An Honest Drunk Elephant Skincare Review

Drunk Elephant is a brand I’ve shared a LOT on my blog and social media for the past few years, so I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to put together a comprehensive review of all of the skincare products I’ve tried from the line. Drunk Elephant gets a lot of buzz for its clean skincare products that are known for being “for all skin types” and highly effective. The founder of Drunk Elephant, Tiffany Masterson recommends you use several of the products together for optimal results, but this comes at a super steep price. If you buy the suite of skincare products, you’re looking at almost $1,000 worth of skincare products in one go!

I’ve been using Drunk Elephant products for several years now on and off, and have found that my skin definitely improves with regular use of specific products (tighter, smoother, softer, clearer). To be fully transparent, I have received free products from Drunk Elephant, but more often than not I actually repurchase my favorites on Sephora because I can’t get enough! Below is my honest review of the Drunk Elephant skincare products I’ve tried and which I think are worth your money.

An Honest Drunk Elephant Review

Personally, Drunk Elephant is one of my favorite skincare lines. I stand by the quality and effectiveness of most of the products I’ve used – but understand that due to the price point and differences in skin, they might not be for everyone! I will say that I know people with wildly different skin than my own, that use the same products and love them. If you’re on the fence, I always recommend getting a sample from Sephora (they’re amazing about this!) before committing. They also have tons of kits with smaller versions of the product (I love The Littles if you want to try a bunch of the products at once!) before you commit to the full size. They’re also perfect for travel, and my go-to whenever I’m on the go.

Drunk Elephant’s philosophy is that less is more and that only ingredients that actually benefit the health of your skin should be in the product itself. Also, all of their products are vegan and clean! Note that I’ve mostly tried their original skincare products, since the initial launch they have released more products that I haven’t tried (yet!).

Beste Jelly Cleanser 

This cleanser does MAJOR work! I have somewhat dry and sensitive skin, and I definitely feel like this cleanser strips my skin clean after washing my face, but in a good way? If that makes sense. I typically only use it if I have a lot of makeup to remove or after a very sweaty workout – it’s also great if I’m looking to double cleanse. If you have oilier or combination skin I think this cleanser would definitely be a major WIN. It’s a bit steep at $32 a bottle, so keep this in mind before purchasing.

C Firma Day Serum

I’ve written about this Vitamin C serum a LOT. If you’re not using a Vitamin C serum in your daytime skincare routine yet, read this post on why it’s a must for your skin. I’ve read some reviews online complaining that this particular formula can be a little sticky and oxidizes over time (the color goes from a clear serum to a darker orange – Drunk Elephant says this is natural and the shelf life is 6 months!). My personal experience has been to purchase the smaller travel size that comes with their moisturizing serum (which when you do the math ounce for ounce comes out to less than the full size).

This is one of my absolute favorite Vitamin C serums. $80 is a lot for the full size, but I still get about a month’s worth of use out of the smaller size because I only use this during the day. I like more potent Vitamin C serums, this one has 15% L-Ascorbic Acid as well as Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E. A comparable Vitamin C serum is another cult favorite, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, which is more than twice the price for the same size!

TLC Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum

It took a while to work up to using this product regularly (at first there was some slight irritation), but now I can use it 3-4x a week without a problem. I love skincare products that show instant gratification and work while I sleep, so naturally, I love this night serum. I apply this at night after cleansing and toning and then I wake up with smoother, softer skin. It’s honestly a win-win. The Drunk Elephant serums are expensive so I would recommend trying either C-Firma OR TLC Framboos at first if you’re uneasy about the price.

B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

For some reason this product doesn’t get as much love online, with some reviewers saying “it didn’t do much” for their skin. I beg to disagree!! I love combining this with C-Firma or TLC Framboos in the morning and evenings to give my skin an added moisture boost. It might just be because I have dry skin, but I love the daytime combination of the two serums together. I’ve even used this as a spot treatment on dry, flakey spots on my face in the past. If you don’t need the added hydration to your skin you can probably pass.

Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer

One of my favorite moisturizers ever. I love this moisturizer more than a lot of similar and higher-priced moisturizers. Peptide moisturizers do so much for your skin – peptides rebuild your skin and boost collagen production, so this moisturizer is ideal for a wide range of ages (I’ll continue to use this into my 30s!). It’s also super gentle and doesn’t cause any irritation at all. Drunk Elephant considers this like adding protein to your smoothie – this moisturizer is filled with good-for-your-skin proteins and nutrients. If you were to only get one product from Drunk Elephant, this is my recommendation! (And a lot more affordable than some of the serums and masks). A jar lasts me a few months, and I use this moisturizer during the day and night.

Virgin Marula Face Oil

I LOVE this facial oil, but admittedly it is very pricey. If you’re not constrained by budget, this is my favorite facial oil I’ve tried and repurchased multiple times. If you’re looking for something more affordable, people seem to like The Ordinary’s dupe (I thought the two products were vastly different, so try both if you’re unsure!). I have dry skin so a good facial oil is a must, I use this during the day and night in the winter and only at night in the summer. After using an at-home peel or exfoliating mask (like Babyfacial!) my skin drinks it up and feels so much better after applying this oil!

C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

Although I’m not the biggest fan of eye creams, this is one of my favorites that I’ve tried. It’s filled with peptides and Vitamin C, which is ideal for firming and brightening the most delicate skin on your face. If you have an eye cream that you love that’s cheaper you could probably pass, but I will likely be purchasing this product again.

Babyfacial

Probably the most well-known product from Drunk Elephant’s line. The ingredients (25% AHA blend) are powerful, so it’s best used once a week. Babyfacial promises to exfoliate, smooth, and brighten skin. This mask does it all and really lives up to its name – your skin will feel baby smooth afterward and it really is like an at-home facial. I highly recommend following up this mask with an oil or extra hydrating moisturizer. Your skin will be smooth and glowing for days after. If you only have the budget for one product and you’re looking for something that’s the most bang for your buck, I always recommend trying Babyfacial first.

Note – Drunk Elephant also recently launched a hair and body line that I have been testing and will share my review soon!