml) ($7.70 per ml)
How often do you use it?	1-2 x daily	1-2 x daily	1-2 x daily
Paraben Free?	Yes	No	No
Skin Smoothness	Smooth, hydrated skin for dry skin types	Silky smooth results reported	Super smooth skin reported
Side Effects	Rare cases of breakouts and white bumps. (See their Matte Lotion for oilier skin types.)	Caviar may irritate some skin types.	Rare cases of redness reported.
Where to Buy	Crème de la Mer	La Prairie Skin Caviar	Natura Bissé Diamond Moisturizer
Effectiveness according to the reviews	4 stars from 3951 reviews.	4.3 stars from 207 reviews.	4.5 stars from 158 reviews.
Special Offers	Special Offer 5% off for a limited time Crème de la Mer Offer	Special Offer 25% off for a limited time La Prairie Skin Caviar Offer	Special Offer 15% off for a limited time: Natura Bissé

Which Face Cream Is In Celebrity Skin Care Routines?

As you would expect with face creams that are this well-known, each one has a loyal fanbase. Some of these fans are celebrities themselves who swear that they work.

Natura Bissé’s Diamond range is a favorite of Beyoncé — she actually sang about the product in her 2006 song “Upgrade U.”  You may remember her mentioning “diamond creamed facials?” It turns out, she’s talking about the Natura Bissé Diamond Cream. As she told People magazine in 2012, the diamond cream is her go-to. Other fans of the brand include Reese Witherspoon, Miles Cyrus, Elle Macpherson and Kelly Rowland.

La Prairie is an established Swiss brand with a wide following. It’s famous fans include Chrissy Teigan, Anja Rubin, and January Jones. Judging by their flawless complexions, this cream looks like it’s doing something right.

Finally, we have to mention the infamous Crème de la Mer. This moisturizer seems to have done the rounds in Hollywood circles — fans have included Ashley, Tisdale, Jessica Hart, Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West, Blake Lively, Liv Tyler, Demi Moore and more

Sienna Miller told InStyle,

There’s something so luxurious about it as a product and it really, really works in a way that very few things do. It always just seemed so luxurious and just aspirations all and now I really need it as I get older… Every flight, I slap it on. It’s just such a magical moisturizer.

Even after so many years, celebrities seem to love Crème de la Mer.

Natura Bissé Review

What Is Natura Bissé?

Natura Bissé is a skin care company that was founded in Barcelona in 1979 by Ricardo Fisas.

His inspiration came when he noticed that a factory worker who worked with amino acids had incredibly soft hands. So, he set out to start a company that worked with amino acid technology.

Since then Natura Bissé have focussed on using more natural ingredients in their skincare products. They try to find elements which have been well-researched, and to use them in new ways.

Their most famous line is the Diamond Collection and we’ll be looking at the Diamond Extreme cream later on.

However they also have the Diamond Cocoon cream which is intended to reverse environmental damage to the skin that many of us experience in big cities.

While it’s best known for its creams, Natura Bissé also has its own line of luxury spas. They won the award for the world’s best spa brand at the 2018 World Spa Awards.

Natura Bissé Diamond Cream

The Diamond cream is one of the brand’s most famous skincare products. It aims to smooth the skin and reduce the visibility of fine wrinkles.

It also has ingredients that lift and firm the skin. It does this by encouraging the skin to regenerate and create new skin cells. In the same way it encourages the skin to make more collagen as well.

They claim that the results from their cream are visible from the very first day.

What’s Inside Natura Bissé Diamond Cream?

Natura Bissé focus on having natural ingredients in their skincare products which are both effective and sensitive to the skin. The main active ingredients in the Diamond Cream are:

• Artemia salina (brine shrimp) extract. This protects the skin from the environment, and helps with cell turnover.
• Ursolic acid from sage. This helps the skin to stay firm by encouraging collagen production.
• Sweet pea extract. This helps to fight off free radicals and to keep the skin elastic and soft.
• Multi-vitamin complex. This includes vitamins B,C, E and F which give the cream its antioxidant effects.
• Oligo-Collagen Complex. This includes copper, manganese, iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc along with collagen for hydration and firmness.

How Do You Use Natura Bissé Diamond Cream?

You can apply the Diamond Cream once or twice a day, either in the morning or in the evening. It should be applied at the end of your skincare routine so that it can provide a layer of protection and hydration for your skin.

Apply the cream evenly on the face, neck, and décolleté. It helps if you massage the cream into your skin with gentle upward circles.

Does Natura Bissé Diamond Cream Really Work?

Natura Bissé claim that the Diamond cream with refresh, rejuvenate, and regenerate your skin. But what do the real users think of this product? Does it really work?

We looked at 158 reviews from three independent websites including Amazon and Influenster. On average the Natura Bissé Diamond cream got a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 so the vast majority of users loved the product.

There were many comments about its:

• Beautiful smell.
• Benefits for sensitive skin.
• Help with signs of aging.
• Speed that it helped change the skin’s texture.
• Silkiness of skin after use.

Users loved that the texture was thick and creamy and that it stayed put for a long time on the face. It could also be applied either during the day or at night.

Is Natura Bissé Worth the Money?

As Natura Bissé promises results from the very first day, and delivers for most of their customers we would say that yes it’s worth the money. If the price level is something that you can afford to spend on skincare then it’s a cream that should give you good results.

The research behind it and the combination of different ingredients to give a smoothing and lifting effect on the skin, mean that you get one of the best skincare formulas with Natura Bissé.

La Prairie Review

Who Are La Prairie?

La Prairie dates back to 1931 Switzerland, when surgeon Dr Paul Niehans set out to research new ways to achieve ‘eternal youth’ in skincare.

He experimented with a number of methods, including ‘live cell therapy’ which included harvesting cells from cow and sheep embryos and injecting them into patients to stimulate cell regeneration.

While it was a new – and very different – kind of cellular therapy, he gained a number of elite fans as a result.

Today La Prairie’s main product, Skin Caviar uses caviar from a number of different fish, including the fluid around the eggs, to give the same regenerative results.

What is the Best La Prairie Product?

The La Prairie Caviar Cream is somewhat legendary both for its price and for its celebrity fanbase. Comedian Ruby Wax reportedly said that it was ‘better than botox’ back in 2018. She claimed that she stopped her regular botox treatments after starting to use the cream as she didn’t need them.

Its main active ingredient is caviar, but it’s very different to the caviar that you eat. It comes from a wider range of fish or from the fluid around the eggs.

This caviar is meant to give the skin a number of benefits including stimulating collagen production which is what keeps the skin firm and elastic.

What’s Inside La Prairie Skin Caviar?

This cream contains over 70 ingredients, but these are a few of the main active ingredients:

• Natural caviar extract. This is the key ingredient, said to have incredible anti-aging benefits.
• La Prairie’s exclusive Cellular Complex. The company do not give more details about this complex as it’s one of their most closely guarded secrets.
• Algae extract. This ingredient is known for protecting and repairing the skin.
• Shea butter. For nourishing the skin.

Here is a little more about each one:

How Do You Use La Prairie Skin Caviar

The La Prairie Caviar Cream is designed to be scooped out of the pot with a small silver spatula. As Greg Prodromides, La Prairie’s Chief Marketing Officer, told Elle magazine:

If you use a spatula, you do not introduce what you have on your fingers — germs, microbes — into the cream.

La Prairie recommends that the cream is applied in the morning and/or in the evening after cleansing and using any serums.

You use the spatula to take a small amount of cream and place it on your fingertips.

Gently smooth the cream over the face, neck, and décolleté. Try to apply it in an outward and upward sweeping motion and avoid the eye area.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Reviews

From 207 reviews across 3 independent websites, including Amazon and Influenster, La Prairie Caviar Cream got an average of 4.3 stars out of 5.

Users commented on it being:

• Comparable to plastic surgery in terms of its anti-aging effects.
• Great for both men and women.
• Lovely for dry skin in the winter.
• Nourishing for the skin leaving it feeling soft and silky.

Some users did comment that they found the smell was quite strong.

As with many creams, there is always a risk that it could irritate your particular skin type. A small minority of users said they experienced some redness from the caviar extract.

However most people reported that their skin felt luxurious and more supple after using this cream. It apparently smoothed out fine lines and gave skin a more natural glow.

La Mer Review

What is La Mer Famous For?

La Mer is well known for its bestselling moisturizer Crème de la Mer which uses their own ‘Miracle Broth’ formula.

The company was originally founded by Dr Max Huber, who was inspired by the healing properties of certain ocean plants.

After many years of research he found that he could use extracts from giant sea kelp to create his own ‘Miracle Broth’. He believed the kelp extract could offer a number of benefits to the skin including cell-renewing capabilities.

What is so Special About La Mer?

The Miracle Broth formula is still the key ingredient in their skincare products. It’s made primarily from giant sea kelp which is gathered off the Pacific Coast.

Sea kelp on its own is known for having 3 main benefits to the skin:

Antioxidant – since sea kelp is packed full of antioxidants, it helps protect the skin from damage. This could be from free radicals in the everyday environment or damage from the sun’s rays.

Anti-inflammatory – this helps soothe skin prone to redness or eczema as well as very dry skin.

Moisturizer – sea kelp moisturizes the skin. As it has a high mineral content this helps the skin to hold onto moisture.

After it’s been gathered, the sea kelp goes through a 3 or 4 month fermentation process.

According to La Mer this is so that the ingredients can be transformed into micronutrients which the skin can receive and use more easily – making the cream more effective.

During this process each new batch is also given a few drops of the batch before it. So it’s a small way for it to carry forward the essence of all the fermentations that happened before it.

The resulting ‘Miracle Broth’ is what is used in the famous Crème de la Mer cream.

The same ‘broth’ is also used in different ways for their other skincare products.

For example it’s concentrated using a 3 day cold-vacuum process to make La Mer’s The Concentrate.

What Does La Mer do for Your Skin?

Crème de la Mer is a thick moisturizer which is meant to nourish and moisturize the skin. It has a long list of famous fans who claim that it leaves their skin feeling incredibly soft and hydrated after just one use.

Although it is suitable for all skin types, it seem to be very effective for people who have dry or combination skin.

What’s Inside Crème de la Mer Moisturizer?

The main active ingredients in the Crème de la Mer moisturizer include:

• La Mer’s Miracle Broth. This is made with giant sea kelp along with other vitamins and minerals.
• Lime Tea. Full of anti-oxidants to help protect the skin.
• Algae Extract. An anti-oxidant which may also prevent signs of aging.

La Mer is also one of the few beauty brands to make all their products free of parabens and phthalates.

Here’s a bit more about each of the main ingredients in the Crème de la Mer moisturizer:

How do you Use Crème de la Mer Moisturizer?

As with other moisturizers, this product can be used once or twice a day in the morning and/or in the evening.

According to La Mer, the “Miracle Broth” needs to be activated first before it goes onto the skin.

You do this by warming a little of it between 2 fingers until it becomes translucent. When it does you can apply it to the face.

Crème de la Mer Reviews

The best way to judge a product is to see what real users think of it.

Out of 3951 reviews from 4 independent websites, including Influenster and Space NK, the Crème de la Mer Moisturizer got an average of 4 out of 5 stars.

Users reported that it was:

• Great for dry skin.
• Nourishing.
• Gave a smoother complexion.
• Had a subtle fragrance.
• Had a rich texture.

It did seem to perform slightly better for those with dry skin than oily skin, as there was the occasional report of white bumps and clogged pores.

If you have oily skin then you may want to look at La Mer’s alternative which is made specifically for oilier skin, the Moisturizing Matte Lotion.

That said a number of reviewers with oily skin – even some who were prone to acne – said they had been Crème de La Mer for several weeks with no problems. So it is still suitable for all skin types.

Out of the negative reviews many were complaining about the price of the product, as an expensive brand, rather than anything being wrong with the cream itself.

Why Are Face Moisturizers So Important?

Applying a face cream or moisturizer is an essential part of any skincare routine. Some experts even consider it to be the most important step in the routine.

This is because the skin needs hydration to self-regulate. Moisturizing the skin keeps it in that sweet spot in between oiliness and dryness.

Contrary to what many believe, moisturizers can also help with oiliness. They can give the skin enough moisture so that it doesn’t need to continue making excess oil.

If you have oily skin though you need to choose the right moisturizer for your skin type. It’s often best to go for a water-based moisturizer over an oil-based one, to prevent clogging of the pores.

Either way it’s important to moisturize to protect the skin from the environment. A good moisturizing cream should have a blend of vitamins included as well.

How Do Face Moisturizers Work?

As Harvard Health explains, moisturizers are made up of three main components:

1. Occlusives. These keep moisture in the skin.
2. Humectants. These draw moisture in from the lower layers of the skin and – when it’s humid – from the air.
3. Emollients. These don’t affect moisture but they do fill in the textured areas of the skin giving it that smooth appearance we want.

What happens if you don’t moisturize your face?

While you won’t damage your skin by not moisturizing, it can lead to longer term issues like dryness, irritation or eczema. In severe cases, dryness can lead to cracks in the skin.

In less severe cases, dehydrated skin could contribute to things like premature wrinkles, dullness, breakouts, sun damage, itchiness, and other things we would prefer to avoid.

Some moisturizers are more effective than others and it’s important to choose the right one for you.

Which is Best, Natura Bissé, La Prairie or La Mer?

It’s hard to choose between 3 such iconic brands. Each cream is backed by decades of scientific research and each has it’s own, almost cult-like following.

Although any of these 3 moisturizers could perform well for you, there are some signs that each cream may do slightly better in different areas.

For example La Prairie’s research has always been geared towards the anti-aging properties of a moisturizer. Even in the early days their goal was to encourage cell regeneration through the treatments they developed.

Nowadays they have prioritized ingredients which help with skin cell turnover, including natural caviar extract and algae extract.

So if having a moisturizer which reduces the signs of wrinkles or which helps with collagen production, is a priority for you, then La Prairie’s Skin Caviar would be a great choice. It’s also not an oily moisturizer so it works on all skin types.

Crème de la Mer on the other hand may be better for women who are more concerned with having a powerful moisturizer. It seems to really help those who suffer from dry, flaky or irritated skin.

It may not be the best choice for people with oily skin as some users reported small breakouts. If you’re concerned about this you may want to look at La Mer’s Moisturizing Matte Lotion which is made specifically for those with oily skin.

On the other hand some reviewers claimed that they had oily skin and did not have any side effects from using Crème de la Mer.

La Mer is also one of the few skincare brands to keep all of their products paraben and phthalate-free.

Finally Natura Bissé Diamond cream is an impressive moisturizer that sits in the middle ground between these two. It offers both the powerful moisturizing effects and the anti-aging ingredients through their innovative use of shrimp extract.

It has the best overall review rating of the 3 creams with an average of 4.5 stars with many users saying that the cream works quickly and that they could see results from the first day.

Whichever moisturizer you choose you’re in good hands with any of these 3 names, which are considered to be the very best in facial skincare.

*Offers are subject to availability and to the supplier’s terms and conditions at time of ordering. Please check supplier’s website for full details.