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Drunk Elephant is one of TikTok’s buzziest beauty brands, adored by skinfluencers, editors, celebrities and beyond. Its cult-like following and it-brand status makes the premium beauty brand just about one of the most exciting to try in 2024, least not for its fun, colourful packaging and adorable product names.
Known for its clean ingredients and effective formulations designed to work together as a ‘skincare smoothie’, Drunk Elephant was founded in 2013 by Tiffany Masterson in the US, before making its hotly anticipated launch in the UK in 2018.
“Before I developed Drunk Elephant, I had all sorts of skin issues:,” said Tiffany. “Combo, oily in the T-zone, “sensitive” (or so I thought), occasionally breakout prone, out of balance, mild rosacea, visible pores, you name it. It was a lot.”
The then stay-at-home mum set to work eliminating the ingredients she believed to be the cause of her skincare woes, and said her complexion returned to a ‘clear, healthy, balanced state’. But unable to find any products without at least one of her ‘suspicious six’ ingredients in the formulation, she decided to make them herself.
Over the last 10 years the brand has become the must-have brand to have in your beauty arsenal, loved by the likes of Christina Ricci and Hailey Bieber. However, their products don’t come particularly cheap, with the majority priced upwards of £30 each.
So which do you invest in? I’ve been trying out five Drunk Elephant bestsellers from whipped moisturisers and weekly facials to their viral B-Goldi Drops that sell out almost as quickly as they hit the shelves and my skin has been glowing.
Since taking a #DrunkBreak as Tiffany calls it, and letting my skin ‘reset’ itself with her formulas, I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my texture and overall complexion, left looking smoother, brighter and more radiant in a matter of weeks.
If you are looking to elevate your skincare routine with products that actually deliver what they say they will, here are five must-have Drunk Elephant products to incorporate into your skincare schedule.
Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser
When it comes to removing makeup and washing the day away, a gentle but effective cleanser is a must. The Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser features makeup-dissolving emollients to melt away mascara, lip products and foundation, with a unique jelly texture that removes all traces of excess oil and pollution without stripping the skin or leaving it feeling sticky afterwards, either.
Free from sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance and essential oils, it’s formulated at an ideal pH of 5.5, and is one of the few Drunk Elephant products recommended for teens and tweens who have become obsessed with the brand after it landed on their For You pages, which stands as testament to its sensitivity, too.
It lathers into a foam with water, rather than turning oily or milky like Liz Earle’s Transforming Gel Cleanser, effectively removing makeup and dirt to reveal clean, soft skin without stinging eyes or causing any irritation.
What’s particularly interesting is that Drunk Elephant recommend only cleansing at night, adding: “We recommend skipping the morning cleanse, as it’s not necessary if you’ve cleansed your skin the night before.”
You can buy the midi version of the cleanser – perfect for travel or trial – here for £15.
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream
This nourishing moisturiser is a dream-come-true for tired, dull, and dry skin in need of a hydration boost. The texture of this is unreal. It’s unlike any other moisturiser I’ve ever used on my face, with a velvety feel and a richness to it that feels incredibly indulgent without feeling heavy or pore-clogging.
Vegan, cruelty-free and 100 per cent free from essential oils, silicones, and fragrances, it’s ideal for sensitive skin and is another starter skincare saviour for younger users, too.
The hydrating cream absorbs quickly into the skin without feeling thick or greasy, infused with six African oils and a blend of plant ceramides designed to strengthen and restore your skin’s barrier – particularly good if you’ve been hammering the glycolic acid.
The light-as-air formula has a skin-friendly pH level of 5.2 and can be used alongside any Drunk Elephant serum or oil for the ultimate skincare smoothie.
You can try out the moisturiser for £15, or commit to a full size tub from £56 here.
Drunk Elephant A-Gloei Marula Oil with Retinol
If you’re looking for an introduction to retinol, then the Drunk Elephant A-Gloei Marula Oil is great for beginners. Combining a gentle but effective dose of 0.5% vegan retinol with barrier-supportive, plant-derived ceramides and pure, antioxidant-rich virgin marula oil this unique formula diminishes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.
Suitable for all skin types (but not recommended for teenagers), the A-Gloei Marula Oil improves skin texture and tone while locking in moisture, working particularly well in conjunction with creams like Lala Retro.
Drunk Elephant recommend appling 2-3 drops to clean, dry skin morning or night for a healthier-looking complexion. I like to use this in the morning to help protect against pollutants during the day – but always remember to use a broad-spectrum SPF alongside it.
Over time, this can really transform tone and texture, while improving elasticity and bounce but in the short term, it’s a real glow-giver with smoothing properties that helps reduce redness for a healthier looking complexion.
Shop the oil for £36 here.
Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops
Speaking of glow – you don’t know radiance until you’ve tried out the viral Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops. It could easily be mistaken for a highlighter of illuminating primer like Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonderglow or Elemis’ Superfood Priming Moisturiser Glow, but it’s actually a barrier-strengthening serum with 5 per cent niacinamide that adds an easy golden finish without being sparkly or glittery.
Starring light-reflecting pigments, diglucosyl gallic acid, and mulberry leaf extract, B-Goldi Bright Drops fade hyperpigmentation, dark spots and post-breakout marks while adding a golden finish to the skin, giving that ‘just came back from a holiday abroad’ appearance.
The drops are designed to be mixed with any Drunk Elephant moisturiser, serum, or oil to add the prettiest hint of colour, which means you can save time by mixing them with Lala Retro and A-Gloei Marula Oil for a triple-threat of glow-giving skincare.
Suitable for all skin types, these drops are the perfect addition to your skincare routine and can be applied anywhere you want a touch of luminosity. And after giving them a go, it’s no wonder retailers are struggling to keep hold of them.
Shop the drops for £33 here – while they’re still in stock.
Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial
So powerful it’s designed to be used just once a week, Drunk Elephant’s TLC Sukari Babyfacial is like a professional-quality facial from home,
The AHA/BHA mask resurfaces the skin to reveal greater clarity, improved texture and skin tone. Out of the bottle, the exfoliant looks similar to B-Goldi on the skin, and should be applied evenly to clean, dry skin and left for a maximum of 20 minutes before being rinsed off. It’s recommended that newbies try it for 10 minutes first and gradually build up.
Drunk Elephant added: “Glycolic acid gets a bad rap for being sensitising, but we believe it’s the pH and accompanying ingredients (think fragrant oils or high amounts of alcohol) that can be the real problem. We formulated Babyfacial at an ideal pH of 3.5 with a blend of acids that work together synergistically to ensure higher efficacy without the redness and sensitisation.”
The perfect weekly pick-me-up for a Sunday self care session, consider it a bit of a nudge for stubborn, dull skin.
Buy the Babyfacial from £25 here.
How to get Drunk Elephant skincare products cheaper
Health and beauty retailer LookFantastic currently has an exclusive edit in collaboration with Drunk Elephant which means you can get these five bestsellers for £36 cheaper than the RRP. Worth over £111, the limited edition box costs £75 and features four travel sized products worth between £15 and £36 each, as well as a deluxe sample of the B-Goldi drops valued at £5.50.
What’s inside the Drunk in Love Edit?
- Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream Midi 30ml (travel size)— worth over £30
- Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser Midi 60ml (travel size) — worth over £15
- Drunk Elephant B-Goldi Bright Drops 5ml (deluxe size) — worth over £5.50
- Drunk Elephant A-Gloei Maretinol Oil Midi 15ml (travel size) — worth over £36
- Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial Midi 15ml (travel size) — worth over £25
The LookFantastic edit is the perfect way to trial Drunk Elephant’s range without spending a fortune on full-sized products – although I can almost guarantee you’ll be running out to restock in no time, especially for the B-Goldi drops after discovering what all the fuss is about.
You can shop the LookFantastic x Drunk Elephant Drunk In Love edit for £75 here.
