Ambi Hosts Editor’s Roundtable x My Thoughts About Their Product

Last month I attended an editor’s round table for Ambi, where they explained the brand’s mission, products and presented skincare facts for women of color. Ambi was founded in 1966 in Africa. For 45 years they have been known for fade creams and soaps. Today, the brand is globally known for several skincare solutions for brown girls but they still need help spreading the word.

Confession: While I’ve been using Ambi’s fade cream for years, I didn’t really consider them an option for other skincare needs, so this editor’s round table was a welcome surprise. We got some of their products to take home and try for ourselves. In addition, dermatologist Fran Cook-Bolden was the guest of honor and in conveying the brand’s message, she addressed some of the most common skincare issues that brown girls face. We primarily deal with hyperpigmentation, dry skin, oily skin, acne, dark marks and searching for the right sun screen (since most of them are geared toward white skin). Ambi has a range of products that uniquely addresses each of these issues. Here’s a break down of what I’ve tried so far and how I feel about its effectiveness:

Fade cream

This stuff works wonders! As a teenager, I went through a phase where I wouldn’t show my legs in the summertime (or I’d cover them with messy makeup) because of several dark marks (from mosquito bites) that I was embarrassed about. I used the fade cream for about a year and I’m proud to say that they are 98% gone, my complexion is much more even, and I proudly show my legs as much as I can.

Today, I struggle with acne. Admittedly, I pick my face a lot. It’s a nervous habit that results in scarring. Ambi’s fade cream helps to get rid of the marks. It works fast, efficiently and gently. I highly recommend this product but only if you plan to use it correctly. If you have thoughts of trying to make yourself lighter then you need psychological help and shouldn’t be using any kind of bleaching creams. This product gets an A

Even & Clear Exfoliating Wash

I’ve always been leery of exfoliation creams because 90% of the ones that I have tried are too harsh and have always either made me break out more or tore my skin. I didn’t wash my skin thoroughly enough for years because I couldn’t find the right wash, until I discovered the Clarisonic in conjunction with Philosphy’s “Purity,” which seemed to work well. However, there are days when I don’t feel like using the Clarisonic because it’s a process and Purity alone–while it’s an effective cleaner–doesn’t really exfoliate. Enter Ambi’s Even & Clear Exfoliation Wash. It  has turned out to be a really good substitute. It’s the first exfoliating wash that really cleans my skin (I wear makeup) without the help of a cloth or machine and it doesn’t break me out or make my skin sore. It contains salicylic acid, soybean oil, vitamins C & E and other important ingredients that aid in skin cell turn over. It’s not 100% natural but it’s not too harsh either. I give this product an A.

Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer:

I’ve struggled with finding the right facial moisturizer my whole life! My skin is combination so when I have oily moments, they’re hardcore and vice versa for dry and sometimes both at the same time, ugh. Every moisturizer that I try either doesn’t really moisturize at all or it makes my skin feel like it’s wrapped in plastic an hour after I apply it. Eventually, I found a brand that worked but the problem is,  it’s a new brand obtained by prescription only. The brand is so new that not many doctors offer it yet. I discovered it because I got it as a gift at an event. The bottle went empty a few months and I stressed about how I was going to find the right moisture balance once again, until I got a hold of Ambi’s moisturizer.  These days, I stress no more because Ambi’s Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer works perfectly and it contains SPF 30. #Winning. I’m protected from the sun, my face gets moisturized, not clogged and there’s no more over drying or plastic wrap feeling. This product gets an A.

The number one tip that I picked up from Dr. Cook-Bolden was that the best skin care regimen was a minimalist one. That might seem like common sense to some but I do sometimes get caught up in the idea that I have to put several products on my face, which was probably part of some of my skincare woes. Nowadays I just wash, moisturize and go. It seems to work. Thanks Ambi.

P.S. I am not a skin care expert and don’t claim to know what works best for everyone. I am speaking from my own experiences and what has worked for me.  Ambi did not pay me to write about their product, this is my honest opinion.

Tags: Acne Marks, African American Skin, AMBI, Fade Cream

Category: Makeup/Beauty