This is a jam-packed review of one of the buzziest brands out there - Drunk Elephant. I've already done a review of the Glycolic Night Serum which you can find here, so we're going to skip to the products! The ProductsC Firma Day Serum A potent vitamin C day serum that is meant to exfoliate the top layer of skin and boost the hydration with a mix of hyaluronic acid and pumpkin extract. The vitamin C is at a whopping 15% and will help to brighten the skin's complexion and reduce signs of photoaging. B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel Infused with vitamin B5 and ceramides, this product claims to improve the skin's natural barrier function whilst delivering an intense hydration. Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil Cold pressed from the pip of the marula fruit, this oil is meant to be the GOD of oils. It's packed full of omegas 6 and 9 as well as a high dose of antioxidants. It is meant to smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles while acting as a natural defence against environmental aggressors. The ApplicationI have tried a few vitamin C serums and the texture is usually very slimy of very watery. I was surprised by the C-Firma's texture. It was quite oily and absorbed really quickly into my skin. Some people who have oilier skin types may find it heavy, I for one enjoyed it. The Hydra gel is a very lightweight, cloudy gel that melts into your skin like water. Not sure if it's meant to be a moisturiser or serum… Let's talk about that oil. It is beautiful. No scent - just like the other products in the D.E range, and had a lovely texture. It's thinner than the Josie Maran Argan Oil and absorbs really well. I found I could apply foundation like a dream after using the oil. Plus, I definitely needed that added hydration. The way I went about layering it was after my active serums (C-Firma AM or Framboos PM) I would add 2 pumps of Hydra and 2-3 drops of Marula on top. Could not deal with Hydra by itself. The ResultWow, this seriously blew my mind. I did not want to follow the hype bandwagon but here I am. I was fortunate to try this over the course of 2 weeks. In 2 weeks you really shouldn't see much of a difference…boy was I wrong. I had some stubborn scars on my cheeks from picking - gone. I have dry skin which automatically qualifies me in the dull skin category - that was gone too. Texture stayed the same but I did notice an increase in bounciness to my skin. Overall, I was extremely surprised. I would not try so many products all at once with another brand just because I know how my skin will react with a whole heap of new things. If you have been one of the few who has suffered from using the whole range all at once, I would recommend easing the products into your routine. That means try one product at a time for 2 weeks before incorporating another. I only suggest this because the high percentage of active ingredients may break down the acid mantle in the skin. That's your natural barrier that helps the skin heal and protects itself. Even if you're a regular user of peels and chemical exfoliants, I would start with one product first and build from there. I've seen way too many people suffer from over exfoliating. The RundownSo we know D.E are one of the very few brands that I can categorise as 'clean'. That means they won't sacrifice the safety of an ingredient for natural. They advocate for non-toxic ingredients and really formulate their products so that each ingredient has a purpose in the skin. This is why I love looking at their ingredients list. C-FirmaWith such a high percentage of vitamin C, I'm glad to see it’s the third ingredient on the list. This makes the efficacy (how well it interacts with your skin) a bit more believable. This is after that second ingredient that I can't pronounce, it’s a smaller molecular weight solvent. This helps the ingredients dissolve into the formula. Ferulic acid is a great antioxidant that really helps to pull those great ingredients into the skin. Pumpkin and Punica Granatum Fruit Ferments help to enzymatically exfoliate the skin. This helps good ingredients target the deeper layers of skin. I want to focus on the incredibly long names on the list: Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane. These are amazing antioxidants derived from turmeric! As an eczema sufferer, this is an amazing ingredient to have in the serum. It has great anti-inflammatory properties and will help to protect our natural barrier. Water/Aqua/Eau, Ethoxydiglycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Laureth-23, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Tocopherol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydrolyzed Quinoa, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glycine, Sucrose, Maltodextrin, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60 The rest of the breakdown is from their super helpful website! Be sure to check it out. B-Hydra GelAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer is a thickening agent. I believe it really helps to combine all the thinner ingredients (like the fruit extracts and hyaluronate) so that it spreads a lot easier on the skin. I was most struck by the Berberis Vulgaris Root extract, this one helps the body immensely. It is highly medicinal and can help to relieve the pain of psoriasis on the skin due to the immune boosting properties. Water/Aqua/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Coconut Alkanes, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Lactate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cyclodextrin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin Luxury Marula OilSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil What can I say? It's definitely a pure oil. According to my book its comprised of oleic acid, linoleic acid, alpha-linoleic, plamitic, stearic and arachidonic acids. What?! It's pretty much high in omega 3,6 and 9, and high in lipids. This helps that waxy layer on our skin function really well and increases protection against the environment. The omegas are ingredients that we don't naturally produce. They help to give us a plump, hydrated appearance because of the structure being so close to our lipidic structure. That's all from me, I hope you guys learned something about clean skin care and are intrigued by this fun brand |
