Does expensive necessarily equal better? And is a $1,000 skin care cream that much more superior to one that costs $100? Unfortunately, I haven't had the luxury of testing out this little beauty experiment, so I can't really recommend that you run out and buy anything on this list of the 9 most expensive skin care creams (unless, of course, you happen to have that kind of cash lying around). Has anyone actually tried any of these? If so, speak up! Or would you ever spend this kind of cash on a beauty product? I'd love to know.

No. 9: Chanel Precision Sublimage Serum Essential Regenerating Cream, $375

Key ingredient: Planifolia PFA 



At $220 per ounce, Chanel's most expensive cream contains Planifolia PFA, "an ultra-pure, ultra-powerful ingredient created through an exclusive purification technique developed by Chanel." Huh? Let us clarify. That ultra-powerful ingredient, "unique plant" and "potent fruit" is vanilla, from the antioxidant-rich Vanilla Planifolia orchid "unearthed from the farthest reaches of Madagascar" (otherwise known as vanilla's primary growing region). According to Chanel, 231.5 pounds of Vanilla Planifolia are needed to produce 35.2 ounces of Planifolia PFA (which is about 11 pounds of orchid per individual pot.)

No. 8: Guerlain Orchidee Imperiale Cream Next Generation, $410

Key ingredient: Imperiale Orchidee Molecular Extract (IOME) 



Guerlain's fancy moisturizer, about $241 per ounce, also relies on an extract derived from the seemingly magical fountain of youth that is the orchid. (Boy, that orchid sure is under a lot of pressure!) Guerlain promises that the cream will address "all signs of aging" and transform the skin into a plumper, more radiant surface after just one month. Big promise? Yes. But Guerlain did spend 10 years researching this little guy so there must be something that works in there ... right?

No. 7: Chantecaille Nano Gold Energizing Cream, $420

Key ingredient: 24-carat gold



Chantecaille's golden-yellow-colored cream, about $247 per ounce, apparently binds nanoparticles of gold to silk microfiber (protein) to deliver "healing" benefits to the skin. Most of the other ingredients, from lactic acid to pineapple juice, are included with the goal to reduce stress and promote energy -- kind of like a really expensive yoga class ... for your face.

No. 6: Amore Pacific Time Response Skin Renewal Creme, $400

Key ingredient: Green tea flower 



Using essential oil that is drawn painstakingly from the company's own green tea fields in Korea and blended with "100 of the world's most healing botanicals," this light, perfumed cream packs an antioxidant punch that sells for $250 per ounce. Popular with smooth-skinned stars such as Selma Blair, Amore Pacific is also known for its extravagant gold packaging and exclusivity at stores like Neiman Marcus. Oh, and their tea is pretty darn delicious, too.

No. 5: Sisley Sisleya Global Anti-Age Cream, $460

Key ingredient: Ursolic acid 



Using a heavy dose of retinol (vitamin A), Sisley's $271-per-ounce moisturizer also contains a "vegetal extract rich in ursolic acid" (a cancer-cell-fighting acid found in fruits such as apples and cranberries). Sisley recommends the cream for those over age 30 who need free-radical protection and stress relief. (Sorry, no mental therapist included.)

No. 4: Orlane Creme Royale, $650

Key ingredients: 24-carat gold, royal jelly

Orlane Creme Royale, one of Orlane's most expensive products at $382 per ounce, also contains gold, which continues to be a trendy skin care ingredient for its antioxidant and skin-firming properties even though it was named "allergen of the year" in 2001 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society (go figure!). And oh yeah, about that royal jelly? It's essentially the secretion of honey bees that is fed to bee larvae -- a little gross, but hey, if it works, we're game.

No. 3: Kanebo Sensai Collection Premier the Cream, $650

Key ingredient: Koishimaru silk 



Kanebo's cult-favorite moisturizer runs about $464 per ounce -- but there's a good reason: Sensai claims it is the first line to introduce super-fine Koishimaru silk, once "reserved exclusively for the Japanese Royal Family's use," into its skin care. Extract from the silk supposedly hydrates skin and promotes hyaluronic acid synthesis, along with the other cell-renewing stimulants in the cream (Japanese seaweed extract, beta-carotene, and so on). So, essentially, you're getting the royal treatment.

No. 2: La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare, $1000

Key ingredient: Platinum 



Perhaps one of the most recently buzzed-about creams because of its indecent price tag, La Prairie's Cellular Cream Platinum Rare contains exactly that -- the "most precious metal on earth." Contrary to popular belief, at $588 per ounce, it's not the most expensive or "over-priced" skin cream in the world -- but it is more expensive than La Prairie's other offerings, Cellular Radiance Cream ($341 per ounce) and White Caviar Illuminating Cream ($264 per ounce).

No. 1: Cle de Peau Beaute Synactif Intensive Cream, $1000

Key ingredients: Retinol ACE, MACC 



At first glance, the ingredient list for this $739-per-ounce cream doesn't look particularly unique. But mysterious acronyms abound, such as ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme), aka vitamin A, and MACC (Methyl Aminomethylcyclohexane Carboxamide HCI), which "strengthens the functions of lymphatic channels." Add hyaluronic acid, vitamin C-ethyl and rose fragrance (made from a "rare and special variety of rose") and you've got yourself one complicated-sounding cream that tops even Cle de Peau (their next-expensive cream, La Creme, is $500 per ounce).