In recent years, skin care
has undergone a makeover to meet consumers' evolving needs and demands.
While skin care products in the 1990s were almost exclusively focused on
wellness and simple body care lotions, today, skin care is one of the most
dynamic and technologically advanced segments of the beauty market.
As the category explodes, beauty companies have had to become savvier
marketers to break through the clutter.
The renowned brand La Mer launched Creme de la Mer in 2004 in China for 2,300
yuan/60 milliliter (US$288), which was one of the most expensive face creams at
the time. But the price didn't stop La Mer from becoming a hit in the country.
Now, La Mer has broken the price barrier again. The company's new,
super-charged elixir, The Essence, priced at 23,000 yuan, has just gone on sale
in China. However, you can't simply walk up to the counter and buy it. You have
to be invited to buy it.
Due to the complex, hands-on manufacturing process, only small batches are
made, so it is available by invitation only to top La Mer clients. Only a few of
personal invitations have been sent to top consumers in Shanghai, Beijing and
Hangzhou.
Last week, top VIPs in Shanghai were invited to sip champagne and "view" this
most luxury skin care product in Laris at Three on the Bund. The Essence is
packaged in three 15-ml glass vials, encased in a magnetized box. The special
box protects the precious ingredients.
Each of the three vials lasts for seven days, totalling 21 days for this
intensive treatment. The Essence is intended to be the Rolls-Royce Phantom of
skin refiners.
"Using The Essence is akin to a 21-day healing spa for the skin," said Eva
SooHoo, brand general manager of La Mer China. "The intensive treatment
encourages skin to heal itself as never before. Skin is resuscitated, revived
and visibly reborn."
The La Mer Research Lab has spent five years on this top project to create a
new skin care regime. They have utilized an unprecedented level of Creme de la
Mer's Miracle Broth to create a miraculous phenomenon - The Essence.
At the heart of Creme de la Mer is a highly potent Miracle Broth. Simple
ingredients - sea kelp, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, lecithin, vitamins
C, E and B12, plus oils of citrus, eucalyptus, wheat germ, alfalfa and sunflower
- are processed in a highly specialized way developed by aerospace physicist, Dr
Max Huber.
The Essence contains two additional ferments - one called Dormancy and the
other called Mariponic.
At the heart of the Dormancy Ferment is the essence of narcissus, derived
from a bulb that naturally hibernates in winter. Mimicking this behavior, skin
is virtually suspended in time, insulating the vulnerable cells within.
A wealth of anti-irritants within the Dormancy Ferment is unleashed, helping
to neutralize the negative effects of the environmental stressors. It gently
induces a state of clam, creating an oasis for skin to focus on repair.
Working with the world renowned Marine Biological Laboratories at Woods Hole,
La Mer has discovered a revolutionary new way to grow and ferment certain marine
ingredients. This method of cultivation allows the plants to be grown in
controlled conditions that are purer and far more nutrient-rich than their
natural environment. As a result, the sea plant grows into a more powerful
ingredient.
The La Mer Research Lab has identified an extraordinary Sea Parsley that has
an innate ability to collect and store energy. Through the science of
mariponics, this sponge-like sea algae is cultivated in a nutrient-rich,
carefully controlled saltwater environment, triggering a burst of metabolic
activity.
Grown in these enhanced conditions and subject to an elaborate
bio-fermentation process, the Sea Parsley realizes its full potential, becoming
the Mariponic Ferment. This ferment helps skin replenish its natural energy
reserves.
"The Essence creates a virtual cocoon, harboring skin from external
influences, simultaneously immersing it in energizing ingredients," said Chris
Ma, sales and education manager of La Mer China. "Skin's natural healing
energies are unleashed as it journeys through a 21-day cycle of renewal,
emerging in its optimal state."
SooHoo mentioned that The Essence is not a must-have for everyday use, but
more an annual skin service for La Mer's devoted user. It is recommended to be
used once or twice a year, followed by Creme de la Mer. The Essence is
appropriate for all skin types.
