“We go to the ends of the earth on a quest for the highest performing ingredients possible to ensure that our products do what they say they will do,” explained Elizabeth Lamont, Vice President of Marketing for La Prairie. In an in-depth interview, we discussed the history and evolution of the company, their commitment to quality and science, signature products that define the brand including the Skin Caviar Collection, and much more.
Tell me a little bit about the founding of La Prairie. What was the moment, insight or experience that led to its creation?
In speaking about the brand’s creation, what people don’t realize is the genesis of La Prairie was a clinic which came to life in Montreux, Switzerland, in the 1930s, and was founded as a complete wellness and anti-aging clinic. It was the destination of the influencers of the day – with celebrities, royalty and nobility, the name La Prairie was whispered on their lips in the most influential circles. The brand La Prairie was a result of their desire to continue the treatments that they had at the clinic once they returned home, and ongoing requests for “I want these products” and “how can I continue to experience this at home”.
In 1978, we came to the market with products that were available for purchase and we’ve never looked back. We have realized that it’s not just royalty, celebrity and nobility who are interested in turning back the pages of time and extending their youthful experience, and so for almost 4 decades, we’ve brought that promise to an increasingly larger audience.
With regard to the scientific foundation underlying these products, what exactly does that mean at La Prairie?
In terms of our scientific foundation, again it goes back to the clinic and the original anti-aging therapies which were offered there, and from the scientific innovations which were used. Today, and with that inspiration, we have bio-technically created our exclusive Cellular Complex which is at the core of all our skincare treatments products and really the foundation for our ability to diminish the effects of time. On top of that, we layer a number of ingredients answering the different concerns that our customers have, and really we go to the ends of the earth to find them.
There is nothing that will stop our quest to find the highest performing ingredients. We never compromise on quality. In our formulation process, we never have to say “what if we substituted this for that”. We are always looking for the ultimate blend of ingredients in order to be able to provide the ultimate in an anti-aging solution to our customers.
What have been some of the products that have truly defined La Prairie as a brand of rich history and legacy all these years?
In terms of the products that really define us, the Skin Caviar Collection in our iconic cobalt blue packaging is readily identifiable as La Prairie. It began in 1987, when we referred to this ‘caviar phenomenon’ and when we found a way to encapsulate the caviar extract in a very lavish application treatment. It was audacious, and something only La Prairie could dare suggest – that you apply caviar to your skin. We were iconic in the industry, and highly visible on the retail floor. People would seek us out like a beacon in the department, that cobalt blue was and remains a unique color in the skincare space. The collection has evolved since then.
About a decade later, in 1998, we introduced our Skin Caviar Luxe Cream which to this day is our number one selling product, and the collection has continued to evolve. Skin Caviar Liquid Lift is just what the name says – it’s like an instant face lift in a serum form. Recently, we introduced the Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask, which is very much a spa-like indulgent nighttime treatment that you brush on, leave on and go straight to bed. It’s like having an overnight lifting facial in a jar.
Apart from the Skin Caviar Collection, we are known for very specialist types of products, and I think specifically of our Cellular Power Infusion launched in 2010, which is a four-week energizing treatment at the cellular level within the skin. It’s like giving a boost – a surge if you will — to skin cells, and it’s a treat that you give yourself every three months.
Our Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Dry Oil which was the first luxury anti-aging oil to come to the market. That again, merges our bio-technical origins, with ingredients that were found in the highest summits of the Alps. It also incorporates our Swiss Ice Crystal Complex – a blend of ingredients that work to address first signs of aging and to strengthen skin against today’s lifestyle and environmental stressors.
In 2014, our Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare joined a collection of three other platinum products. The Platinum Collection is one that offers ultimate rejuvenation regardless of skincare concerns, and again, it exemplifies the use of the rarest, most precious ingredients. The Cellular Eye Essence Platinum Rare is a serum that helps to make any eye cream used on top of it even more effective. In and of itself, it helps fight wrinkles, discoloration, and helps with firmness, lifting, and luminosity. Its moisture-patch technology then keeps your eye cream in place, so that surface treatment product goes to work in exactly the area in which it’s designed to perform.
Last year, we launched Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster. ‘Rapid Response’ was really the key to the success of that product. With clinical trials that proved that in just two weeks, 100% of women saw a reduction in the depth, the length and the number of their wrinkles. It was a real game changer for us. The biggest launch in the company’s history all around the world, and we are continuing to see its performance grow in early 2016.
Finally, if we were in an elevator and you had to tell me what La Prairie stands for, how would you define the company and its offerings?
In a nutshell, La Prairie offers the most prestigious, the most high-performing skincare products in the marketplace. Our ‘Swissness’ is one of the things that sets us apart, with attributes of precision, purity and the artistic elegance of our packaging. Innovation of course, and we’ve talked about going to the ends of the earth on a quest for the highest performing ingredients possible to ensure that our products do what they say they will do (and then some) – that’s what keeps customers coming back to us. They also come back for the service that they experience with our beauty advisors at counter. it’s a very high touch, very personalized, very intimate relationship that builds loyalty and that has contributed to the legacy of our brand since the 1930s.
For more information, laprairie.com
