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La Prairie Review > Day Creams & Emulsions with SPF (Anti-Aging / Radiance / Swiss Ice Crystal)

Published by Jasmine Seo

Whether you like to reduce your skincare steps or are just a sun protection conscious person, we cannot deny the fact that we need daily sun protection in our skincare regime for the best result, regardless of what other products we use on our skin. I personally like to have a few different moisturisers with built-in SPF in my beauty cabinet and use them depending on the weather, my skin condition for the day and the make-up that I put on next. As I've said before, sun protection is my most serious interest skincare, and I don't mind investing money in them.

Anyway, it can be a little controversial in terms of anti-aging benefits compared to the moisturisers without SPF as the percentage of sun filters is mostly higher than the other ingredients on the list. If that's your highest priority, then you should probably just use a moisturiser, then a sunscreen of your choice instead.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte & Georges Seurat

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat, 1884–1886)

However, some people might have to choose between a daytime moisturiser with SPF or a good sunscreen, mostly because of their skin type and/or for make-up longevity. Likewise, there are also people who like to use both like me who want to shield their skin as much as possible. I like to put on daytime moisturiser with SPF first in the morning, then I put a sunscreen on before I go out. I could use the moisturiser for re-application throughout the day, but I personally find it less cost effective and my skin doesn't need that much extra hydration during the day. And you all know, La Prairie packaging isn't very ideal to carry around as they tend to be quite heavy and big :P. So I like to use a sunscreen or a CC cushion instead.

Less than $200

  La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil Sunscreen SPF 50 La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Transforming Cream Sunscreen SPF 30
Collection The Swiss Moisture Collection The Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Collection
Main Focus Protection Protection, prevention
Key Benefits • Pigmentation control
• Moisture balance
• Supporting skin’s natural defense system
• Colour correcting
• Hydrating
• Oil free
Tinted No Yes
Amount 50mL 30mL
Major Sun Filter Type Physical Physical
UVB/UVA Ratings SPF 50/PA++++ SPF 30/PA+++
Texture Dense cream Velvety cream
Finish • No white cast
• Glow
• Can get slightly sticky or greasy depending on the amount you put on
• Semi-matte finish with a subtle glow
• Light to medium coverage with natural look
Oil Free No Yes
Hydration Power • Long lasting deep hydration
• Flight safe
• Long lasting subtle hydration
• Flight safe
Flight Safety Yes Short flight safe
Reapplication Tricky Easy
Layerability with other skincare & makeup Tricky Tricky
Preferred Weather All except humid All
Preferred Skin Type All except problem prone/easily perspiring skin types, best for dry/dehydrated All except fragrance sensitivity
Price range (excl. tax) $185 $195
  Review Review

$200 or more

  Anti-Aging Emulsion Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Anti-Aging Day Cream Sunscreen SPF 30 Line Interception Power Duo (Day Cream) Cellular Radiance Emulsion SPF 30
Collection The Anti-Aging Collection The Anti-Aging Collection The Anti-Aging Collection The Radiance Collection
Main Focus Protection, prevention Protection, prevention Protection, prevention, correction Protection, prevention, correction
Key Benefits • Moisture loss prevention
• Wrinkle prevention
• Cell longevity
• Long-lasting hydration
• Wrinkle prevention
• Firmness enhancement
• Wrinkle prevention/reduction
• Skin matrix protection
• Age spot control/prevention
• Wrinkle reduction/prevention
Tinted No No No No
Amount 50mL 50mL 25mL 50mL
Major Sun Filter Type Chemical Chemical Chemical Chemical
UVB/UVA Ratings SPF 30/NA SPF 30/NA SPF 30/PA+++ SPF 30/NA
Texture Emollient emulsion Creamy Creamy Dense emulsion
Finish • Hydrating
• Glowing
• Nourishing
• Comforting
• Glowing
• Velvety
• Glowing
• Brightening skin subtly
• Comforting
• Glowing
Oil Free No No No No
Hydration Power Deeply hydrating & relatively long-lasting hydration Long-lasting & deep hydration Subtle Relatively long-lasting hydration
Flight Safety Yes, up to 6 hours Yes No, unless it's layered over a serum Yes, up to 8 hours
Reapplication Easy Easy Easy Easy
Layerability with other skincare & makeup Easy Easy Easy Easy
Preferred Weather All All except hot & humid All, but for drier skin warmer weather All
Preferred Skin Type All except problem prone skin All except combination/oily skin Normal to combination skin All except oil/problem prone skin
Price range (excl. tax) $230 $250 $350 $500
  Review Review Review Review

Skin types & How to use

All those La Prairie day creams/emulsions are great for dehydrated/dry/sensitive/mature skin types, and you could also layer them over your serum or moisturiser as they are very quenching and protective from harsh cold weather. If most tinted moisturisers and foundations have failed you due to a lack of hydration, then you can just mix one of those moisturisers with your regular foundation for an all-in-one treatment.

For normal skin, you could basically use any depending on your personal texture preference and the weather. I like to use emulsions in warmer seasons and creams for cold seasons. If the weather gets too windy or you're using the heater a lot, then I like to add one to two drop(s) of face oil in the cream as the oil helps prevent moisture loss.

It's a bit more difficult for combination/oily skin as La Prairie don't have any products designed specifically for those skin types. Although there were a few great products for them in the past, the company no longer carries them, which is a shame. If you still want to try them out though, then I suggest you to stick to emulsions, which you should still find nice and hydrating in current weather (it's Winter here in the US) although they can be a bit too much in summer. None of them seem to control sebum production, so you will still need to blot off excess oil during the day. I highly recommend you stop by your nearby La Prairie counter and get a sample or at least do a patch test under your jawline.

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