Drunk Elephant

[TexasMeow]

Has anyone had success trying out Drunk Elephant’s full skin philosophy of cutting out everything with what they call the “suspicions 6” and starting slow with just their products? Could ingredients like silicones and essential oils be causing my problems? Product recommendations that are free of these things?

[Kirbawy]

am I the only one who doesn't like this line?? I've tried lots of their products and they all give me rashes! and yes, I tried for an extended period of time and am sure it wasn't something else.

[faeriegirl]

Yes since I have switched over to DE my skin is so much better! 

[LittleBigNina]

As part of my New Years resolution I cut out the “suspicious six” from my skin care routine. In my opinion since I wear a lot of makeup during the day and it all contains dimethicone or other manmade silicone oils, I’d like to give my skin a break at night. I suffer from large pores, chronic black heads, and the occasional zit on my cheeks or chin and just after a week of using Drunk Elephant Protini Cream, multivitamin eye cream, and Framboos glycolic serum I have already seen a difference from my skin. I’m not sure if that means that DE is super great and works wonders or if simply eliminating the suspicious 6 (specifically dimethicone) was the fix I needed. It’s only been a week so results aren’t major, but noticeable for sure. I quite literally threw out full creams and such that contained dimethicone so I would not be tempted to use them. As far as essential oils, I do not see the need to add fragrance or anything like that to my night skin care routine but I do dab some pure tea tree oil on my zits and that works wonders. I have really gotten into a more “natural” skin care routine by using Clean products, and even rubbing rAw aloe Vera on my face. My go to face wash is the Clinique foaming cleanser. It is not labeled “Clean” at Sephora but it does not have dimethicone, fragrance/essential oils, and leaves my skin quite literally, squeaky clean. It has been my holy grail for years now and the way it foams while using it is unlike any other face wash—it gets thicker the more you rub it!! Anyway, my biggest trigger seemed to have been dimethicone in my night time skin care, I suggest doing some research on it.

[CkayHarbin14]

I have done it. In March I started using only drunk elephant.  My skin was so clear (no zits at all) but I felt like it wasnt helping with my wrinkles. So I tried Luna last month OMG after 3 weeks yeah fine lines gone but the zits I was getting was the bad bad ones that take forever to come up and leave a mark, if they ever go away. So know last week started back with India Lee,  all clean. I love there face wash and oil. Now I'm using drunk elephant again and trying to get my face back to what it use to be. I cant use essence oils. That was what was breaking me out. I love my babyfacial. It helps alot but dont use any exfoliating with something that can damage your skin. The new Korrs in the gold tube, messed my face up. So idk about silicon but I stay away from them bc they clog my pores. So I'm trying to use only clean stuff. Hope that helps. I'm comb skin more oily but dehydrated sometimes. I never had 1 zit when I was younger. I hit about 27 and wow . I have adult acne. I'm 32 now with the scars and bad texture,  I've been trying different stuff for years . I've wasted so much money on skin care . It's sad. But I do know that drunk elephant is coming out with a clean rentiol in 2019 and I cant wait!!!! I hope they still r, they better be!!!! But if anyone has a great thing going please share. Thanks 🙂

[productgirl70]

I bought "The Littles" kit, so I went all in on Drunk Elephant. I definitely noticed an immediate difference in the look and feel of my skin. While this is a (somewhat) affordable way to dry the Drunk Elephant line, it's hard to know which product or products are making the biggest difference. I feel like the stars of the line are really the two exfoliants (T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum and T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™), as they have totally retextured my skin in a very short time, and they help with breakouts without drying out my skin. I'm also using the Jelly cleanser, which is the best cleanser I've ever used, Protini cream, and the Umbra Tinte sunscreen. Oh, and the Marula oil, which is probably overpriced, but I really like this company and what they stand for, so I'll pay more for that.

[sobergine]

I went all in on DE and I'm a believer. I'm not a scientist so I can't say myself whether or not the claims are scientifically true, but I can say that my skin looks and feels great. I do find that if I take a day or two off it isn't long before I'm getting small blemishes. I'd go as far as to say that all the products together are what make the line so great.

If you were going to pick and choose your products I'd go with the baby facial, tlc framboos, c-firma, and shaba eye serum (haven't tried c-tango yet). The marula oil is great but that's the one product I've heard can be found cheaper and with better formulas. I use the b-hydra because, why not, it seems to work although I don't truly understand the difference between the effects of  hydration and moisture. Lala retro and protini I've been on the fence about. I use lala more when it's really cold and dry but could get away with using marula in a.m. and p.m. Protini I haven't decided on. Sometimes I think I like it, other times I don't. Still trying to figure it out, although I'm leaning towards keeping it in the rotation.

[micahelias]

hydration is the amount of water your skin has, like when you pinch the back of your hand, it shouldn’t stay pinched when you let go, it should be elastic and bounce back. moisturizers are used to lock in the hydration of your skin, so if you’re skin is dehydrated, they won’t work as well as when it’s hydrated. hydrated skin is also glowy and bouncy. hope that helps explain it!!

[greeneyedgirl107]

@TexasMeow paulaschoice.com has a nice ingredient dictionary.  Here's what is says about the suspicious 6:

Silicones

Spoiler

• Rating: GOOD
• Categories: Silicones, Slip Agents, Emollients

Substance derived from silica (sand is a silica). The unique fluid properties of silicone give it a great deal of slip, and in its various forms it can feel like silk on skin, impart emollience, and be a water-binding agent that holds up well, even when skin becomes wet. The research about silicones have proven them to be superior scar-healing ingredients, soothing agents, non-irritating, and uniquely effective delivery and suspending agents for a wide range of cosmetic ingredients.

There are numerous forms of silicones used in cosmetic products, particularly leave-on skincare products and all manner of hair-care products. Common forms of silicone are cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane; other forms include various types of dimethicone and phenyl trimethicone.

Claims that silicones in any form cause or worsen skin concerns have not been substantiated in any published research, nor have reports that silicones are sensitizing to or somehow “suffocate” skin. In fact, just the opposite is true which makes the misinformation difficult to understand. Almost all of the claims about silicones being problematic for skin are apparently myths or based on anecdotal evidence.

Because of silicone’s unique molecular properties, they are at the same time porous and resistant though not impermeable to air. Think of silicones in a skincare formula like the covering of a tea bag. When you steep the tea bag in water the tea and all of its antioxidant properties are released into the water. Silicones remain on the surface of your skin and the other ingredients it’s mixed with “steep” through. All ingredients must be suspended in some base formula; some of the ingredients remain on the surface, some are absorbed. The intent is for the “actives” to get through. The special molecular structure of silicones (large molecules with wide spaces between each molecule) allows them to form a permeable barrier and also explains why silicones rarely feel heavy or occlusive, although they still offer protection against moisture loss.

Interestingly, silicone has been shown to be helpful for offsetting dryness and flaking from common ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide.

Bottom line: The types of silicones used in cosmetic products are supported by scientific research and are considered safe for consumer use. These types of cosmetic silicones are effective, inert, and versatile ingredients that benefit skin and hair in numerous ways.

Essential oils; Volatile oils:

Spoiler

• Rating: POOR
• Categories: Sensitizing, Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plant Extract
  
  Volatile Oil
  
  • Rating: POOR
  • Categories: Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plant Extracts, 

  Group of volatile fluids derived primarily from plants and used in cosmetics primarily as fragrant additives. These components most often include a mix of alcohols, ketones, phenols, linalool, borneol, terpenes, camphor, pinene, acids, ethers, aldehydes, citral, and sulfur, all of which have extremely sensitizing effects on skin. Volatile oils also bring benefits to skin, most notably from their antioxidants, but there are other ingredients, including many natural ingredients, that provide these same benefits without the risk of aggravating skin.

SLS

Spoiler

• Rating: POOR
• Categories: , Cleansing Agents, 

Versatile ingredient composed of several non-volatile alcohols. Functions primarily as a surfactant, but can also be used as a skin-conditioning agent, emulsifier, and solvent. 

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one of the most sensitizing cleansing agents used in skincare products. In fact, it’s considered a standard comparison substance for measuring the skin sensitization of other ingredients. In fact, in scientific studies, when the researchers want to establish whether or not an ingredient is problematic for skin, they compare its effect to that of SLS.

In amounts of 2% to 5%, sodium lauryl sulfate can cause sensitizing reactions for many people. Despite the sensitivity issue, it is not the same as the dire and erroneous warnings floating around the web about this ingredient, all of which have been debunked. Sodium lauryl sulfate isn’t a great ingredient in terms of its impact on skin, but its effects are not detrimental to one’s health.

Alcohol

Spoiler

• Rating: AVERAGE
• Categories: Emollients, 

"Alcohol" refers to a group of organic compounds with a vast range of forms and uses in cosmetics and in other types of products and solutions. 

For skin, there are good alcohols and bad alcohols, corresponding to high-molecular-weight alcohols and low-molecular-weight alcohols, respectively, which can have emollient properties (cetyl alcohol) or act as detergent cleansing agents like isopropanol. 

There also are benign forms, including glycols, which are used as humectants to help hydrate and deliver ingredients into skin’s uppermost layers.

Alcohols with low molecular weights—the bad-for-skin kind—can be drying and sensitizing. The alcohols to be concerned about in skincare products are ethanol or ethyl alcohol, denatured alcohol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol, and benzyl alcohol. The concern is when one or more of these are listed among the main ingredients; tiny amounts in an otherwise good formula aren’t a problem.

In addition to being drying and sensitizing, these alcohols can disrupt skin’s surface layers. Alcohol helps ingredients like retinol and vitamin C penetrate into the skin more effectively, but it does that by breaking down the surface layers of skin—destroying the very substances that keep your skin feeling healthier and looking younger over the long term.

Alcohols like SD and "denatured" immediately harm the skin, starting a chain reaction of damage that continues long after it has evaporated. A 2003 study published found that with regular exposure to alcohol-based products, cleansing becomes a damaging ordeal—skin is no longer able to keep water and cleansing agents from penetrating into it, thus further eroding its surface layers.

It also destroyed the substances in skin that help to naturally soothe and defend it against visible effects of environmental damage.

If that weren’t bad enough, exposure to alcohol causes healthy substances in skin to literally self-destruct. The research also showed that these destructive, aging effects on skin’s substances increased the longer the exposure to alcohol; that is, two days of exposure was dramatically more harmful than one day, and that is only from exposure to a 3% concentration (most skincare products with denatured alcohol contain greater amounts than that).

In short, for the healthy appearance of skin at any age, avoiding products that contain high amounts of the drying, sensitizing types of alcohol is a non-negotiable skincare must.

[Krysa13]

I like DE products and use some of them myself. My skin feels great with them and I think I won't try other products as long as I can afford DE. That being said, the "suspicious 6" are not all that suspicious and some DE claims about benefits of XXX-free product are just unscientific. The science behind leaving out essential oils is solid -- they are irritating for the average person and it's best not to take chances. On the other hand leaving out silicones and parabens brings no benefits at all. Just FYI, methylparaben is produced in minor quantities by honeybee queens and thus can be found -- again, in minor quantities -- in WHOLLY NATURAL AND ORGANIC hive products.  IMHO, the charm of DE products is not so much in what they leave out but rather in what they put in and how much of each ingredient -- and here they are aces. For example, I tried two different Vitamin C essences with nearly identical identical ingredient lists -- the DE C-Firma and the Timeless C+E+ Ferulic acid. The Timeless ingredients list is in fact even "cleaner" -- less ingredients overall and less preservatives etc. in particular.  The benefits should be at least identical, right? Well, the DE stuff was both WAY MORE PLEASANT  to use and provided more visible results. Probably these guys just know something that other don't. They make really good stuff, but what is good about it is not "cleanness" or "safety", but good knowledge of skin biology and willingness to use effective ingredients and mix them in an effective way. 

[ljc1]

Hi: I switched to drunk elephant about a month and a half ago and I love their stuff. I tried the Littles and then got the full size of the Pekee Bar, the C Firma, and the TLC. My skin has been looking so much better since I switched and I like that the line does not have a lot of unnecessary ingredients like perfum and silicone.

[thais214]

I am 38 yrs old and have acne-prone skin. A few months ago I was having one of the worst breakouts of my life. I had recently gotten on Proactiv again - I've gone on and off of it the past 10 years - and it seemed to only get worse, with their retinol making my face flaky and dry. So here I am with giant zits all and super dry skin - horrible. I went into Sephora and the lady helping me suggested I try Drunk Elephant marula oil for my dry skin. This thing worked like magic. I read up on the brand and then took the leap to purchase the Littles to replace my Proactiv. My skin cleared up beautifully, and absolutely no drying. I continued to get small pimples, but they were manageable and cleared up in a day or two, unlike before. That's when I realized maybe my makeup was to blame. Sure enough all of my products, all high end (Tarte, Dior, Nars) were dimethicone-heavy. Since I rotated them out a couple of weeks ago, my skin is absolutely clear and I am a Drunk Elephant convert. I've since purchased Babyfacial, Protini and Umbra Tinte. I have been using the Umbra Tinte for daytime, and when I need more coverage I use MILK foundation. I've also just ordered RMS unconcealer and I'm psyched to try it. Good luck! 

[concreteroads]

I love Drunk Elephant, but sometimes I'm not a fan of their marketing. It comes across as hokey, when their products should and can speak for themselves. 

SOME people will be irritated by essential oils. SOME people will be irritated by silicones. If I had to cut one, it would probably be essential oils first since they do nothing to improve skincare products vs. silicones actually have some purpose. While you won't be doing yourself any harm by cutting the "suspicious 6" out from your routine, I think throwing out your current routine, buying all of DE's products, and then starting them out all at once has a high chance of being disruptive to your skin. I'd definitely buy one at a time and introduce to your routine slowly. DE products aren't cheap, and this way you can actually figure out which products are good for your skin. Similarly, when cutting out ingredients that you think might break you out, do it one at a time-- or else in the future if you want to use a product with one of those ingredients again, you won't actually know if it contains your skin trigger, or another ingredient that you just happened to cut at the same time. 

[Charles11]

Silicones do NOT cause irritation. actually the opposite, they are extremely safe for use on the skin. and used in baby care, OTC, medical, and sensitive skin formulations. Natural overall are usually responsible for skin irritation