Amber Powder, a Skin Care Ingredient? Composition and Cosmetic Application of Amber Powder

What is Amber Powder?

Amber powder is finely ground amber with particle sizes varying from several microns to dozens of microns. It can be obtained by grinding larger fractions of amber crumbs or as a by-product resulting from amber polishing. Grinding and polishing are among the most common methods used to process natural amber, because they allow to make use of small amber fractions with a particle size under one centimetre.

These small amber particles are the most widespread in the amber extraction industry, representing up to 90% of the total extraction volume. Yet they are the least sought after by craftsmen and jewellers who prefer larger particles. However, finely grinded amber powder may find application in cosmetic industry due to its mild effect on the skin. Amber powder has a characteristic tarry aroma; its colour varies from light beige to rich yellow, depending on the type of amber used to produce it.

Amber Powder Composition

The composition of amber powder is identical to that of raw amber. It includes dozens of various organic compounds, terpenes and their derivatives in particular. Terpenes are organic compounds that are part of resins and balms. Their presence in amber is natural, since it is a fossil resin formed by ancient conifer trees of the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, hardened and petrified more than forty million years ago. Amber powder also includes organic acids and their derivatives (mostly those formed by succinic acid and abietic acid). Thus, ground amber is a complex and high molecular weight compound containing approximately 79% carbon, 10% hydrogen, and 10% oxygen; it may also include sulfur, nitrogen and mineral compounds.

Amber Powder as a Cosmetic Ingredient

Due to its natural origin and small particle sizes, amber powder can be used in cosmetics as a soft scrub suitable for delicate but effective mechanical skin peeling (exfoliation). It contributes to smoothing uneven skin texture, providing an overall rejuvenating effect. Amber powder has a slight mattifying effect on oily and mixed skin types, regulating the sebaceous glands activity.

Amber Powder in Rebis Exfoliators

Combining amber powder with other common scrub particles (coffee, sugar, sea salt, Himalayan salt etc.), as well as with vegetable and essential oils, plant extracts and other active components, we create scrubs’ and peels’ formulations with a varying exfoliating power and suitable for any skin type.

At rebis.club, amber powder is available in its pure form. It is also an ingredient used in our product lines for face and body. Rebis scrub soap with amber powder is suitable for daily use, providing a soft polishing effect. Amber powder also fits well in the formulations of our cosmetic masks and scrubs.

Our masks’ formulae drench skin with a perfect mix of amber powder, coenzyme Q10, plant extracts, pure vegetable and essential oils and active ingredients that address specific concerns of different skin types. Our coffee scrubs contain Arabica and Robusta coffee grinds, nourishing vegetable oils, plant extracts, pink Himalayan salt and amber powder. Our scrubs softly exfoliate skin, lifting away dull skin cells to reveal a radiant, silky-soft, glowy complexion. Formulated with a delicious blend of essential oils, Rebis’ polishes are easy to rinse off.

© Rebis – Natural Cosmetics from Russia

Kaliningrad, Russia, January 2020