AM/PM is an editorial series where we talk to the founders of our beloved non-toxic brands. From the morning to night, we find out how they balance work with self-care.
I was born in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa and grew up in Paris, France, but I’ve been living in NY for the past 8 years. I co-founded the skincare brand EADEM over a year ago. EADEM is a skincare brand centering people of color and our needs for bare-skin confidence. Our products stand up for new standards of beauty and are uniquely formulated with Smart Melanin™ Technology: a first-of-its-kind technology, designed for -and tested on- skin of color. You can find our products online and at Sephora.
Marie Kouadio Amouzame, co-founder of EADEM
7:07 am: Waking up…
Mornings are always a bit chaotic at our house with two kids running around! I wake up at the same time as my two daughters, and cook everyone’s lunch before I pack up our eldest daughter for school. Once the kids are all prepped for the day, I have some time to myself before I dive into emails. I usually then make myself a cup of matcha, which helps me put my best foot forward. I then walk to the office, a couple of blocks away.
10:24 am: To nourish myself…
I love a good snack. I am obsessed with Trader Joe’s Kettle Corn, which has the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
1:20 pm: My favorite part of the job is…
Getting to try our final formulations together with the packaging.
3:45pm: To focus…
I’m actually really good at staying focused for the day and accomplishing a lot. I don’t need distractions, or breaks unless there’s a huge fire to take care of.
7:25pm: I feel most fulfilled when…
I get to play with my daughters and husband before bed. The best, cutest moments are when they do silly things and we all laugh together.
10:08pm: To recharge for the next day…
I try to do my evening routine at least 2 hours before going to bed, after showering. This way the actives actually have time to sit on my skin, versus my pillow.
First, I remove my makeup, SPF, and dirt with EADEM’s Dew Dream. Then I apply our Milk Marvel and Cloud Cushion. Some days I throw in some Retinol or an exfoliant. Since it’s winter right now, I take special care of my very dry legs: I mix a jar of Cetaphil with 1% hydrocortisone, 3 times per week. It works on my cracked heels too!