Crème de la Mer Wishes It Could Be as Good as This $18 Barrier Face Cream
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Barrier cream launches this time of year are plentiful, but there’s one that’s really worth your attention: Bubble’s Soft Swerve Barrier Restore Balm, an intensely emollient moisturizer that coats your skin in a nourishing formula that rewards you with a soft, supple complexion over night.
Finding a moisturizer that markets itself as a barrier cream is a surefire way to ensure your skin gets the long-lasting hydration and protection it needs when you’re experiencing dry conditions or irritation caused by other products or treatments. When my skin needs it, I love using an extra thick, decadent formula that really coats my complexion and ensures long-lasting hydration. La Mer’s Crème de la Mer, an almost paste-like lotion you have to really rub in to ensure absorption, has been a long-time go-to because of its efficacy. And because it makes me feel like a rich bitch.
But the $625 price tag on the 3.4 oz jar is kind of a… deterrent (I am not actually, or technically, a rich bitch). So when Bubble sent me their newest innovation, a barrier cream that promises “face changing results” for under $20, I was excited to try it. And it didn’t disappoint.
Bringing the jar with me to Big Bear Lake—a popular mountain getaway about three hours east of Los Angeles—this past weekend, I used the barrier cream every single night. It was the perfect occasion to really put the formula to the test, because my skin was not only reacting to the arid, 35-degree climate, but I was also battling some fun, PMS-related breakouts. Could this face cream solve all of my woes?
An Honest Review of Bubble’s Soft Swerve Barrier Repair Balm
The answer is yes. After washing my face at night, I twisted the applicator, which “sliced” off slivers of moisturizer like ribbons (very satisfying) and applied generous amounts all over. Similarly to La Mer (or Avène’s Cicalfate+), you have to really massage the product into your skin (or pre-warm it up with the warmth of your fingers), otherwise you’ll be left with a white cast. The cream (rather, balm—she’s thiccccck) gave me immediate relief, making my skin feel supple and nourished. The real results were apparent the next morning though: My complexion appeared less red and more even, and my skin felt bouncier.
After five days of using Soft Swerve consistently, my skin felt smoother and softer, the redness was gone, and my blemishes were slowly starting to fade away (this could also be explained by the arrival of my period—womp, womp—but I did notice the formula didn’t exacerbate my existing acne). In the winter, I struggle with foundation application, because most foundations look “crackly” thanks to the formulas sitting on top of my drier-than-normal skin, but I noticed smoother application and more radiant finish post Soft Swerve use every night.
Soft Swerve is not only a good barrier cream for your face, but it makes for an effective balm for other parts of your body, like elbows, knees, hands, and even cracked heels—really any areas that feeling and looking parched. I now carry a jar in my purse and use it as a hand and cuticle cream during the day, since I’m a frequent hand washer (toddler mom life) and hate typing at my desk with dry hands.
Soft Swerve vs. Crème de la Mer
I’m a product nerd, and I absolutely *had* to find out the true difference between an $18 barrier cream and a $600+ luxury occlusive face lotion, and the answer shocked me. If you really study Crème de la Mer’s formula, you’ll find that it’s primarily made of mineral oil, petrolatum, microcrystalline wax, lanolin alcohol, and paraffin, while Soft Swerve’s is made entirely of barrier lipids and is sans fragrance (which makes it even better for sensitive skin).
Crème de la Mer’s “selling point” is that its foundational ingredient is the iconic “Miracle Broth,” which is algae extract (this calms skin and combats signs of aging), and it also uses lime tea extract which has antioxidant benefits. Don’t get me wrong—the formula is still effective and feels incredibly luxe, and I’ve been using it for years. But if you need a skincare solution that gives you similar results for way less $$, you can absolutely go with Soft Swerve.
