Drunk Elephant lands in Scotland
Yes, that is a beauty blog post title, and not a strange wildlife story! If you’re a new beauty brand fan, then chances are you will have heard all about the latest buzz-brand to launch in the UK – Drunk Elephant.
It hit Space NK stores this month, and there’s a tour going on – more about that later – but, for now, let’s have a wee look at the beauty brand currently grabbing all the headlines.
The name is great and comes with a cool story – when founder Tiffany Masterson started researching ingredients, she fell in love with African marula oil and was fascinated by the myth that elephants become drunk after eating marula fruit – and so, Drunk Elephant. Described by the brand as ‘a happy name for a serious skincare line’.
It was launched in 2013 in the US by Texan mum-of-four, Tiffany Masterson. She was a saleswoman for a cleansing bar range, and learned all about skincare ingredients, and decided she wanted to create her own line, free of what she calls ‘The Suspicious Six’. So you won’t find any essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrance/dyes and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), in the Drunk Elephant products.
Drunk Elephant don’t believe in skin types. They believe those red blotches, dry patches, and bleishes are just the skin’s way of telling us that it’s unhappy. They also believe you should make #acleanbreak from the Suspicious Six? And they explain why:
1. ESSENTIAL OILS. We believe that all essential oils can sensitize the skin and keep it in a reactive mode, unable to function as it should. AKA: Essential oils have many aliases. Usually they are fragrance oils derived from flowers, citruses or herbs, like rose, orange, tea tree, mint, limonene, linalool, geraniol and eugenol. But these oils don’t have the same moisturizing abilities as good-for-skin, non-fragrance oils, such as marula, baubab or marcuja.
2. SILICONES.We believe that silicones can dehydrate and congest skin and block absorption of key actives like vitamin C. AKA: Silicones go by many aliases, but all end in –cone or –siloxane.
3. CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS. We believe that chemical sunscreens can irritate and lead to breakouts. AKA: In the USA, chemical sunscreens go by the aliases avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, oxtinoxate and octisalate.
4. SLS. We believe that SLS is a harsh cleansing agent that sensitizes and strips the skin of its protective barrier. AKA: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
5. FRAGRANCE/DYES. We believe that fragrance and dyes are useless, harmful and irritating ingredients that are only used for marketing purposes. AKA: Sometimes listed as perfume or parfum.
6. ALCOHOL. We believe that drying alcohol is drying, sensitizing and does immediate and cumulative damage to skin, destroying its protective barrier. AKA: SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, alcohol denat, natural alcohol, grain alcohol, ethyl alcohol or just plain alcohol.
What they do like are tiopical acids, and although nothing new, the emphais here is on not using products with any of the ‘Suspicious Six’ but changing over to a complete Drunk Elpehant regime.
Glycolic, Salicylic, Tartaric, Lactic, Citric, L-Ascorbic, Ferulic and Fatty acids are all used in the products.
Drunk Elephant believe mixing is the new layering, and because the products have no silicones to interfere with absorption, their products are designed to be blended and applied all at the same time.
I’ve only been given one product to try, so that’s a wee bit difficult, as is changing up my while routine, obviously, but the Lala Retro Whipped Cream moisturiser (£60) is my kind of product – an intense moisturiser to rescue skin that’s not hydrated. It comes in an easy push and pump tub, and although there is no fragrance, it has its own scent that is subtle and sweet.
It contains a light combination of six African oils, including marula to restore, baobab to soothe and ximenia to quench parched areas. Additionally, passion fruit is included to help create a brighter skin tone, while fermented green tea helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. To help ensure sensitive skin is not compromised, this silky formula features an optimal pH level of 5.5.
The range at Space NK has 12 products and a little kit featuring seven products to introduce you to the brand. It has bright and colourful packaging, has won heaps of awards, and had countless glowing – pardon the pun – write-ups, and reviews.
The prices start at £18 for a lip balm and go up to £134 for a glycolic night treatment. To get a proper look at the new range in Space NK, then get yourself along to their tour date in Glasgow on October 23, and learn all about the brand. Call 0141 248 7931 for more info.
