
“I’m a woman with ambition on a mission,” Ciara tells me while sitting at the head of a long wooden table on the second floor at the 1 Hotel Central Park in New York. I believe her. Her ambition at a young age propelled her into becoming a multi-talented R&B vocalist. She's a woman about her business.
Ambition aside, her latest mission is just as powerful: to inspire women to be their best selves and become everything they intended to be. Her first step? Launching a clinical skincare brand aptly named OAM (On a Mission) by Ciara, to give women the tools they need for healthy skin. Unlike other celebrity brands that give lip service, Ciara has clinicals to prove that OAM offers long term skincare success. “There was thoughtfulness in every product I created,” she stresses. “I have a clinical aspect to the line because I want true transformation for the skin. OAM isn’t surface level. Surface level is not enough for longterm skincare success.”
During our chat, I noticed that Ciara’s skin is flawless. There’s not a pimple in sight, and she attributes this to constantly using the five products within the streamlined collection: a foaming cleanser, brightening pads, a vitamin C serum, an eye cream, and a moisturizer. She tells me every item was tested on the full range of the Fitzpatrick scale (a numerical classification system that measures the amount of melanin in the skin) to ensure that the line works on all skin tones. Her favorite product within the collection is the vitamin C serum that she claims “never leaves her skin feeling irritated.” The singer also admits it took 32 prototypes to get it right, but she finally nailed it.
Much of the effectiveness of the collection is attributed to the Tri- C Pro Peptide Complex, a blend of peptides and three potent forms of Vitamin C that's featured in every item. However, the Vitamin C Brightening Serum, features a controlled release delivery system of the peptide complex. It releases the varying forms of ascorbic acid into the skin at different rates, unique to the user’s natural enzymes. “I call the serum liquid gold to the face,” she says. “Because of the Tri-C Propeptide Complex, users get three 20 percent doses of vitamin C that’s released in micro doses throughout the day. So, it's not irritating to your skin.”
I’m a woman with ambition on a mission.
Another aspect she got right: Her advisory board team. When creating the line she collaborated with Rhode Island-based, board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Tiffany Libby; former Sally Beauty executive JC Johnson; cosmetic chemist Maha, and Yolonda Frederick, her best friend and makeup artist of over 20 years. And naturally, her husband Russell Wilson offers moral support. “He's been so supportive,” she says about her husband of six years. “He's just been amazing. He's actually let me do a couple of routine sessions on him, which has been really fun. He has been a part of this journey with me, and it's been so sweet. He's so proud.”
But above all, Ciara wants women to listen to their skin and follow a routine that is best for them. “Do your best to commit to leveling up your overall wellness in general, but as it relates to skin, listen to what your skin is telling you. Observe what your skin is showing you and react as quickly as possible.” And of course, stick to your mission, even if you haven't completely figured it out.
The collection is priced between $28-$62 and is available at oamskin.com.
Shop OAM Skincare
Deena Campbell is the Beauty Director of Marie Claire where she oversees beauty and health content on all platforms. Deena joined Marie Claire after a decade-long career as an editor in print and digital media. Before joining the brand, she managed editorial content for L’Oréal owned Makeup.com and Skincare.com. In 2015, she launched Essence.com’s hair channel where she received Time Inc.'s Henry R. Luce Award, shortly before joining Allure.com’s staff as Senior Beauty Editor. Along with her editorial positions, she also consulted on content and marketing strategies for beauty companies including DevaCurl and Dove, and has appeared at various speaking events and live television segments.
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