If I was forced to pick just one favorite skincare brand, I think I would pick Drunk Elephant. I've now tried a good portion of the line, and I've just fallen in love with everything. It's a bit of a pricey collection, but you can really see their dedication to delivering the best ingredients and also their effort to preserve them in the best packaging. Drunk Elephant's philosophy on ingredients is refreshing - rather than touting phrases with no real scientific basis like "all-natural," they are up front about their use of both natural and synthetic ingredients. However, they won't use an ingredients unless it directly benefits the skin or the integrity of the product - favoring safety and bio-compatibility rather than what ingredients are "trending." They are sure to exclude sensitizing ingredients like silicones, colorants, fragrances, and chemical screens, so their products really are for every skin type. For reference, my skin is normal to dry and prone to dehydration, and I occasionally have hormonal breakouts on my chin.
C-Firma Day Serum | I think if you get one thing from Drunk Elephant, it should be this Vitamin C Serum - it's seriously changed my morning skincare game. This works to brighten and firm the skin with a potent mixture of Vitamin C (L-absorbic acid), ferulic acid, and Vitamin E to prevent free radical damage and replenish lost lipids in the skin. There's no risk of the antioxidants losing their effectiveness from air and light exposure because of the genius packaging - it's opaque so it won't let light in, and the pump ensures no air will get inside. I instantly see a difference in the brightness of my skin when I use this - it's perfect for perking up the skin on tired mornings. Vitamin C is also known to help increase the effectivity of SPF, so this is especially a necessity when I know I'm going to be outside (I work in a place with no daylight so SPF isn't a priority during the week).
T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum | The nighttime counterpart to the Vitamin C Serum, this exfoliating serum containing a 12% AHA/BHA blend works to resurface and brighten the skin overnight. The blend of acids used is composed of glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric, and salicylic acids. It's a clear gel that instantly sinks into the skin and feels pretty moisturizing. It also contains Horse chestnut and white tea to calm and soothe the skin. The product, however, is formulated to avoid sensitizing the skin - it's at the ideal pH of 3.8-4.0. I always wake up with such bright, radiant, and smooth skin after using this.
Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil | This is another star of the show for me. I'm a big fan of facial oils in general as I find they keep my skin nourished and also balanced. Marula oil is great for the skin because it contains important antioxidants as well as Omegas 6 and 9. This one just feels so juicy and hydrating on the skin without feeling heavy. This oil is totally pure and virtually untouched - it's cold-pressed and never bleached, cut, or deodorized. They just wrote a post on their Instagram here explaining this further. Long story short, if I could only keep one of my facial oils, I'd pick this one in a heartbeat.
Lala Retro Whipped Cream | This is my all-time favorite cream to use at night. It's able to keep my skin moisturized all night long despite the dry heat. This is a whipped blend of six African oils, so it really intensely nourishes the skin, and you can really tell there's oils involved. Because of its whipped texture though, it doesn't feel heavy. I think someone with oily skin could even get away with using this, albeit a smaller dollop than I use. In addition to the oils it also contains Plaintain extract to firm and brighten, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer to hydrate, and fermented green tea to combat irritation and aging. I'm currently scraping the last dregs out of this and will be repurchasing any day now - I'm super intrigued by the new packaging with the airless pump!
T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial | The newest product to the line and also to my collection, I'm already head over heels in love with this at-home peel. Formulated with the same TLC blend (tartaric, lactic, and citric acids) as the night serum, this uses a much higher percentage of 25% AHAs as well as 2% salicylic acid. This leaves my skin incredibly smooth, and my pores feel as vacuumed as when I use a charcoal mask without the harshness that comes along with that. I use this once a week for about twenty minutes before washing it off - I experience some tingling when I first apply the product but it goes away immediately, and I'm not left with any redness or irritation afterward. Like the Night Serum, this is formulated at an ideal pH for effectiveness as well as to avoid skin irritation and redness, 3.5-3.6. It also contains chickpea flour to absorb excess oils without overdrying the skin, pumpkin ferment extract to further gently exfoliate as well as provide fatty acids and antioxidants, and matcha, milk thistle, and apple extracts to condition and soothe the skin. This is quickly becoming my favorite product I've tried from the brand because of the instant difference I feel in my skin. I follow up with the Marula oil (a sample is included in the box!) and the Lala cream, and my skin literally feels buttery smooth.
Have you tried anything from Drunk Elephant? What are your favorites?
And this post wasn't sponsored, I just really love the brand and have purchased all the products myself!