Creme De La Mer is one of the most popular high-end anti-aging skin care products on the market. As the story goes, it was created not by a cosmetic company, but by a physicist. Dr. Max Huber spent over 12 years developing this cream as a treatment for burns that he suffered in the lab, and then realized its potential as a treatment to give people everywhere younger looking skin.

The original Creme De La Mer formula is tailored to dry skin. It contains what La Mer calls a ''Miracle Broth,'' which is made from several different marine plants, as well as vitamins and minerals. While other companies have used algae for its antioxidants and sea kelp and other botanicals for their soothing and moisturizing properties, the formula in Creme De La Mer is distinctive.

It takes over four months to make Creme De La Mer moisturizer. The key ingredients are fermented for months to bring out properties that are not found in their original form. The finished product must be heated in order to be activated, and people say that they can feel its effects immediately. Over time, people say that it heals the problems associated with dry skin, and also can make skin significantly softer, firmer, and less wrinkled.

There are now several different varieties of Creme De La Mer face cream. If you live in a warm climate, you may find the original formula a little too thick, so there is a lighter moisturizing lotion that is still ideal for normal or dry skin. If you have oily skin, you'll want to try to Oil Absorbing Lotion, which contains the ''Miracle Broth'' but also inhibits oil and gives your skin a matte finish.