Last Updated on May 29, 2026 by omgbart
When Bonjout announced La Cream, I was nervous. Call it concerned in advance. As a committed Le Balm loyalist I was not convinced a new moisturizer texture was something I needed from the brand. It turns out I was wrong. A month into using La Cream I am ready to share my first impressions and then some.
What exactly is La Cream?
If you know The Balmyou know Bonjout’s commitment to doing very little but doing it exceptionally well. La Cream is not a replacement for Le Balm. It is a different product entirely, designed for a different moment in your routine and a different kind of skin day.
Where The Balm is a rich balm-to-oil best suited for nighttime use and normal-to-dry or compromised skin, La Cream is a fluid cream, closer to a luxurious lotion in texture, that sits comfortably in a daytime routine. Think Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream: that deceptively lightweight, almost grippy texture that glides on clean and surprises you behind the scenes by doing more than it lets on. La Cream has that same energy. Not greasy, not heavy, and genuinely happy to layer over a serum or oil and under sunscreen without protest.
What is in La Cream?
The formula opens with grape fruit water, which sets the tone immediately. This is not a water-in-name-only situation. Coco-caprylate/caprate and squalane follow, alongside camellia seed oil and meadowfoam seed oil, both lightweight but deeply nourishing. The emulsion system is clean and thoughtfully constructed.
The active story is where La Cream distinguishes itself from Le Balm. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 together form the Matrixyl 3000 peptide complex, one of the most studied combinations in anti-aging skincare. Diglucosyl gallic acid brings antioxidant and brightening benefits. Calendula rounds out the botanical side.
Bonjout references NAD+ youth boosters on the box, which sounds like marketing shorthand until you look at the INCI. Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract is a documented source of nicotinamide riboside, a NAD+ precursor that supports cellular energy metabolism and DNA repair. NAD+ levels decline with age which is why it has become a legitimate focus in longevity skincare. It is in there. It just does not announce itself. Worth noting too: La Cream is completely fragrance-free, which The Balm is not, and that makes it the more accessible option for reactive or sensitive skin.
How does La Cream wear?
I reach for it in the morning, almost exclusively. My nighttime routine belongs to The Balm, usually layered over my growth factor serum or retinoid as a finishing treatment. La Cream handles the daytime shift: those mornings when my skin feels dry, unbalanced, or just off from weather, diet, late nights, or genuinely terrible sleep. Two pumps for face and neck, pressed in while still slightly damp. It absorbs quickly, leaves no residue, and sets up well under SPF.
The results are not dramatic and I would not pretend otherwise. What I notice after a month is a general improvement in radiance. My complexion looks more vitalized, more like itself on a good day. The kind of improvement that is hard to photograph but very easy to feel.
Is La Cream worth the price?
This is where I want to be honest with you. At $170 for 30ml, La Cream is the same price as The Balm. But the value equation is different. The Balm is a solid balm you warm between your fingertips and press into skin. A little goes a long way. La Cream is a lotion-like formula and I use two pumps per application, every morning. You will go through it faster. That is worth factoring in before you buy.
With that said, the formula is genuinely sophisticated, the experience is lovely, and for a daytime moisturizer at this level of ingredient integrity it is competitive. Use code BART15 for 15% off at bonjout.com, which takes the sting out of it slightly.
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