La Mer vs SkinCeuticals — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
C E Ferulic
9.2/10 · SkinCeuticals
| The Concentrate | C E Ferulic | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | La Mer | SkinCeuticals |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Editor Rating | 8/10 | 9.2/10 ★ |
| Category | serum | serum |
| Texture | Lightweight watery serum | Thin golden serum |
| Finish | Soothed, calmed, prepped | Absorbed slightly tacky |
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| Verdict | La Mer's most concentrated Miracle Broth product — designed as a recovery serum for post-procedure, post-flare, or chronically reactive skin. At 5x the Miracle Broth concentration of the Crème de la Mer, this is theoretically the most intense version of La Mer's signature ferment. Used by aestheticians and dermatologists post-laser as a 'comfort' application; favored by celebrities pre-event for the 'recovery' use case. Whether it works dramatically better than a $50 ferment serum is debatable; the experience and ritual are genuine. | The benchmark vitamin C serum the entire industry measures itself against. 15% L-ascorbic acid + 1% vitamin E + 0.5% ferulic acid — the Duke University antioxidant patent that spawned a thousand dupes. $182 is painful, but the 20-year clinical dataset on photoaging reversal is unmatched. Every derm office in America has a bottle on the shelf. |
