When it comes to quality skincare, luxury has no limit — at least in our opinion. That’s why we jumped at the chance to bring the Pursuitist Q&A to Ute Leube, founder of cult favorite luxury brand Amala, used at fine hotels and resorts like Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental worldwide.
Amala, which translates to names like “most pure” in Sanskrit and “love her” in Spanish, literally was inspired by what Leube saw as an unmet market need for a “truly natural skincare line … that would deliver results using only the finest, most beneficial plant ingredients.” Today, each and every product is made only with authentic all-natural products. “We know that a healthy body naturally looks its most vibrant and beautiful. This inspires us and is at the heart of our vision for Amala,” says Leube.
We can safely say that the products work – after just an hour in a a session with Lori over at the Four Seasons in Washington, DC, we emerged glowing and dewy, with a radiance that lasted for several days and no lasting red marks or nasty post-facial breakouts.
We asked Leube a few more details about her product to get the skinny on why “going green” with your skincare might just be the next big thing:
One of the things that sets your brand apart is the “whole plant” process used in your products. Can you describe what this is, exactly, and how it is different than what other brands in the space are doing?
We formulate our products with ingredients that are as close to nature as possible. One of our guiding principles is that the highest quality ingredients will deliver the highest skin efficacy. We leave our plant essences in their original format, as found in nature. It is scientifically possible to break down plant extracts into the individual elements of their composition. Our approach, however, is to utilize the full plant ingredient in its natural and whole composition to provide skin benefits. When we want to include Vitamin C in our formulas, we utilize plant ingredients that are very rich in Vitamin C—not isolated Vitamin C. We do so because we firmly believe that the highest quality ingredients in their most natural state will deliver the strongest skin benefits.
Your products are sourced worldwide, and you travel extensively to visit your partner farms and network partners. What skincare habits from around the world would we be wise to adopt?
Germany (where Amala is created) is known as a place entrenched in herbal lore and natural healing. These natural practices inspire Amala. When we started with organic farming 30 years ago, people wondered what we were doing, why we were doing it, and did not think we could change the world. We recognized it was just one small first step, but that it was a necessary step. Today everybody wants to have organic products. It is the best example of how a small change can make a big difference. One skin care habit that I find very effective is the Asian tendency to layer a number of different products on the skin during the skin care ritual. Amala’s products work beautifully together. I think it is important to layer products for optimal efficacy.
So many of today’s spa treatments are what we call “results based” … and many spa-goers tend to equate “results based” with chemicals and “medical grade” ingredients. What would be your argument for using a plant-based product in a world where ingredients can be chemically manipulated to deliver a certain result?
The skin fully recognizes all the plant actives in Amala products as the nutritive building blocks of its own structure – so the skin’s ability to strengthen and repair itself is greatly enhanced. The alternative – processed, isolated plant ingredients, or synthetic chemicals – can provide a superficial, fleeting smoothing effect, but goes largely unrecognized by the body and ultimately distracts the skin from its vital repair activities. Our products work with the skin, not against it, to deliver healthy, authentic, lasting results from the inside out. Nature is extremely powerful; we parlay this power into our products.
What’s the best innovation in skincare you’ve seen recently, from your brand or others?
Our best international selling product line is our anti-aging collection – The Rejuvenate Collection, and our best selling product is the Rejuvenate Advanced Firming Complex. This product really stands out because it is our most advanced anti-aging product to date and the first Amala product with seven day clinical trial results. I love it for its instant smoothing benefits and ultra-luxe texture. It is hydrating without being overly heavy. I am also tremendously proud of our new Brighten collection. The laboratory in Germany that performs our third party clinical studies was really impressed with the results of these radiance-boosting products in 8 weeks. The lab said our results were even better than those they had seen from chemically-based brands, and this in itself is at the heart of Amala’s mission: to provide authentically pure, high-performance alternatives to conventional skin care products.
What is your daily skincare routine?
I can’t live without the Rejuvenate Advanced Firming Complex, Soothing Lip Salve and Hydrating Yogurt Mask. They come with me wherever I go.