Crème de la Mer is an ultra-rich algae-and-occlusive cream. COSRX Snail 92 is the Korean hydration job match, not the same formula.
La Mer’s classic Crème de la Mer leads its published INCI with algae extract, mineral oil and petrolatum, and the brand builds the product around its proprietary Miracle Broth ritual. COSRX Advanced Snail 92 leads with snail secretion filtrate and labels it 92%. Both fill a rich moisturizing step. Their ingredient lists do not make them twins.
What Crème de la Mer actually is
| Product | La Mer Crème de la Mer |
|---|---|
| Format | Rich face cream; La Mer describes it as ideal for drier skin |
| Representative US price | 2 oz / $390 on La Mer’s US site; other sizes are sold separately |
| First listed ingredients | Algae Extract, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol |
| Later listed details | Lime peel extract, eucalyptus leaf oil, fragrance and fragrance allergens |
La Mer’s classic cream is easy to confuse with the brand’s Soft Cream or Fresh Cream. Those are separate SKUs. This page is about Crème de la Mer, the classic ultra-rich cream, not every product that has “La Mer moisturizer” in a search snippet.
The brand describes Miracle Broth as a proprietary fermented sea-kelp blend and describes a small-amount warming ritual before pressing the cream into the skin. Those details matter to the product brief. A lower-price cream can be useful at the same moisturizer step without reproducing that formula or sensory experience.
Job match: a Korean snail-mucin cream
COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream
COSRX’s current product page labels the cream with 92% snail secretion filtrate and 1,000 ppm hyaluronic acid. Its public INCI starts with snail secretion filtrate, betaine, caprylic/capric triglyceride and butylene glycol. The current official list does not show a fragrance/parfum entry, but that is not a guarantee that every market or future batch is identical.
This is the better job match if the request means a Korean cream for the same broad moisturizing step at a much lower reference price. It is not the same base: snail mucin, betaine and humectants are not La Mer’s algae/mineral-oil/petrolatum opening. COSRX lists 100g at $26 on its US site; the official store showed that jar as backordered when checked, while YesStyle showed a 100g in-stock purchase path and identifies itself as an authorized COSRX retailer.
Snail 92 on COSRX Snail 92 on YesStyle
Side by side
| Crème de la Mer | COSRX Advanced Snail 92 | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula story | Proprietary Miracle Broth and Lime Tea; published INCI begins with algae extract and occlusives | 92% snail secretion filtrate and 1,000 ppm hyaluronic acid |
| Lead listed ingredients | Algae Extract, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin | Snail Secretion Filtrate, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol |
| Texture / use brief | Ultra-rich cream with a warming-and-pressing ritual | Snail-mucin gel-cream hydration step |
| Formula match? | Original | No — different lead ingredient, base and product story |
| Price checked | 2 oz / $390 brand US | 100g / $26 brand US; YesStyle stock and promotions move |
What the price gap does — and does not — prove
$390 versus $26 is a useful reason to investigate the Korean product, but it is not a controlled value or efficacy comparison. The jars use different size units, the formulas use different ingredients, and La Mer’s public price includes a luxury product and ritual that COSRX is not trying to reproduce. We do not calculate a per-gram “saving” as if the two products were interchangeable.
If you want La Mer’s classic formula and texture, read the La Mer page. If you want a lower-price Korean moisturizer in a snail-mucin formula, read the COSRX page. “Korean dupe” is too broad here; different formula, similar moisturizing job is the accurate answer.
Related rich-moisturizer comparisons
These pages compare other premium creams with Korean barrier or hydration job matches:
- Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream vs AESTURA — TFC8 positioning versus a ceramide-and-lipid system.
- Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream vs Korean barrier creams — rice ferment and fragrance versus ceramide formulas.
Sources
- La Mer US official Crème de la Mer page: exact SKU, sizes/prices, product positioning, public INCI and use ritual, checked 25 August 2026.
- La Mer official Miracle Broth explanation: brand description of its proprietary fermented sea-kelp blend, checked 25 August 2026.
- COSRX official Advanced Snail 92 page: 92% snail secretion filtrate, 1,000 ppm hyaluronic acid, full listed INCI, 100g reference price and stock snapshot, checked 25 August 2026.
- COSRX official Stores page: official shop and authorized-seller information, including YesStyle, checked 25 August 2026.
- YesStyle COSRX listing: 100g purchase path, South Korea origin, current stock snapshot and authorized-retailer label, checked 25 August 2026.
- kDupe current page, HaniSeoul alternatives article and SkinSort exact comparison: directional evidence that the La Mer/K-beauty alternative query and this product pair already exist in the search surface, not proof of search volume or results, checked 25 August 2026.