Creme de la Mer has a reputation for being one of the best anti-ageing creams in the world… but it’s also one of the most expensive. A single jar costs $550! While it’s hard to match its patented formula, we found some affordable dupes for Creme de La Mer. They have similar ingredients, and get a lot of high reviews too!

What’s in Creme de la Mer?

La Mer’s claim to fame is the Miracle Broth, and the rather interesting story behind it. It all started in the 1960s when Dr. Max Huber, an aerospace physicist, suffered severe burns during a lab accident. He looked for a cream that would help restore his damaged skin.

After 12 years of research and 6,000 experiments, Huber developed a fermentation process that helped turn sea kelp, eucalyptus, wheat germ, vitamins, and mineral into the ultimate anti-ageing cream. It reduced lines and wrinkles, improved skin texture, and restored a youthful glow.

Best Dupes for Creme de la Mer

La Mer was the first skincare product to use fermentation to maximize ingredients’ anti-inflammatory properties. When it was launched, there was no product like it. However, the technique and formula can now be found in many other beauty products. They may not have the La Mer tradition, but they do use the same skincare approach.

Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream

Buy now: $34, Anthropologie

This is one of the best La Mer dupes, since it also contains marine extracts and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. The star ingredient is bladderwrack, a type of natural seaweed that can soften and heal dry and damaged skin. Collagen and elastin help tone the skin as you sleep.

This has gotten 4.5 stars on Influenster and other beauty forums. Some women actually prefer this over La Mer because of its oil-free, non-comedogenic formula.

Dupes for Creme de La Mer oily skin

The Seaweed Bath Detox + Age Defying Restoring Marine Night Therapy

Buy now: $30.79, Amazon Singapore

If you’re looking for organic dupes for Creme de La Mer, try this! It combines three kinds of seaweed with Vitamin B3 and a Marine Tri-Peptide complex. These ingredients work together to strengthen the skin and support your skin’s natural collagen production. Since it’s full of anti-oxidants, it can also help reduce the damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.

vegan Dupes for Creme de La Mer

Weleda Skin Food

Buy now: $14, LookFantastic

This is a very rich, intensely moisturizing cream for rough, dry and damaged skin. Instead of marine extracts, it uses organic plant extracts:  organic sunflower seed oil, wild pansy, chamomile, calendula and rosemary. But don’t worry,you still get that instant hydration and healing.

This moisturizing cream is very popular among people with eczema or very dry and flaky skin. Makeup Alley reviews gush about how they apply at night and wake up with the softest skin of their life!

drugstore Dupes for Creme de La Mer

Nivea Creme

Buy now: $5.45, Watsons

Nivea and La Mer have almost identical ingredients, except for the marine extracts and antioxidants. But you get great moisturizing and anti-ageing benefits, and since it’s just a few dollars, you can buy a serum or face oil with the missing ingredients. “The seaweed alpha hydroxy acid in La Mer isn’t, in my opinion, a reason to spend the extra money on it. I would just use the Nivea alongside a cheaper exfoliating product with AHAs,” says Sofie Pavitt, esthetician.

Bobbi Brown Skin Relief No. 80 Calming Algae Complex

Buy now: $62, iShopChangi

This serum contains red algae and kelp, which can reduce skin irritation and redness. A few drops go a long way, so a tiny bottle lasts a long time. Try mixing this with Nivea Creme, and voila — you just DIY’d your own dupes for Creme de La Mer!

Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer

Buy now: $76, Sephora

This moisturizer also contains red seaweed (chondrus crispus extract) and squalane to fight nflammation, and improve the skin’s lipid barrier. This helps fight ageing, evens out your skin tone, and locks in hydration. The formula’s molecular makeup is also very similar to our own skin’s cell membrane, so it absorbs quickly and never feels greasy. One of the best dupes for Creme de La Mer for Singapore weather!

Peter Thomas Roth Blue Marine Algae Intense Hydrating Mask

Buy now: $240, Shopee

Marine extracts are the heart of La Mer, and you’ll find them in this anti-ageing cream too. It’s not cheap, but it’s half the price of La Mer and full of premium ingredients. The seaweed contains a unique protein that acts like a sponge and traps water. Your skin looks plump and feels soft, but doesn’t feel greasy. It also contains antioxidants from blue marine algae and tea tea sourced from Korea’s Jeju Island.

It’s particularly effective for combination or oily skin, because it hydrates the skin without using thick emollients or creams.