The Top Essentials
Does the popular, ?clean beauty? brand live up to the hype? Here?s a candid review on Drunk Elephant.
There?s no denying that Drunk Elephant is one of the hottest skincare brands around. How could someone not love a brand that uses cleaner, more natural ingredients that are great for your skin?
If you?re into beauty and skincare and have only just heard of Drunk Elephant, then you need to read this review right now! I?ve put together a quick guide on the products I?ve personally used and will be letting you know which ones are worth getting.
Before we go on, I wanted to let you know that this is a completely honest review and it is not sponsored in any way.
Background of Drunk Elephant
Tiffany Masterson founded the Drunk Elephant brand, and the brand name is based on a myth that says that elephants love to eat fruit that has fallen from the Marula trees. This fruit ferments while being digested and the elephants then become drunk!
Masterson was inspired to start Drunk Elephant after selling imported soap online to make some extra money during a recession in the economy. She eventually concluded that there were six ingredients, also known as ?the suspicious six? that are at the root of every skincare issue.
The knowledge of this spurred Masterson to create a skincare brand with all their ingredients cruelty-free, fragrance-free and as natural as possible!
Here are the ?the suspicious six? ingredients which are NOT included in any Drunk Elephant products:
- Essential oils
- Drying alcohols
- Silicones
- Chemical sunscreens
- Fragrances and dyes
- Sulfates
Another thing that Drunk Elephant?s Masterson states is that she doesn?t believe in skin types and that her brand is for anyone; oily skin, combination skin and dry skin. If you want to read more about this follow this link here.
Individual Product Reviews
?The Littles? Drunk Elephant Set
I started using Drunk Elephant with a nifty little start-type pack which they call ?The Littles?. I will go through each one in more detail later on, but this set is excellent for identifying which of their products (if not all!), really work for you. It?s also great for going travelling with as they come in handy travel size containers.
This set contains:
-30ml Beste? ?9 Jelly Cleanser
-8ml C-Firma? Day Serum
-8ml B-Hydra? Intensive Hydration Serum
-8ml T.L.C. Framboos? Glycolic Night Serum
-8ml Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil
-NEW! 15ml Protini? Polypeptide Cream
-NEW! 15ml Umbra Tinte? Physical Daily Defense SPF 30
-NEW! 5ml C-Tango? Multivitamin Eye Cream
-NEW! Bright Aqua Waterproof Travel Bag
This is a great choice to try out a range of their most popular products before you buy the larger bottle-sized options.
B-Hydra? Intensive Hydration Serum
As Drunk Elephant describes it, B-Hydra? is ?a cool drink of water for your thirsty skin?. It?s a hydrating serum that can be used with any other Drunk Elephant product.
Once in the morning and once in the night, I use this twice a day. I usually do it immediately after cleansing and washing my face. I often mix with other Drunk Elephant products such as C-Firma Day Serum and D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Serum (during the day), and T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum and Lala Retro Whipped Cream (for night).
- Formulated with pro-vitamin B5 and pineapple ceramide.
- Lightweight gel-type texture
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- pH 5.7 which is ideal for all skin types
- Helps with the look of skin tone and texture
- Keeps skin hydrated all day and all night.
In my experience, I have not experienced any breakouts from using this whatsoever. The serum dries quickly to a matte finish with no residue. This product is super versatile, and I use this religiously as part of my day and night routine. In my opinion, this is a must-have!
My rating: 9/10
C-Firma? Day Serum
The C-Firma? Day Serum is full of vitamin C which is great for your skin?s natural regeneration process which helps repair damaged skin cells.
As part of my morning routine, I use this along with B-hydra to give my skin
- It has a translucent amber colour
- The serum has a very distinct smell, which is a bit coppery, but it?s not overpowering and the scent fades quite quickly.
- Jam-packed with antioxidants including L-ascorbic acid, ferulic acid and vitamin E.
- Has acidic properties with pH 3.3, which helps the L-ascorbic acid penetrate further.
- Contains a high amount of marula oil
- Some acne-prone skin users have reported that it has made them breakout due to the high concentration of marula oil, but I have acne-prone skin and have not experienced this at all.
I personally use this on a daily basis and have noticed my skin looking smoother during the day. I?ve also noticed that some freckles and dark spots on my face lightened after using this for 6 months. It?s a great option if you?re looking to get rid of any scarring from eczema or zits!
Rating: 7.5/10
Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil
Coming straight from the ?pip? of the marula fruit, this luxury facial oil significantly brightens and gives you that youthful glow that everyone wants. I have oily / combination skin type, but this works great for me. I feel like it balances out the oils in my face so that it reduces the natural oil production.
- Contains 100% unrefined marula oil
- Although I have an oily /combination skin type, it surprisingly works well for me, which I wasn?t expecting.
- Reports have suggested that the best results have come from those who have dry skin types.
- Works great when mixed with other Drunk Elephant products as when used with other serums or creams, the moisture gets trapped and sinks into the skin further.
- If you have acne-prone skin, this might not be for you because it is a heavier-weight oil that can clog up pores.
- It comes in two sizes, 15ml and 30ml
It works wonders for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines and keeps my skin looking healthy and ?elastic?. A lot of the Drunk Elephant products contain marula oil, but having a product that?s untouched by any chemical or fragrance and remains in its purest form is fantastic for the skin.
Rating: 9/10
C-Tango? Multivitamin Eye Cream
According to Drunk Elephant, the C-Tango? is ?a dance of potent antioxidants, replenishing ceramides, plant oils and soothing actives all designed to refresh and restore radiant appearance. And for me, it did exactly that.
- Creamy, yellowish texture
- Contains 5 types of vitamin C: sodium ascorbyl phosphate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl glucoside, ascorbyl palmitate and tetrahexydecyl ascorbate.
- Highly moisturizing due to the plant oils glycerin
- Does a decent job brightening skin and dark circles
- Not too heavy like other eye creams I?ve used before
Initially, I started using this just around the eye area but found that it also worked quite well when applied all over the face. I bought this in hopes of getting rid of dark circles and wrinkles under the eye, and I did see a change, just not as big as I?d hoped. But some of my friends swear by this and say that they?ve seen drastic changes.
Rating 7.5/10
T.L.C. Framboos? Glycolic Night Serum
A high-tech gel serum that refines and resurfaces skin by gently removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.
- AHA/BHA night serum
- Has a pH of 3.8 which is similar to other acid-based exfoliants
- The T.L.C. also has a small amount of salicylic acid which helps further with exfoliation and aids with unclogging pores
- Translucent gel appearance and texture
- If you have sensitive skin, I recommend to start by using it once every two nights until your skin gets used to it
- Great for keeping a bright, radiant complexion and allowing for new skin cells to come through.
I use this as part of my night routine before I sleep, and I notice my skin is silky smooth after I wake up. This works exceptionally well for me, and I have seen a massive improvement in my complexion (more even and radiant). T.L.C acts as an overnight gentle exfoliation for your face without all the dryness and sensitivity.
Rating: 9.5/10
A-Passioni Retinol Cream
Contains 1% of high concentration of retinol which is great for diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage etc. This retinol cream acts as a great anti-ageing product.
- I experience amazing results with this but be careful when first using as retinol is known to dry out and be harsh on the skin.
- If you find it irritating on your skin, then use moderately, if at all.
- I did find that around my eyes became sensitive but after using it a few times, my skin got used to it.
- A nice bonus is that it contains three different types of peptides that help with skin firming
- No breakout using this.
- 100% free of essential oils
- Contains antioxidants such as packed kale, winter cherry and xanthophylls which keeps skin looking stress-free and also protects it from blue-light rays.
Personal Use: Once my skin was used to it, I use once every day as part of my night routine (mixed in with other DE products). Mixing it with the B-hydra to give my skin extra moisture works well for me. I skin feels rejuvenated in the morning after I wake up.
Overall Rating: 8/10
T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
Saving one of my favorites till last. Drunk Elephant?s babyfacial really blew me away.
- Brown liquid-like gel
- Essentially a face mask that gently exfoliates the pore lining and gets rid of dead skin cells
- Rejuvenates dull-dull looking skin with its 25% mix of lactic and citric acids, glycolic and tartaric.
- Contains salicylic acid which aids unclogging of pores.
- 3?4 pumps per usage (once per week)
- Can be too harsh if you have sensitive skin as it has a high acid concentration.
Personal Use: It?s recommended that it be used with some marula oil, and this is also how I use it. This is acts as a deep cleaning that gives you the benefits of brighter, smoother complexion, texture and tone to your face. Not to mention, your skin feels so smooth afterwards. The Babyfacial works amazingly for me!
Overall rating: 9.5/10
Conclusion
If you?ve been trying every product under the sun and you?re not happy with the results you are seeing, I would give Drunk Elephant a try. Not all their products worked fantastically for me, but some of them worked amazingly well like the Babyfacial and B-hydra.
If you?re anything like me, you?ve almost given up hope in finding a brand/product that works for you. This is precisely how I felt before I discovered Drunk Elephant. I don?t use anything else for skincare anymore.
I used to have acne-prone skin and would always be trying any new product that came out to try and eliminate the skin problems I was facing. Having used Drunk Elephant products solely for around 8?9 months now, I can say my skin is looking significantly healthier, and acne breakouts are a thing of the past. My skin looks clean, healthy and revitalized, and those dark circles I have under my eyes are almost gone!
One downside to Drunk Elephant is that it is on the pricey side and it might not be the best if you have really sensitive skin. If you?re worried about it not working, I recommend trying their ?The Littles? set so you can try a wide range of their products to find what works best for you!
I would recommend trying Drunk Elephant products on their own (meaning just Drunk Elephant products) and not mixing with other products to see that maximum effects and whether it works for you.
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