What is it?
Around for more than a decade, beauty brand La Mer was one of the first to claim an 'accidental' discovery (skincare brands such as StriVectin gained huge popularity after telling similar stories).
In 2005, Creme de la Mer Essence was described in newspaper reports as 'the world's most expensive face cream'. There were waiting lists for the original when it was launched and film stars Sharon Stone and Jennifer Lopez were said to be fans.
Other 'miracle' creams using ingredients from the sea or minerals have been founded by doctors and command similar prices, but La Mer was one of the first to create such a fever among consumers. It is owned by Estee Lauder.
What was the 'accident'?
Aerospace physicist Max Huber suffered an horrific accident more than 30 years ago, when a routine experiment exploded in his face, resulting in severe chemical burns. Medical science did not offer a sufficient promise of help, so Huber decided to help himself.