Amber Hawthorne, founder of Bambu Earth, believes that your beauty can’t be increased by skin care, makeup, clothes, or a new hairstyle because it’s innate, it’s inherent, it’s in your soul, not on your body. She started Bambu Earth as a platform to remind you that you are beautiful, no matter what.
Amber got started in the skin care industry when she decided to formulate her own soap from scratch so she could know exactly what was in her soap and where the ingredients came from.
OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
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1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
- | Bambu Earth |
When Amber started formulating more products for the Bambu Earth collection, she set the standard that the ingredients must not only be natural and organic, but also ethically sourced, sustainable, and fair-trade. The brand sources locally wherever possible, and they get their shea butter from a women’s cooperative in Ghana that supports local communities. Bambu Earth takes things a step further with reusable glass packaging, and their soaps are wrapped in seeded paper that grows wildflowers. In this review, we’ll discuss the brand’s best selling products, key ingredients, Bambu Earth reviews from real customers, and more.
What Are The Best Selling Bambu Earth Skin Care Products?
Bambu Earth skin care products include cleansers, cleansing oils, toners, mists, masks, serums, moisturizer, lip care, body care, and more. Below we’ll give you the details on the top five best selling Bambu Earth skin care products.
Intense Hydration Cactus Concentrate
The best selling Bambu Earth skin care product is the Intense Hydration Cactus Concentrate, a waterless pressed serum and fast-absorbing moisturizer in one. It is said to provide a plump, dewy glow for all skin types, while also bringing harmony to problematic, hormonal skin.
ALTERNATIVES: If you are concerned about aging around the eyes , one product we recommend is Carrot & Stick The Eye Cream.
Rosemary Toner
This Bambu Earth toner is said to restore your skin’s acid mantle (protective oil barrier) by balancing its pH level. It has an astringent, slightly tightening and firming feel with a cool finish. The Rosemary Toner is recommended for all skin types.
Petitgrain Moisturizer
Bambu Earth Petitgrain Moisturizer is a waterless moisturizer that is said to deeply hydrate, improve complexion, and balance your skin’s sebum (oil) production. It is rich and silky, with a slightly whipped texture. Bambu Earth Petitgrain Moisturizer can be used by all skin types.
ALTERNATIVES: Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer. It’s overflowing with potent plant proteins, vitamins, peptides and amino-collagen.
Activated Charcoal Cleansing Oil
This Bambu Earth cleansing oil was formulated specifically to cleanse stubborn clogged pores and cystic acne prone skin. The formula consists of seed oils, activated charcoal, and a lot of essential oils. As you’ll learn in the next section, essential oils may smell nice but they aren’t doing your skin any favors. The brand says that this product is not suitable for skin sensitive to menthol essential oils.
Everything Balm
The final best selling Bambu Earth skin care product we’d like to introduce is the Everything Balm. This balm is said to form a protective, breathable barrier and gently moisturizes, calms and soothes dry, irritated, itchy or inflamed skin.
What Are The Key Ingredients in Bambu Earth Skin Care?
We really like that the Bambu Earth skin care products have simple formulations, for example, some products contain just four ingredients. The products contain high concentrations of active ingredients and aren’t filled with unnecessary additives. Let’s take a closer look at the key ingredients you’ll find in the best selling Bambu Earth skin care products we introduced above.
The key ingredient in Bambu Earth Cactus Concentrate is prickly pear seed oil. Prickly pear seed oil contains a high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) linoleic acid. Unfortunately, PUFAs are very unstable and prone to oxidation, which means they easily go rancid and can lead to the generation of free radicals that can damage our cells and lead to signs of aging.
Bambu Earth Rosemary Toner only contains four ingredients: lavender hydrosol, organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, organic alcohol-free witch hazel, and rosemary essential oil. Unfortunately, all of these ingredients have the potential to cause skin irritation.
For example, apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which can irritate and dry out the skin. In fact, according to a publication in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, acetic acid can actually burn skin!
While the witch hazel in the Bambu Earth toner is alcohol-free, it still contains tannins. Tannins work by cross-linking with keratin proteins, creating an invisible film that can temporarily degrease skin, tighten and tone skin, and minimize the appearance of enlarged pores. However, it should be noted that tannins can cause irritation and sensitization reactions with some people.
The Bambu Earth Petitgrain Moisturizer is another product that only contains four ingredients: organic raw fair trade shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and petitgrain essential oil. The first three ingredients work well as emollients that can help the skin to stay moisturized and soft. However, petitgrain essential oil is a fragrant essential oil that may cause skin irritation.
As the name implies, one of the key ingredients you’ll find in the Bambu Earth Activated Charcoal Cleansing Oil is activated charcoal. Activated charcoal works by trapping toxins and impurities in its millions of tiny pores. Rather than absorbing the toxins, however, activated charcoal works through adsorption (the chemical reaction where elements bind to a surface). Thus, activated charcoal helps to purify and detox the skin.
Bambu Earth Everything Balm includes organic extra virgin olive oil as the key ingredient. Olive oil contains a high concentration of the omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid. Oleic acid primarily functions as a penetration enhancer by disturbing the skin barrier.
This is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, using oils high in oleic acid can help other beneficial ingredients penetrate into the skin. Plus, it is quickly absorbed and leaves no greasy feeling. Additional ingredients in the Bambu Earth Everything Balm include chamomile flower, lavender flower, calendula flower, comfrey root, and beeswax.
Even though Bambu Earth skin care products do not contain synthetic fragrance blends, they do contain fragrant essential oils, which can be a problem. All fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin. In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal Dermatitis, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy.
Even if you don’t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.
Overall, Bambu Earth lacks tried-and-true active ingredients like vitamin C and retinol. If you’ve tried Bambu Earth products and haven’t seen results, you may want to consider products that combine innovative science with tried-and-true active ingredients. One brand we recommend is Carrot & Stick.
Where are Bambu Earth Skin Care Products Sold?
Bambu Earth skin care products are sold on the brand’s website.
What is The Bambu Earth Return Policy?
The Bambu Earth return policy states, “If for any reason you aren’t satisfied with your purchase, you can return any item within 30 days for a full refund (not including shipping). If you have any questions about if these products are right for you, please see our section about how they work or feel free to send us an email, we are happy to help. We stand behind the efficacy of our products, so please reach out if you have questions before purchasing.”
Is Bambu Earth Cruelty Free?
Bambu Earth is cruelty free.
What Are Some Alternatives to Bambu Earth Skin Care?
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that’s effective and safe.
If you’re looking for effective skincare products that skip harmful toxins, one brand we recommend is Carrot & Stick.
Carrot & Stick is committed to creating plant-derived formulas that deliver extraordinary results without relying on toxic chemicals or standard preservatives.
References:
1. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2015 Jun; 8(6): 50.
2. de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197