When Markos Lambros was 18, he gave a speech about his family’s skincare line.  “I took a spoon and ate the cream during the presentation,” he recalls.  The line, originally developed in the ‘70s, has been recently re-launched as Sponge, all olive-oil-based products made in Greece with the purest ingredients. 

“We’ve been harvesting from the same area outside Athens for years and know exactly what the environment is like.  So, we have total control from beginning to end,” says Lambros.  It all started when his OBGYN uncle developed a product to help circulation in pregnant women’s legs.  Since then, the line has expanded to include a day cream, avocado oil, and jasmine aromatherapy mist.  “We haven’t changed much as far as the methodology is concerned,” says Lambros.  Though he wouldn’t recommend eating the cream as way of testing its pureness, he does say, “People have to just use it and then talk to me.”

So, we decided to road-test the original leg cream, Jambes Lourdes ($110), on expectant mother Jade Berreau.  Berreau is the perfect tester:  Not only is she 7 months pregnant, she’s a freelance photo editor at the big beauty magazine Allure.  After leaving Berreau with the cream for a week, we sat down at Brown on Hester Street to talk reactions over mac-and-cheese and apple tarts. 

What about your lifestyle made trying this cream especially appealing?
With my job I do a lot of sitting.   And I never really have time to get massages. 

And, did it work?
First, it’s super-moisturizing.  When you’re pregnant you get extra-dry skin, among other weird things that happen to your body. 

Like what?
You don’t want to know.  That’s another story.  But when I put this cream on, it tingles right away.  Like a good, cooling tingle.  

Does it absorb?
It has been really humid lately so it’s hard to tell.  But, regardless, I like the extra moisture.  I noticed that, as I’ve been getting more pregnant, I’ve been getting blotchy on my legs; and with this cream by the end of the day it’s not there and the tone is better. 

Does it take the cellulite away?
I don’t have cellulite!  Maybe a little… 

Working at Allure you must come across tons of beauty products.
Tons.  And I get frustrated with about 99% of them.  It’s all about the packaging or the superficial stuff that gets in the way of a good product.  I don’t have patience for that.  I need something that works. 

I was just talking with Markos about how pure and organic the line is.
Well that’s important because, being pregnant, I try to be as natural as possible.  I’m avoiding a lot more things as far as chemicals are concerned.  When you think about it, the skin is your biggest organ and you absorb so many chemicals through it. 

Can you tell from the texture of the cream how pure it is?
Yes, it doesn’t smell perfume-y. It smells natural. 

A lot of non-pregnant women also use this product to tighten and refresh their face and neck, so I decided to give it a shot. It made the tone of my skin more even and look rested.  I think it has even taken away some of my freckles.
Your skin looks really good. 

Thanks.  The cream feels really nice...
And the color’s weird! 

I know.  Markos was saying that the color sometimes puts people off, but it’s because they don’t add color-neutralizing chemicals, like most other products do… 
When I see a product that does have a weird color or smell, something we’re not used to, I think that it’s usually the most natural thing. They’re not trying to cover up anything with chemicals.  So I like its weird color.

~Sara Costello