Look at that label. 100% raw plant source. Not a vague 'natural' claim. There is no daisy waving* going on here.
Ambre Botanicals is a new independent skin care brand that is made in London from 100% raw plant oils and extracts, with no alcohol or water added to the products. Raw skincare is something I'm increasingly keen on; the only two raw brands I was previously aware of are Dr Alkaitis and RMS Beauty. I've recently started using Live Native, another raw brand with very good results, and now I'm also very impressed by this product from Ambre.
Ambre Hand Cream is a thick, yellow orange balm texture. It smells beautiful - herbal yet clean and soothing.
As there is no water, you need a very small amount - a 5p piece sized dab will do both hands. The bit dabbed on the back of my hand is enough for that whole hand.
Using the correct amount doesn't leave any residue, but rejuvenates the skin and leaves it feeling and looking soft and even. This is the same hand a minute after rubbing the cream in. The effects last well too - I apply once in the evening and my hands feel soft and comfortable for the whole of the next day.
I bash my hands around a lot - I nearly always have some kind of cut, burn or bruise on them. It might be coincidence, but an old burn scar has faded quite significantly in the few days I've been using this, and I noticed that a cut just above the top joint of a finger healed much quicker than I'd expect it to normally.
This is a very, very good hand cream. Of course, the real test comes in the colder weather, but I've already been impressed enough with this product (which was a PR sample) to place an order for another two body products (a soap and the body cream). Ambre also make facial skin care products which look very good from the ingredients lists.
Ingredients of Mango & Carrot Seed Hand Cream:
Ambre products are available at
www.beingcontent.com, and directly from the Ambre website
www.ambrebotanicals.com. The Hand Cream costs £17 for 60ml (which will last for months used daily).
PR sample
*for an explanation of 'daisy waving', please see the comments on
this post. I love Modesty Brown.
Posts
Thanks for this post! Your blog is always full of interesting finds!
ReplyDeletei will look up this brand, i am also interested in raw skin care or make up...and i knew only about RMS beauty and Dr Alkaitis, as well, so it is nice to find about new brands!
Have a nice day!!
Hi Clara - thank you, you too :)
DeleteOhhhh, I must try this hand cream. Looks divine!!
ReplyDeleteHi Stells - I recommend it without hesitation.
Deletemmm, delightful...natural products are getting better and better these days
ReplyDeleteHello - I totally agree, and it's great.
DeleteI should try this, my hands always feel dry!
ReplyDeleteHi Noemi - definitely one for you to try. I always have dry hands, and this has made mine feel normal.
DeleteHave you tried any of their other products? It looks like a great line. It seems like all of the great brands are across the pond from the US - lol
ReplyDeleteYou do have some great brands too though - I envy you the BITE lipsticks, and I wince each time I pay the shipping on Alima (still love it though!)
DeleteI haven't tried any of the other products yet, although I have bought the warming body soap and the body cream. I will report back on those!
This sounds good. My hands are so, so dry and unhappy looking all the time. I could do with something that actually conditions them properly! Thank you for the review!
ReplyDeleteHi Fleur - I'd really give this one a go. Your hands sound like mine.
DeleteI was curious about this range after seeing it on Content and my hands are naturally dry so this sounds like a promising product.
ReplyDeleteHi Meeta - I'd recommend giving this one a go - I really think you'd like it.
DeleteThank you for the mention :D! 100% raw plant source gets a thumbs up, I was just reading your post about Live Nature and you've really piqued my interest in raw ingredients. I'd never really thought about how the manufacturing process might 'spoil' the ingredients but it's a really valid point.
ReplyDeleteThe consistency of this looks similar to MuLondon Rose cream, I loved the feel of that on my hands. I think I'll invest in a pot of this for when we hit the cooler months as my hands always take a battering and this sounds longer lasting than my usual creams.
I find the Ambre spreads and melts a little easier than the Mu London (which is a lovely product) - I'd recommend it for dry hands.
DeleteThis looks great. My hands are always dry, so may give this a try.
ReplyDeleteHi Claire - very good for those of use with drier hands.
DeleteAs another person who seems to bash her hands around a lot, I'm definitely intrigued.
ReplyDelete... Similarly, I'm intrigued by all the raw facial skincare lines. However, my skin can be so reactive – I know that just because something is raw and from plant sources doesn't necessarily mean that it won't make me break out! (There's also always the question of whether it can/will do anything to prevent break-outs.) I'm thinking about the Essential Mist MSM Toner from Live Native, because the ingredient list sounds 'safe' to me, and anything that calms my skin is a good thing! The moisturizer sounds gorgeous, but I have a feeling shea butter might be a no-no on my face.
Hilariously, the Ambre Botanicals Luxurious Oil Blend Fatty Acid Rich Face Serum doesn't seem to contain any ingredients that I know make me break out ... still the name sounds a bit like a warning, "don't put this on your face if you get spots"! Then again, my spots aren't caused by oily skin, so who knows?
OK, this is why I don't comment more often, I can't keep it brief!
And actually, I'm going to go ahead and make another comment ...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was last in the US, I received a sample from a brand called Suti which turned out to be a UK brand - they say that they're an organic skincare range, but looking at ingredients seems to imply that they're a "mostly organic" range. Unfortunately they are seriously putting me off by claiming that "crystal healing" is one of the principals they're founded on??!??!?
I've been trying their Rejuvenate Face Oil: http://www.suti.co.uk/epages/sutic1.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/sutic1/Products/01-0001
It's a pleasure to use, and leaves my skin feeling really fresh and balanced. I do think an oil would be a good choice for my crazy skin, but I'm un-convinced as to whether this is The One. Possibly because I'm not giving it a fair test: every time my skin is having a break out, I stop using it. On the other hand, my skin seems to do best when I mix up the products a bit.
I really wish there was some kind of skincare fairy who could tell me *exactly* what to use, so I didn't have to go through all this trial and error!
(PS - Works With Water Clearskin is still a life-saver, I'm utterly hooked - two a day, every day. I can actually SEE my skin calm down when I drink them.)
Reactive skin is such a pain in the bum. I've got my triggers down pretty much now - I can work with shea, my skin loves coconut (although others have reported spots from using it) but wheatgerm can cause issues for me, as can olive squalane.
DeleteSuti gets some very good reviews - I haven't tried anything myself, although I do actually have a friend testing out that oil for me (I only have one face!)
I saw a 2 for 1 on Clear Skin in Boots recently and did think of you :)
Thanks for your response :)
DeleteI'll be interested to hear what your friend thinks of that oil!
My Clear Skin strategy definitely involves never buying at full price ;)
I wait for the good deals, then stock up a few months worth.
OK, I really am crazy today, here's comment number three --
ReplyDeleteHow have you found shelf life to be with these types of products?
Hi again :)
DeleteNot too bad, actually. I make sure to use within about 6 months, and you do have to be sure not to get water in them, but they last well as long as you don't leave somewhere humid. I've never had any problems with RMS Beauty (those last a year and a couple of my items are a bit older than that - I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but they're still fine for me) or Dr Alkaitis.
That's good to hear, 6 months is a reasonable timeline to use up a skincare product that's working well for you, and hording products that don't work isn't really a good habit to get into anyhow.
DeleteI'm glad the RMS last a bit longer, I don't finish makeup products very often >_<
I've just checked and my hand cream has a 'best before' of May 2013, so it's good for a year.
DeleteYes, I'm trying to stop myself hoarding stuff that doesn't work, and being smarter about what I buy (and accept as samples for blogging - if I wouldn't buy it myself and I can't commit to testing it out in a reasonable timeframe I'm saying no thanks to stuff).
I love balm-type creams for my hands. They can feel a bit heavy, but I like to apply them to skin that is still a bit moist - it seems to lighten them a bit, and helps the occlusive ingredients work their magic on the water-plumped skin cells.
ReplyDeleteHi Maggie - me too. I find balm textures much more effective on really dry hands than a cream or lotion, and I like to apply to slightly damp skin. This one sinks in well, my skin pretty much just drinks it in.
DeleteI am also becoming more keen on raw and/or organic skincare.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Raw Gaia? I have their MSM moisturiser, and am really liking it. I also have some of their other products, but have only tried the MSM moisturiser so far.
Hi Ilona - Raw Gaia is one I've seen mentioned before and I'm also interested in. The MSM moisturiser sounds lovely - thanks for the comment on it :)
Delete