101 GUIDE TO DRUNK ELEPHANT
What do you do when no skin care product on the market seems to work for your skin? When ‘miracle’ serums fall flat, when trendy cleansers irritate and when switching between natural and clinical brands only leaves you more confused? If you're Tiffany Masterson, you take matters into your own hands. The founder of cult-favourite skin care brand Drunk Elephant didn’t set out to be a beauty entrepreneur. She was just someone struggling with stubborn skin issues, searching for real solutions in an industry full of noise. But through relentless research, a little curiosity, and a lot of passion, Tiffany created a line that would go on to redefine what “clean” skin care really means — without sacrificing efficacy.
From the now-iconic Suspicious 6 to a formulation philosophy rooted in biocompatibility, Drunk Elephant has carved out its own lane in the skin care space, and we are so here for it!
Paying homage to the brand itself, we wanted to dig deeper into the Drunk Elephant’s journey, philosophy to find out first what’s coming next, so we caught up with the brand’s Field Trainer, Freya Griffiths, to get the inside scoop.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- The Making Of Drunk Elephant
- What Is The Meaning Behind The Name
- Druk Elephant’s Suspicious 6
- Drunk Elephant’s Biocompatibility Process
- Drunk Elephant’s Smoothie Theory
- The Best Drunk Elephant Products
- What’s Next For Drunk Elephant
THE MAKING OF DRUNK ELEPHANT
Before developing Drunk Elephant, Tiffany Masterson was like many of us, a frustrated, confused brand hopper who never really found products that helped her skin concerns. “She suffered with mild rosacea, visible pores, you name it Tiffany had it. She tried every ‘miracle’ product that she could get her hands on, but nothing ever worked or, if it did, it didn’t work for long. After years of bouncing back and forth between the all-natural and clinical categories without success, she realised that to get what she wanted she would need to develop it herself” recalls Freya.
Tiffany decided to start educating herself about ingredients, how skin reacts and what role each ingredient plays in formulation. “She identified six ingredients which were the root cause of her skin concerns. We call these Suspicious 6 (we will get onto that later). As she couldn’t find any products that didn’t include them, she decided to create them herself! By eliminating the Suspicious 6 ingredients from her skin care, her complexion returned to its healthy, happy state!” Thus Drunk Elephant was born in 2012.
WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME DRUNK ELEPHANT
But why the name ‘Drunk Elephant’? “When Tiffany started researching ingredients, she fell in love with African marula oil – which is now in every single one of our products! While Tiffany was researching marula oil, she came across a cute video that showed elephants eating marula fruit off the ground. As it fermented in their stomach, they were seen stumbling around pretending to be drunk! Tiffany thought, why not name a serious skin care line, a fun and memorable name”. And memorable it is!
DRUNK ELEPHANT’S SUSPICIOUS 6
As Freya mentioned the Suspicious 6 stemmed from Tiffany’s endless research surrounding her own skin concerns. She identified 6 ingredients, she believed were the root cause of her skin issues and since she was not able to find products that didn’t include them, she decided to create her own brand and eliminate those ingredients that were holding her complexion back from being its healthiest!
“At Drunk Elephant we believe your skin care routine is only as good as its worst product, and a product is only as good as its worst ingredient. That’s why we only use ingredients that directly benefit the health of the skin and have research demonstrating their safety and effectiveness. We never use marketing ingredients, they are ingredients that make a product smell or feel nice, without any benefit to the skin. The Suspicious 6 are mostly comprised of the most common forms of skin sensitizers, particularly fragrance, dyes and essential oils, but also drying alcohols, harsh surfactants (like sodium lauryl sulfate), silicones and chemical sunscreens. Cumulatively, over time, these could lead to inflammation and irritation on the skin. Any ingredients that sensitize the skin can worsen skin concerns such as acne, sun damage and uneven skin tone and texture (all of which are promoted and worsened by inflammation).”
DRUNK ELEPHANT’S BIOCOMPATIBILITY PROCESS
When Drunk Elephant was created, the brand was renowned for isolating the most effective ingredients – both synthetic and natural – that directly benefit the health of the skin. It formulated its products using a high percentage of active ingredients at pH friendly levels, and made sure all the ingredients were recognised by the skin and easily absorbed. This concept centred around Drunk Elephants biocompatibility, and it was this process that made it stand out from other skin care brands on the market.
“The skin barrier is acidic; it has a pH of around 5.5. With that in mind, you want skin care products to be as close to your skin’s natural pH level. That’s what we mean when we talk about biocompatible skin care. Drunk Elephant products have pH levels between 2.5 and 6.8.”
Never compromising on safety, the brand synergistically blends the highest percentages of actives with non-sensitizing ingredients at ideal pH levels. “We also formulate using biocompatible ingredients. These are non-irritating, small-molecule ingredients that skin can easily absorb, understand and use. Biocompatible ingredients are non-irritating, but not all clean ingredients are biocompatible. There are plenty of natural substances that are harmful to our skin and health Think: lead, snake venom and cyanide which are all totally natural ingredients). So, for Drunk Elephant, it’s about choosing and using only ingredients that are benefit the integrity of our formulations and the performance on the skin.”
DRUNK ELEPHANT’S SMOOTHIE THEORY
But the biocompatibility of the products doesn’t just help with the vitality of your complexion. Oh no, it also makes the application easier than most skin care. How? Well, “the rule of which you apply your products has always been said to be thinnest to thickest. This is because it is rooted in the type and occlusive nature of the silicones used in formulations. However, as Drunk Elephant avoids all silicones and does not use any heavy occlusives, there is nothing to interfere with the absorption and bioavailability of all of the actives and beneficial ingredients in our formulas. That’s why we can think of our skin care routines as smoothies!”
Understanding that our skin doesn’t always need the same thing, the brand encourages you to choose different AM and PM routines – like the way you choose ingredients for your daily smoothie based on your body’s cravings. “Smoothies can be adapted based on how your skin feels, always listen to you skin and change up the recipe as and when your skin needs it. Whether you mix two products or four, every ingredient will reach skin as if you were layering.” Now, we like the sound of that!
THE BEST DRUNK ELEPHANT PRODUCTS
Now we know everything about Drunk Elephant it’s time to join the herd once and for all! With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the bestsellers that deserve a spot in your skin care regime.
£575.00
866
£34.00
3
£35.00
114
£70.00
379
£45.00
295
£57.00
102
£89.00
2
£24.00
25
£18.00
42
£32.00
WHAT’S NEXT FOR DRUNK ELEPHANT
Drum roll please… “The reformulation of our tinted and sheer sunscreen!”
“When Tiffany first created the line, she knew it had to include sunscreen. A lot of people think you only need to wear sunscreen in the summer, but daily sun protection is so important for healthy skin, regardless of the season, forecast, or even whether you’re outside. But as much as we loved our Umbra sunscreens, they are due for an upgrade. So, I’m delighted to introduce you to our newly reformulated Umbra Mineral Creams! Thy are still 100% mineral. They glide on like a dream, flood the skin with antioxidants, and of course, protect it from damaging UV rays.”
You heard it here first!
Cult Beauty’s Senior SEO Copywriter, Trifonia started out in the industry when bold brows were just becoming a ‘thing’, and shares a passion for all things fashion and beauty. Currently embracing her curly girl journey (after endless years of straightening her strands), she is finally reverting to her natural ways! When Triffy isn’t busy testing out the latest curl-saving solutions, you’ll find her binging the latest reality TV show or on a long walk listening to her ever-evolving country music playlist.
