I knew about Crème de la Mer long before I tried it—safe to say, its reputation as a miracle-performing balm preceded itself. It wasn’t until 2021 that I finally got my hands on a precious tub. Careful not to indulge too much, I quickly came to learn why the cream was so esteemed. My skin drank it up, and night after night I came back for more, dreading the day I’d run out.
Its benefits, I would soon find out, were born out of what can be best explained as an emergency (arguably, how the best ideas are born, but I digress). In the 1950s, German-born aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber suffered severe burns in a lab explosion. Looking to the sea’s regenerative properties, he spent 12 years experimenting with sea kelp fermentation (specifically, Macrocystis pyrifera—an ingredient now peer-reviewed by the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology for its ability to accelerate skin recovery) until he created a formula that effectively healed his burns. Nowadays, we know this as the esteemed Miracle Broth; and nearly six decades later, La Mer is back with a new game-changing innovation. Introducing Rejuvenating Precision Compound-6 (RPC-6) which powers its new The Rejuvenating Eye Cream, available to shop exclusively for Vogue readers today.
La Mer The Rejuvenating Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: Powered by Rejuvenating Precision Compound-6—a cocktail of actives created specifically for the eye contour—and La Mer’s acclaimed Miracle Broth, The Rejuvenating Eye Cream takes a 360 approach to orbital bone care. (Form, per ocular plastic surgeon Jean Carruthers, MD, is the structure around the eye that gives it your unique shape.) “When you start to see signs of aging, this manifests as sagging lids, a drooping brow, bagginess–an overall loss of contour. RPC-6 helps support skin to increase firmness and elasticity or a more renewed appearance and resilient contour around the eye.”
- Key Ingredients: Rejuvenating Precision Compound-6 (RPC-6), Miracle Broth, shea butter
- Best For: Hydrating, brightening, firming
About the La Mer The Rejuvenating Eye Cream
By harnessing the power of bio-filling algae and plant-sourced youth protection extract, Dr. Carruthers explains that RPC-6 is designed specifically to address holistic concerns of the eye area. It makes for a complex that’s gentle enough for the ocular area’s delicate skin, but powerful enough to boost what La Mer describes as bioenergetic repair.
“As we age, our cellular energy naturally depletes,” Dr. Carruthers explains, hinting toward ongoing research on the body’s bioenergetic age and how that affects so many aspects of health. “Essentially what’s happening is that there is less energy available for skin cells to perform essential functions such as repair and renewal. This is when visible signs of aging begin to appear, including laxity, fine lines, and dullness.” As it turns out, the eye area utilizes increased levels of energy and therefore shows signs of aging faster. “It moves constantly and produces less oil, which makes it more vulnerable to dryness and the appearance of aging,” she continues. “It is also supported by a complex network of small muscles, where even small losses in density and firmness are more noticeable and require a high level of precision to address.” Being predisposed to heightened mechanical and biological stress—and lifestyle and environmental factors such as stress, pollution, damage, and time—require a specialized approach to treat sagging, structural loss, and dullness, according to Dr. Carruthers.
La Mer’s solution, is to combine the RPC-6 with the Miracle Broth that powers its entire lineup. “On the first level, you’re addressing with precision the specific needs of the eye area with RPC-6,” Dr. Carruthers continues. “On the second level, with Miracle Broth, you’re addressing the basic energy needs of skin. With consistent use, you’re going to see visible lifting, firming, and refining of every angle of the eye.”
Magalie Parksuwan, SVP, global general manager says the new eye cream was born out of customer demand, who wanted a complementary product to the beloved Rejuvenating Night Cream. (For those familiar with other La Mer eye treatments, The Eye Concentrate remains the gold standard for treating dark circles, whereas the new Rejuvenating formula is designed to target the entire orbital bone.) Parksuwan likens its effects to that of shapewear—utilizing a complementary delivery system called the Shape Sculpting Matrix to smooth, sculpt, and “hug” the eye contours.
My Experience With the La Mer The Rejuvenating Eye Cream
The “hugging” she speaks of is internal, sure, to fortify from within but it’s sort of external too. For me, the sculpting is how the cream melts into skin. While the Eye Concentrate feels more like a traditional cream, this version is more silky soft. The texture is plush and fluffy, like Crème de la Mer, so you get the sensorial benefits of the bestselling moisturizer with the new technology of this cream.
While hydration is not a key characteristic that Dr. Carruthers nor Parksuwan mention in our interviews, it’s one of my favorite features. Unlike some eye creams sought after for their anti-aging results, where harsh actives offer risk of irritation or dryness, this does none of that. Throughout my tests of the formula in the midst of an exceptionally frigid New York City winter (the current Real Feel is -3 degrees Fahrenheit), my eyes remain in their best shape—subtly awakened despite dehydration and dark circles attempting to make their inevitable appearance. For what it’s worth, its deep nourishment (for example, the formula features shea butter) does not yield it an oily or greasy quality. I live in constant fear of product seeping into my eyes (I have oily skin and very sensitive eyes) but this doesn’t do that so I can apply the cream to my upper lids without worry. This also layers well with makeup; I’d recommend utilizing before your evening plans.
Amplifying these external benefits is the eye cream’s accompanying Rejuvenating Eye Tool, a sort of multi-angled gua sha inspired by the shape of sea waves to enhance microcirculation and precision application. Small enough to fit in your palm, the tool contours perfectly the natural curve of the orbital bone—yielding a cooling, depuffing sensation with each use.
Certainly it wouldn’t be La Mer without making a ritual of caring for your skin, but what’s also compelling is how La Mer continues to anticipate the needs and lifestyles of its consumers. Dr. Carruthers emphasizes this new launch as an excellent addition to in-office procedures and on-going skin-care routines. “The 30- to 40-year-old patients who are just noticing the onset of periocular skin laxity are keen to use an eye cream twice daily to prevent further changes and to treat what they have already seen,” she says, alongside minimum SPF 30 (preferably mineral zinc or titanium oxide) daily, hats, and sunglasses. It’s also an excellent complement to neuromodulators in treating brow sagging and frown lines in older patients. Over 12 weeks of use, La Mer’s clincials saw 23% reduction in under-eye lines, 18% smoother skin, 18% brighter skin; though expect subtle results overnight. “The skin is really an incredible organ,” she says. It naturally wants to renew itself, it just needs to have the right resources for those processes.”
Meet the Experts
- Magalie Parksuwan is the SVP, global general manager at La Mer.
- Jean Carruthers, MD is a world-renowned ocular plastic surgeon and lead scientist at La Mer’s The Max Huber Research Labs.
