I have lived in Japan since 2002, and one thing that surprised me early on is how much of Japanese skincare never reaches a drugstore shelf. It is sold through salons and aesthetic studios, in 100 ml bottles with plain labels and the word 業務用 (gyōmu-yō, "for professional use") printed on the front. La Mente is one of those salon-channel brands, and I carry its 100 ml serums in the shop because they are, first of all, honest about what is inside.
This guide goes through the six La Mente serums we sell, reads each ingredient declaration the way I would read it for myself, and tells you who each bottle suits and who should skip it. Prices are ¥23,000 per 100 ml bottle for all six. All of them are cosmetics, not medicines, and none of them is described here as treating a skin condition.
What "professional use" means for a serum
A bigger bottle, a different kind of commitment
A retail serum is usually 30 ml. A La Mente bottle is 100 ml, roughly three to five times as much, and a salon buys it because a treatment room goes through a lot of product. For a home user that changes the maths: the price per millilitre is low, but the bottle is a long commitment to one product. If you have never used a placenta or growth-factor serum before, this is a large first bottle, and I say so on every product page.
Short declarations, no perfume
What I like about the line is how short the ingredient lists are. Several of the serums below have four to nine ingredients in total, no fragrance and no colourant. That does not make them "better" by itself, but it makes them easy to read, and easy to judge if your skin is reactive. Always check the declaration printed on your bottle, which is the definitive one.
Ordered for you, not sitting in a warehouse
One practical note: these bottles are ordered from the Japanese professional distributor after you place your order, so please allow for the processing time shown on each product page. The upside is that you receive a fresh, sealed unit in its Japanese retail packaging.
La Mente serums at a glance
Here is the comparison I wish I had had when I first looked at the range. "Declared" means what the product page lists; where the full list is not published, I say so.
| Serum | Named ingredient | Contains alcohol (ethanol)? | Animal-derived? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fermented Placenta | Fermented horse placenta liquid | No | Yes (equine) |
| Proteoglycan | Water-soluble proteoglycan (salmon cartilage) | No | Yes (fish) |
| EGF | Human oligopeptide-1 (EGF) | Yes | Not stated on the page; check the label if this matters to you |
| Placenta | Placenta extract | Full list not published; see the bottle | Yes |
| Pure 4 | Placenta, umbilical cord extract, succinoyl atelocollagen, hydrolyzed elastin | Yes | Yes |
| C Pla | Water-soluble vitamin C derivative + placenta extract | Yes | Yes |
The six serums, one by one
La Mente Fermented Placenta: the shortest list
This is an undiluted essence (原液, genekki) made by Nihon Tennenbutsu Kenkyusho, the maker behind the line. The concept fits in one sentence: horse placenta extract, fermented with yeast and brown sugar, then aged. The whole declaration is five ingredients: water, BG, the fermented placenta liquid, sodium citrate and phenoxyethanol. No fragrance, no alcohol, no colourant, no thickener. It is watery by design, so think of it as one layer under your own cream, not a finished textured serum. See the Fermented Placenta page.
La Mente Proteoglycan: a moisture-binding concentrate
Four ingredients: water, BG, water-soluble proteoglycan and phenoxyethanol. The proteoglycan comes from salmon nasal cartilage and is valued as a water-binding ingredient. You can apply a few drops neat or mix a few drops into your lotion or cream, which makes it the easiest bottle to fit into an existing routine. It contains a fish-derived ingredient, so skip it if you have a fish allergy. See the Proteoglycan page.
La Mente EGF: the one with alcohol on the list
The declaration reads: water, BG, ethanol, human oligopeptide-1, hydrogenated lecithin, cholesterol, xanthan gum, cocoyl sarcosine Na and phenoxyethanol. "Human oligopeptide-1" is the INCI name for EGF, epidermal growth factor. Because ethanol is the third ingredient, anyone sensitive to alcohol should patch-test first, and the page advises consulting a doctor if you are pregnant, nursing or have a skin condition. It can be used alone or mixed into lotion or cream. I describe it as what it is, a cosmetic serum, and I would not read more into it than that. See the EGF page.
La Mente Placenta: the classic salon bottle
Placenta extract is the named component, sold as a serum step between toner and moisturizer. The maker's full ingredient list for this SKU was not published where I could find it, so I have not written one for you; the declaration is printed on the bottle, and if a specific ingredient decides your purchase, write to me before ordering and I will photograph the label. Two or three drops cover the whole face. See the Placenta page.
La Mente Pure 4: four actives in one bottle
Pure 4 (ピュア4) combines placenta extract, umbilical cord extract (サイタイエキス), succinoyl atelocollagen and hydrolyzed elastin, eleven ingredients in total. The maker declares all four actives as moisturizing components. Ethanol is second on the list, so this is the bottle where I say "reactive skin, look carefully" first. The case for Pure 4 over four single-active bottles is convenience and price per millilitre, not that the combination does something the separate bottles cannot. See the Pure 4 page.
La Mente C Pla: vitamin C plus placenta
C Pla pairs a water-soluble vitamin C derivative with placenta extract in a lightweight liquid. The declaration: placenta extract, BG, citric acid, sodium hydroxide, lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, ethanol and purified water. It is positioned for an even-looking tone and the visible signs of aging, not as a treatment. Patch-test first, and remember that vitamin C can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so sunscreen in the morning is not optional. If you want more vitamin C options at smaller sizes, see Best Japanese Vitamin C Serums. See the C Pla page.
Who should skip these serums
Vegan, halal and kosher shoppers
Five of the six contain animal-derived ingredients (horse placenta, placenta, umbilical cord extract, salmon proteoglycan), and none of them is certified halal or vegan. I put this at the top of each product page because it is the most important thing to know before ordering, and I would rather lose a sale than have you find out from the ingredient list. For the EGF serum, the page does not state the origin of the ingredient, so check the label.
Reactive skin, pregnancy and allergies
If alcohol stings, avoid EGF, Pure 4 and C Pla, or start with the Fermented Placenta or Proteoglycan bottles, which declare no alcohol. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or being treated for a hormone-sensitive condition, ask your doctor before adding a placenta product. A fish allergy rules out the Proteoglycan serum. Opened cosmetics cannot be returned for hygiene reasons, so do the patch test on the inner forearm before the first full use.
How to use a 100 ml bottle
Drops, not pumps
Cleanse, apply your toner or lotion, then take two or three drops for the whole face and press it in with your palms rather than rubbing. Follow with your moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning. A 100 ml bottle used this way lasts for months, which is the whole logic of the professional size. If you like to customize, the Proteoglycan, EGF and C Pla pages all describe mixing a few drops into your usual lotion or cream.
Layering with what you already own
These are single steps, not routines. They sit between toner and cream. For a wider look at Japanese essences at smaller, retail-friendly sizes, read Best Japanese Essences, and for the newer exosome category see Best Japanese Exosome Skincare.
Which La Mente serum should you choose?
My short version: choose Proteoglycan if you want the simplest, alcohol-free moisture step you can also mix into a cream; choose Fermented Placenta if you want a very short ingredient list and are comfortable with an equine ingredient; choose C Pla if you want a vitamin C step and tolerate ethanol; choose EGF or Pure 4 if you already know how your skin behaves with alcohol-containing serums. The full range, including La Mente creams, lotions and cleansers, is in the La Mente collection, and more options are in Japanese Serums and Japanese Anti-Aging Skincare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "for professional use" mean on La Mente bottles?
It means the product is sold through the Japanese salon channel in a 100 ml size meant for treatment rooms. At home you simply use two or three drops at a time. It does not mean the product is a medicine or that it needs a professional to apply it.
Are La Mente serums halal or vegan?
No. They contain animal-derived ingredients such as placenta, umbilical cord extract or salmon proteoglycan, and none is certified halal or vegan. The EGF serum page does not state where its ingredient comes from, so check the bottle label if this matters to you.
Which La Mente serum has the shortest ingredient list?
Proteoglycan has four declared ingredients (water, BG, proteoglycan, phenoxyethanol) and Fermented Placenta has five (water, BG, fermented placenta liquid, sodium citrate, phenoxyethanol). Neither contains alcohol, fragrance or colourant according to the product pages.
Can I mix a La Mente serum into my moisturizer?
The Proteoglycan, EGF and C Pla pages describe mixing a few drops into your lotion or cream. The Fermented Placenta is designed as a thin layer under a cream you already like.
Is 100 ml too much for a first purchase?
Possibly. It is three to five times a retail serum, and opened cosmetics cannot be returned. If you have never used placenta or EGF products, a smaller retail bottle is a sensible trial before committing to a salon-size one.
Final thoughts
I am drawn to the La Mente line because it is plain: short lists, named ingredients, no perfume, and a size that rewards a daily habit. It is also a line where reading the declaration matters more than reading the marketing, so please do. If you have a question about a specific bottle, write to me at support@tsujimotomarket.com and I will read the label for you.
These are cosmetic products, not medicines, and they do not treat any skin condition. If a skin problem persists or worsens, please see a doctor.
Natalia Tsujimoto lives in Japan (since 2002) and selects products in Japanese pharmacies and directly from manufacturers, including professional salon brands. Her blog covers what actually works, without invented miracles.