1) It was (apparently) created by a rocket scientist in the Fifties

OK, so not technically a fact, but the story of how Crème de la Mer came about is something of an urban myth in the beauty world. According to legend it was created by a rocket scientist called Max Huber, who is believed to have suffered fuel burns to his face but couldn’t find anything to soothe them. So, naturally, he did as all great beauty brand founders do and set about creating his own.

2) It took 12 years and 6,000 experiments to find the perfect formula

Clearly not one for a quick fix, Huber is said to have created the now-iconic cream in a fish tank in his living room. He used locally sourced sea kelp – hence the name Crème de la Mer, which translates as ‘cream of the sea’. He started selling it to his friends in 1965.

7 weird and wonderful things you need to know about the world’s most iconic moisturiser