Sunday, April 29, 2018

REVIEW: Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia Del Cerrado and Marigold Fields Moisturiser



The first caption that popped into my mind for this image was 'A picture is worth a thousand words' but you know me, I love to write, so here are my thousand words on this sunshiny duo, the Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia Del Cerrado and Marigold Fields Moisturiser.

The products are not just sensorial treats but include carefully selected botanicals that do work for the skin.

First off, the Ambrosia Del Cerrado, a toner and moisturiser hybrid, which I imagine people dive into without any hesitation just by looking at its gorgeous colour. Seriously, how many products look this beautiful? And the scent too. It has a fresh, citrusy, guava-like tropical scent, with a tinge of green, which I think could be the moringa. Honestly, I can't seem to get enough of this scent. But this product is more than its colour and scent, although they are a big factor in making you feel fresh and energised.

Ava, the founder and formulator behind Earthwise Beauty has identified a real gap in the moisturiser market, more so, in the green beauty space. While there are enough watery toners out there, often they are not enough to keep the skin hydrated for long. This one does! The almost-water-like-but-not-really-water product gives intense hydration which is also surprisingly lightweight on the skin. And I can say this first-hand because I have oily-combination skin and this product doesn't weigh it down. Ambrosia Del Cerrado sinks in quickly without making the skin feel greasy. I can say with confidence that even those with the most fear about moisturisers will fall in love with this. My sis-in-law was apprehensive about using this, but once she used the sample, she had to buy the full size.

Ingredients
Cold-press Aloe barbadensis whole-leaf juice*, sustainably wildcrafted cold-press unrefined Caryocar braziliensis (pequi) fruit oil, sustainably wildcrafted cold-press unrefined Mauritia flexuosa (buriti) fruit oil, sustainably wildcrafted cold-press unrefined Moringa oleifera seed oil, polysorbate 20 (naturally derived), potassium sorbate (natural food-grade preservative), natural non-GMO tocopherol (vit. E from sunflowers), xanthan gum, ascorbic acid (vit. C), citric acid.
*Certified organic.
Aloe certified by the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) for purity and content.

A look at the inci list shows that it doesn't contain any water; the bulk of it is aloe vera juice, certified organic. How amazing is that! You are not feeding your skin fillers but straight up aloe juice. The other ingredients such as pequi fruit oil, moringa and buriti fruit oil (ingredients common with the Ruby Facial Oil, another Earthwise Beauty favourite of mine) are known to add vitamins to the skin and provide skin repairing qualities. 

In winter, I was using it as a hydrating toner, adding a richer moisturiser on top, like the Marigold Fields, which I talk about later in this post, but now with summer and heat having arrived, I use this as my only moisturiser, after using either the Carrot-A-Day serum or the Nap in the Meadow serum, also from Earthwise Beauty.

For those who like to keep their skincare routine minimal, the Ambrosia is the perfect do-it-all, giving lightweight yet deep hydration but also working on adding nutrients to the skin.

If you want to take it up a notch, or if you have dry skin, then the Marigold Fields moisturiser is the way to go. Ava calls this a super moisturiser and I agree; it's like Ambrosia's big sister, a souped-up version of it.

First off, the scent of it--OMG--I cannot put it in words how gorgeous this smells.

Ingredients
Cold-press aloe barbadensis whole-leaf extract*, Calendula officinalis (marigold) flowers (* or organic from our gardens) in Olea europaea oil (extra-virgin olive oil)*, virgin cold-press unrefined golden Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, cold-press organic unrefined Pentaclethra macroloba (pracaxi) pod oil, cold-press organic unrefined Caryocar braziliensis (pequi) fruit oil, natural non-GMO tocopherol (vit. E from sunflowers), natural ECOCERT preservative {glycerin, Leuconostoc (radish root) ferment filtrate, Lonicera japonica (honeysuckle) flower extract, Lonicera caprifolium (honeysuckle) extract, Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) bark extract, gluconolactone}, polysorbate 20 (naturally derived), carbomer, ascorbic acid (vit. C), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) oil*, Cymbopogon flexuosus (lemongrass) oil*, wildcrafted Nymphaea caerulea (blue lotus) absolute.
*Certified organic. Aloe certified by the International Aloe Science Council (IASC) for purity and content.

I typically use this at nighttime, for two reasons. One, it's a rich product so I prefer using it for deep treatment or when I feel my skin is especially dehydrated. I let it nourish my skin, with ingredients such as calendula petals (the inspiration behind this gorgeous picture), pracaxi oil (a skincare ingredient common with the Siam Seas Twilight BeCalm Serum) and Roman Chamomile oil. Lately, I've been loving chamomile so much in my skincare products. This isn't just a deeply hydrating moisturiser, it also works to repair the skin when used consistently.

Compared to Ambrosia Del Cerrado, it delivers deeper hydration. After applying it, you can see a dewiness on your skin, but don't mistake that for greasiness. Give it a few minutes and you'd see that it absorbs beautifully. Give your skin a touch and you will see that it feels soft and 'moist'. Having said that, if you do use a lot of it, it can make your skin look greasy; the trick is in listening to your skin and using the product accordingly. For instance, these days, I feel I don't need it much, so I literally use a pea size of it. Some nights, I skip it altogether.

The cream-gel format is encouraging for skin types like mine, which is oily-combination. Pure creams are too heavy while pure gels don't feel enough. But both Ambrosia Del Cerrado and Marigold Fields don't fall in those standard categories. One is more than a pure watery toner, while the other is much more bearable than a cream. 🙂

Have you tried these products? Let me know your experience with them in the comments below. Have a great day!