Ambassador Hairbrushes: Styles 5200 & 5560

Introduction

Ok, everyone—here’s today’s pop quiz. First question: how many of you reading this have on your dresser, bureau, vanity, drawer, or countertop a hideous PLASTIC brush? (C’mon, you can tell me—I have one, too. Mine’s Prell-green, and missing half its plastic bristles.) Second question: how many of you spend money willy-nilly on cosmetics, jewelry, clothes, fast food, movies, and weekend beer? (Ambassador 5530 pictured above).

Get the picture? How about spending a little on a truly great hairbrush that will not only make your hair look good and your scalp feel energized, but will actually look GOOD wherever you put it?

Ambassador hairbrushes ought to be part of anyone’s daily maintenance kit.

And get this—they are “environmentally smart”—they use no endangered woods, and even the boxes they come in are made from 100% recycled materials and soy-based inks.

All About the Brush

A good hairbrush (Ambassador 5535 pictured to the side) is a good investment and can last you for many years. These great brushes are made with natural boar bristles that are “sheared humanely from farm-raised animals”—do you love it? How much more politically correct can you get? The good thing about boar bristles (which by the way, have been used in brushes for centuries) is that they help distribute the hair’s natural oils from the scalp to the ends of the hair. Using the brush faithfully can help protect your hair from the elements that cause split ends and breakage. And even if you have short hair like mine, it’s a mini-vacation to feel those bristles massaging your scalp. Daily use makes the hair shinier as well.

The text on the back of the box even gives you instructions on the proper care of your hairbrush (my old plastic one is lucky to be dunked in ammonia once a month!). It is recommended that you wash the brush in cool water with a bit of your shampoo. Be careful—since the handle is made from wood, do not soak the brush! You can also condition the bristles by using Nature’s Alchemy essential oils of rosemary or lavender: put a dime-sized drop of oil in your palm, and rub the bristles with your palm. You can then brush your hair to get a quick conditioning and polish, not to mention making your hair smell heavenly!

How I Tested the Ambassador Hairbrushes, Styles 5200 & 5560

Since I’ve never owned a really nice wooden hairbrush before, I decided to try out two of the most popular styles, 5200 (shown to the side) and 5560. Style 5200 is made completely from boar bristles, and is good for medium to thin hair. My hair is very thick, so the bristles just sailed over the surface and couldn’t get a good grip. That’s ok—that’s why Ambassador sells different styles

Style 5560 (shown to the side) is especially made for thick hair. This is one of the “pneumatic” brushes, and is enforced with nylon quills. This is the one I preferred, because it really dug in and worked on my hair and scalp.

Additionally, the wooden handles are beautifully made, and are an easy fit in the hand. They are that special blend of form and function—pleasing to the eye, and effective to use.

Conclusion

As I said, I personally prefer style 5560 for my own type of hair. However, there are different styles and you can find one to suit your own hair.

And to be perfectly shallow, I absolutely LOVE the way this brush dresses up my whole bathroom!! It looked so nice in there that I felt moved to clean off the countertop, scrub the sink, toilet, and tub, shine the mirror, and throw out all my old cosmetics. I’ll admit that my old Prell-green plastic brush meant less work, but having a nice brush like this has made me a better person. Well, a person with a better-looking bathroom, anyway.

Jane’s Rating

On my own scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, I give Ambassador Hairbrushes a 9.5.

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