Drunk Elephant is a beloved brand by many people. There are Instagram pages dedicated to people who horde their products like the company is going out of business. This year I tried six mini-sized products of theirs and tested them for about two months.
First, I love the packaging of their full-size products. Their packaging is colorful and pretty. And, their products are protected by the air and UV light.
A Clean Beauty Brand
Clean beauty has become very popular over the last few years. But there is no one size fits all when it comes to clean beauty. Some brands that call themselves clean beauty may consider some ingredients “bad”. While other brands who call themselves, clean beauty might not consider some ingredients to be harmful to the skin.
Drunk Elephant classifies itself as a clean beauty brand. They don’t use many ingredients that most people in the beauty world consider bad which include: essential oils, silicones, drying alcohols, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes, and SLS’s( which are Sodium laureath sulfates). It is important to know that it was first developed for sensitive skin people. So, for all brands, there are going to be products you love and products that didn’t work for your skin type.
For reference, my skin type would be: normal to dry and acne-prone. I use tretinoin on alternating nights which has made my face turn to a more dry face type. And, while I never had heavy acne, I do get blemishes/whiteheads/blackheads.
Review of Drunk Elephant Products
My Favorites
1. Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Cream
What is it: A protein moisturizer with a concentration of actives for improvement in the appearance of skin’s tone, texture, and firmness. It helps build a strong skin barrier.
How to use: You can apply it in the morning or night
Texture: Gel
Key Ingredients/Benefits: According to their website the key ingredients are…
-9 Signal Peptide Complex ( growth factors)-plumps skin, binds moisture to the skin
-Pygmy Waterlily Stem Cell Extract – an antioxidant, very moisturizing
-Soybean Folic Acid Ferment Extract – a vitamin B that helps with anti-aging
My experience: One of the first products I tried of theirs was this cream. I think it sinks in beautifully. And, that it works great under makeup. I often use it before or after I put on my tretinoin. I am not sure I see any real changes in my skin when I apply this cream. But, I see it as a vitamin for the skin that will help in the long run. And, it does make my skin feel hydrated without leaving a heavy feeling on my skin. Would I buy a full-size?: Yes
2. Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser
What is it: It is a cleansing balm that melts all traces of dirt, makeup and sunscreen from skin. Gentle enough to be used around the eye area, it quickly transforms from oil to milk upon contact with water.
How to use: On dry skin, use dry fingertips to massage over face and eyes. Add water to activate, rinse well with warm water and pat dry.
Texture: Solid buttery formula that melts when you warm it up on your skin
Key Ingredients/Benefits: According to their website the key ingredients are…
- nourishing fruit salad blend: a mix of non-fragrant soothing fruit extracts (blueberry, kiwi and strawberry) and replenishing fruit oils (cranberry seed oil, acai fruit oil and watermelon seed oil) that helps comfort + moisturize skin.
- marula seed oil: a moisturizing oil, high in antioxidants and omegas 6 and 9., that preserves and nourishes your skin while restoring its youthful glow.
- baobob seed oil: super-penetrating oil that intensely softens and helps dissolve makeup with its high fatty acid content and deep moisturizing properties.
- kalahari melon seed oil: lightweight oil that soothes while moisturizing and restoring elasticity.
- mongongo oil: has a fatty acid profile as rich as coconut oil that protects the vital lipids in skin as it melts dirt and other impurities from skin.
- ximenia oil: rich in vitamin c and is very nourishing and moisturizing.
My experience: I don’t wear very heavy makeup. My base makeup usually consists of tinted moisturizers or sheer/lightweight foundations. I thought it melted into a nice oily texture once I worked it into my skin. It feels super gentle on my skin and doesn’t leave any residue behind. I didn’t have any kind of bad reaction after I use this cleaner. And, most importantly after using it my face feels hydrated. For removing my makeup I follow a two-step method, so I use another cleanser after this one. But, it does the job of melting all my makeup and does a nice job at removing any heavy eye makeup. So, I am a fan. Would I buy a full-size?: Yes
Products I Thought Did A Nice Job, but didn’t love.
3. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Day Serum
What is it: A super-potent vitamin C day serum packed with a powerful antioxidant complex, essential nutrients, fruit enzymes, and a chronopeptide that mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D, all working together to firm and brighten the appearance of skin, while improving the signs of photoaging.
How to use: In the morning, apply evenly to clean, dry face, neck, chest, and backs of hands.
Texture: A thick gel
Key Ingredients/Benefits: According to their website..
It is a potent antioxidant complex ( 15% l-ascorbic acid plus ferulic acid and vitamin E): firms and brightens the look and feel of skin while minimizing the signs of photoaging from pollution and other environmental stressors. Below is the list of main ingredients
- chronocyclin: a chronopeptide that mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D for more youthful-looking skin.
- pumpkin ferment and pomegranate extract: work together to enzymatically dissolve dead surface skin cells, minimizing the appearance of pores.
- vitis vinifera (grape juice): potent antioxidant that aids in improving skin tone.
- indian gooseberry: an antioxidant-rich super-fruit that helps slow signs of oxidative stress while promoting firmness.
- sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer: has a smaller molecular weight than hyaluronic acid and is able to deeply penetrate skin, delivering excellent hydration and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while promoting firmness.
My experience: So, for me, I felt this serum was effective at fading acne spots( newer ones) within two weeks. I loved the ingredients in the serum and loved that it is a 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Vitamin C which is the most effective type of vitamin to use. But, for me, it felt very thick and a bit tacky on my skin. It looks too shiny on my face, and it didn’t work well under makeup. I think it felt better on my skin when I mixed it with their B-Hydra serum. But, I don’t want to have to use two products together for it to work better for my skin. For a vitamin-c serum, I prefer one that has light water-like consistency that absorbs into the skin quickly. So, while I think this is effective I don’t think it is something I would use all the time on a daily bases and just prefer different formulas of vitamin c’s.
Would I buy a full-size?: No
4. Drunk ElphantB-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum
What is it: It is an ultra-hydrating vitamin B5 serum replenishes nutrients while delivering hydration throughout the day to improve the look of skin texture and tone
How to use: On Drunk Elephant’s website they mention to apply it directly onto your skin. But, they advise to mix it in with a vitamin C.
Texture/Smell: Gel
Key Ingredients/Benefits:
-Pro-vitamin B5: Hydrates and helps to improve the skin’s barrier function.
-Pineapple Ceramide: Helps boost luminosity and improve the appearance of skin texture and tone.
-Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer: Hydrates to help reduce the appearance of fine lines; promotes firmness.
-Watermelon Rind, Apple, and Lentil Complex: Provides hydration, improves moisture retention, and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
My experience: When I first tried this I thought it was a moisturizer type product. But, it is not. By itself, it is not hydrating at all for my dry skin. But, I liked it better when I applied it on my skin and then applied the Protini Cream on top. My skin felt extra moisturized when I applied both the B-Hydra Gel and the Protini Cream. Again, for me, I don’t like having to mix products for it to be effective. I would much rather prefer using a pure hyaluronic serum that skins in super-fast and feels very hydrating. It’s not a bad product, but not a formula that works great for my dry skin.
Would I buy a full-size?: No
5. Drunk Elephant C-Tango™ Multivitamin Eye Cream
What is it: A rich and restorative eye cream featuring a brightening combination of eight peptides, five forms of vitamin C, and cucumber extract for firmer, stronger-looking skin around the eye area.
How to use: Pat around the eye with the ring finger
Texture: Light cream
Key Ingredients/Benefits:
-Power Five C Vitamin Complex: Five forms of vitamin C work together to brighten uneven tone and firm; when paired with peptides and antioxidants like vitamin E and superoxide dismutase, it offers unparalleled defense against damaging UV rays, pollution, and other free radicals.
-Peptide Blend: Eight peptides with the power to rebuild, strengthen, and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
-Cucumber: Antioxidant-rich, non-sensitizing plant extract.
-Ubiquinone: A vital antioxidant that decreases with age, and has been shown to reduce the depth of fine lines and wrinkles.
My experience: I used the mini of this for over 2 months, and I saw no real difference in dark circles or the teeny fine lines I have so far. But, for me, it was super hydrating and worked great under makeup. It has a great creamy texture that is lightly whipped but hydrating enough. I think of it as a vitamin for under my eyes and a product for anti-aging. I didn’t have any irritation from using it.
Would I buy a full-size?: Yes
What Didn’t Work For My Skin At All
6. Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser
What is it: A jelly cleanser that removes all traces of makeup, excess oil, pollution, and any other grime from the day.
How to use: Massage onto wet or dry skin, and add water to later
Texture: Gel
Key Ingredients/Benefits:
- mild surfactant blend: a stack of mild cleansing agents, including coconut-based surfactants rich in fatty acids, that work together to create a gentle lather that effectively dissolves even stubborn makeup, sunscreen and oils while supporting the healthy barrier of the skin.
- virgin marula oil: high in critical antioxidants and omegas 6 and 9, this nourishing oil boosts the cleansing and makeup-removal power.
- glycerin: a skin-identical humectant, helps replenish hydration levels that are normally lost in skin during the cleansing process.
- cantaloupe fruit extract: rich in antioxidants, helps soothe and hydrate.
My experience: I loved so many things about this cleanser. I loved the gel feel of it and it didn’t leave my skin feeling dry. It didn’t do a good job of taking off my makeup, so I used it as the second step in taking off my makeup after using a cleansing balm or oil. But, when I used it I got whiteheads/blackheads that I am 80% sure it was because of this cleanser. I used this for different periods on and off. And, I noticed whenever I used it for a few days I got blackheads/whiteheads. So, I am not 100% sure if it was from this product and decided to stop using it. Overall, I don’t think it’s a super amazing cleanser or more unique than others I have tried. On a positive side, other friends who used this had no negative reactions like I had from using it. But, maybe it didn’t work for me because I am acne-prone.
Would I buy a full-size?: No
