🇨🇦Canada

AMBI Cocoa Butter Cleansing Bar for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

AMBI Cocoa Butter Cleansing Bar

Low

  • AverageOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for oily acne-prone skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Suboptimal compatibility with your oily skin and acne concerns as the formula contains glycerin for hydration but lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target oiliness or prevent further breakouts.
  • The cleansing bar offers moderate benefits for acne, blemishes, and breakouts on oily skin due to the presence of glycerin for hydration, but lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target oiliness or prevent further breakouts.

How to apply

  • Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
  • Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
  • Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
  • Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.1Overall rating based on 600+ reviews

This cleansing bar is praised for its moisturizing capabilities, leaving skin soft and smooth, and producing a rich lather. Many users report improvements in skin tone. Some users with sensitive or oily skin have experienced irritation or breakouts, and there are concerns about recent formula changes.

Highlights

  • Deeply moisturizes skin Often Mentioned
    • “Softened my face and neck; the dryness is gone.”
    • “Gently moisturizes and softens dry skin.”
    • “Leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.”
  • Rich, creamy lather Often Mentioned
    • “Lathers up well; smooth and creamy feel.”
    • “Its creamy, rich lather gently washes away impurities.”
    • “It's nice, very foamy and cleansing.”
  • Affordable price point Sometimes Noted
    • “Extremely cheap at around three dollars.”
    • “A budget cocoa butter soap.”
    • “Affordable products that deliver proven results.”
  • Evens skin tone Sometimes Noted
    • “Helps visibly even skin tone.”
    • “I feel like it helps even out your skin tone.”
    • “Helps to fade dark spots.”
  • Formula changes Sometimes Noted
    • “Not what it used to be.”
    • “Go back to 5 years ago ingredients!”
    • “I wanted the old Ambi soap before the new one came out.”
  • Irritating for sensitive skin Rarely Noted
    • “Not recommended for sensitive skin.”
    • “Makes my face darker because it's burning my skin.”
    • “Fragrance-sensitive skin should note the fragrance.”
  • Misleading packaging/shipping Rarely Noted
    • “You do NOT get 6 bars of soap as advertised.”
    • “The only con is that this product does not come in a 6 pack as advertised.”
  • Too rich/oily Rarely Noted
    • “Too rich for oily skin.”
    • “May cause skin breakouts.”

Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, dollargeneral.com, youtube.com, dermapproved.com, reddit.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is Ambi Cocoa Butter Cleansing Bar a weak match for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleansing bar is a weak match because it contains glycerin for hydration but lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target oiliness or prevent further breakouts. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing and effective ingredients like Niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to balance oil production and maintain skin clarity without irritation.

Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleansing bar is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it contains heavy cocoa butter and lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid, niacinamide, ceramides, or probiotics to control excess oil and prevent breakouts. Cleansers that truly fit this skin type need soothing and balancing ingredients that target oiliness and keep pores clear without causing irritation.

What does Cocoa Butter do for oily acne-prone skin?

Cocoa butter is heavy and may clog pores on oily, acne-prone skin, leading to breakouts. Studies show it is unlikely to help with skin concerns like stretch marks, so this skin type needs lightweight, non-pore-clogging hydrators and ingredients that help clear blemishes.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2016BJOG, 2008

What does Glycerin do for oily acne-prone skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily acne-prone skin hydrated without feeling heavy. It draws moisture into the skin while supporting the skin barrier so it stays soft and balanced.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser goes into your morning and evening routine to wash your face, but it is a weak match because it lacks specialized ingredients to control oiliness and prevent breakouts. Oily acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with targeted ingredients that help clear excess oil and prevent blemishes.

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser with retinol, but because it is a weak match for oily acne-prone skin, it may not control excess oil or prevent breakouts well on its own. To care for this skin type properly, a cleanser needs specialized ingredients that target oiliness and help prevent further breakouts.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine, though it is a weak match for your oily acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to control oiliness or stop breakouts. Cleansers for this skin type need ingredients that target excess oil and help prevent blemishes.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This cleanser may not trigger major breakouts, but it is a weak match for oily skin because it lacks targeted ingredients to control oil and prevent blemishes. Cleansers for this skin type need balancing and clarifying ingredients like salicylic acid or niacinamide to thoroughly manage oil and keep pores clear.

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleansing bar works well for washing the body, but it is best to avoid the thin skin around the eyes to prevent irritation. For cleansing this delicate area, a product needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and a very mild formula that respects thin skin.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

  • Enzymatically interesterified fats based on mutton tallow and walnut oil produced emulsions that resulted in greater skin moisturization compared to non-interesterified fat and received positive sensory evaluations from 83 respondents.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2015

  • Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000

  • Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.

    Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011

  • Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.

    Toxicology in Vitro, 2006

Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone skin better

  • A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024

  • Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.

    International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021

  • A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

Ingredients

Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Titanium Dioxide, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Talc, Iron Oxides, Yellow 5, Ci 15510

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play