Elemis Pro Collagen and the Seaweed Behind It

ELEMIS was founded in London in 1989 by entrepreneur Linda Steiner, joined by co-founders Noella Gabriel, Sean Harrington and Oriele Frank, according to the brand's own story. Pro-Collagen Marine Cream followed in 2003, a gel-cream built around a brown algae from the Mediterranean coast called Padina pavonica. Gabriel has told a story about a diver-doctor who saw this seaweed preserving the wood of a shipwreck. The details of who the diver was change from one retelling to the next, so I will just say it is the brand's founding legend. The brand also claims the cream can raise hydration by up to 248 percent in an hour.

What I like about the Elemis Pro Collagen line is that it has a clear idea. Marine algae is the thread, and the range grew out from one cream into serums, eye care and a whole line of cleansers. It is easy to see where each product fits.

The first grid is the creams, serums and eye care, the treatment side. The second is the cleansers, mist, oil and exfoliator, the parts you use before and around them.

Here is a test I like for any new serum: use it on one half of your face for a week, night only, and keep everything else the same. Skincare needs that kind of patience before you can say it works.

Start with the two Marine Creams. The original is a lightweight gel-cream with a silky-satin finish that the brand says makes a good base for makeup, with mimosa, rose and Padina pavonica. The SPF 30 version adds sun protection and ginkgo biloba and chlorella. The Night Cream is richer, with sesame and avocado oils, laminaria extract and red algae, and it is vegan.

The serums come next, and there are three. Pro Collagen Future Serum is a lightweight serum with a world-first Opal Skin Algae Complex, said to address ten visible signs of aging from collagen decline. The Future Restore Serum is another lightweight one, described as firming in four days. Elemis says its Opal complex came from a diatom, a microscopic algae, found in pure marine waters off the coast of the UK after 12 months of research. The Retinol Alternative Renewal Serum is for people who want retinol-like results without the irritation, using stevia and alfalfa extracts.

Then the eyes. The Future Restore Eye Serum is a lightweight, cushioning serum meant to improve dark circles and under-eye wrinkles. The Brightening Eye Revive Mask is a cooling bouncy gel with watermelon snow algae and hyaluronic acid, and the brand says it can be an overnight mask, an under-eye primer or a rescue balm.

Here is a pairing I like: a serum under the Marine Cream in the morning and the Night Cream after it.

What I would skip: doubling up on serums in the first week. Introduce one at a time so you know what is doing what.

The cleansing balm is the one people know. The Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm is a three-in-one that melts into an oil when you massage it in and turns into a milk when it meets water. It removes makeup, grime and impurities, and can double as a mask. The Rose Cleansing Balm is the version with English rose oleo extract, called Elemis' number one best-selling cleanser and recommended for sensitive skin.

For a lighter cleanse, there is the Hydrating Cleansing Mousse, a cream that turns into a silky mousse. It can be a daily single cleanse or the second step after the balm in a double cleanse. The Toning Mist is an ultra-lightweight spray for after cleansing, meant to prep, replenish and refine.

Two are the treats. The Rose Facial Oil pairs English rose oleo extract with Padina pavonica and rosehip seed oil, and it is free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, silicone, talc and mineral oil. The Glow Boost Exfoliator is a gentle physical scrub with eco-friendly cellulose beads and starflower, elderberry and Optimega oils. It shares its oil and wax blend with the balm.

Here is a routine I like: balm first, mousse second, mist after, and the oil last on nights that call for something richer. Use the exfoliator only when skin feels rough.

What I would skip: the exfoliator on skin that is already irritated. Gentle is relative, and a physical scrub is still a scrub.

I think the smartest way into this line is to pick one hero and be loyal to it for a month. The Marine Cream is the obvious one, since the whole range started there, but the balm is just as good an entry point if you care about cleansing.

Then add a serum only when you can name what you want it to do. A routine of four products you use every day will beat a shelf of twelve you use sometimes.