Drunk Elephant Reviews: Babyfacial And Acid Trip Kit

So, you guys, I have good news and I have bad news. Good news is that I found something that is currently working for my skin. I plan on seeing it through until the end of 30 days to see if my skin continues to improve; for more information check out my other article on the caveman regimen. Bad news is that means this will be my last product review for at least a month (boooo!). Ya'll know I'm a product junkie, I love trying out new things to see how my skin reacts and reporting the results back to you. But for the sake of my sanity and skin, I am determined to finish the caveman process I started.

Luckily, before I went full caveman I was able to get one last review in: Drunk Elephant's cult classic Sukari Babyfacial. I've been wanting to review this product for a while, I've never bought anything from Drunk Elephant but their Babyfacial has tons of glowing 5-star reviews, Drunk Elephant baby facial before and after, currently 462 on their website alone. Plus, many of you guys reached out to me asking "does this product really work?" or "is it worth the price?". That alone was enough to finally convince me after months of eye balling to buy it.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DRUNK ELEPHANT

Drunk Elephant is all about challenging the skin type method. They aim to make products that fit everyone, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne prone; It’s a one size fits all approach to skincare. The founder, Tiffany Masterson dealt with her own bout of skin issues and overtime became extremely frustrated and discouraged while looking for a solution. For her, nothing ever really worked for long. Eventually she was able to identify a group of ingredients- dubbed the suspicious 6 that were at the root of her, and she believes many other people’s problems today.

These 6 ingredients are believed to cause a reaction on the skin, redness, dryness, breakouts, etc., and overtime will lead to sensitized skin.These ingredients are irritating essential oils,fragrances and dyes,silicones, chemical sunscreens,SLS, and drying alcohols.The constant exposure to these ingredients can leave the skin in a reactive state,meaning you’ll never be able to get out of the vicious acne/dry skin/ redness cycle until you cut them out.

DE has a saying,“ A routine is only as good as its worst product, a product is only as good as its worst ingredient. It takes just one bad guy to ruin the party.”This is extremely insightful and true as it only takes one ingredient to wreak havoc on your skin.So when trying a new routine, first make sure none of your old products contain the suspicious 6!

They’re about keeping skincare routines simple, you won’t find a 12-step process here!There’s not a whole wide range of products that they offer, and most of the products users suggest mixing with one another to get the most bang for your buck!

The name Drunk Elephant comes from well… elephants! There’s a myth that Elephants like to eat the fruit off the marula tree, and when it’s inside their bellies it ferments- making the elephants Drunk!The founder wanted a fun name that would stand out and be unforgettable,I think we can agree we won’t be forgetting about them anytime soon!You can feel good too when you’re buying Drunk Elephant as they make annual donations to the International Elephant Foundation which helps protect elephants from poaching and protect their wellbeing.

WHAT IS BABYFACIAL?

Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial is an at home AHA/BHA facial that works to reveal clarity, improve texture and tone, and give the skin a more youthful appearance. AHA's help to clear blemishes, smooth wrinkles, hydrate the skin, and lighten pigmentation while BHA's are great for blackheads and congested skin, they help to normalize the skin's barrier and prevent acne.Babyfacial is recommended for every skin type, even sensitive- though I'd do a patch test to check just in case!

The Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial is a solution for textural issues; dullness, fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and uneven texture.If you're suffering from hyperpigmentation or shallow acne scars like me,Babyfacial may be a good option for you!

Their website describes the Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial as “An innovative at-home facial contains a whopping 25% AHA and 2% BHA blend including our dream team Glycolic plus Tartaric, Lactic, Citric and Salicylic acids to gently but efficiently resurface as it exfoliates the pore lining, getting rid of built-up dead skin cells by breaking down the substance that holds them to the surface. 

Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial™ combines potent antioxidants such as matcha tea, apple fruit and milk thistle to soothe with ultra-hydrating sodium hyaluronate cross polymer and non-fragrant plant oils to replenish moisture and nourish skin. We chose chickpea flour over clay for brightening and balancing without over-drying and pumpkin ferment for amazing enzymatic action.Niacinamide, a “cell-communicating” ingredient, effectively revives a healthy look and feel to skin as it brightens and tones. Appropriate for all skin types, Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial™ will dramatically smooth texture, minimize the look of fine lines, wrinkles and pores and boost overall clarity—revealing fresh, radiant, baby-soft skin.”

The results are promising. DE ran clinical studies testing 104 women ages 25 to 55 and found that:

- 95% found skin appeared revived

- 94% found skin to be deeply cleansed and resurfaced

- 93% found skin texture baby-soft and smooth

- 93% found skin appeared brighter and radiant

- 92% found skin appeared to have a healthy glow and boosted clarity

- 91% felt skin appeared fresh and youthful

- 90% found skin appeared clearer and more even

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

This product is a little bit different than the products I’ve typically reviewed on the blog in the past. It’s not 100% natural and there’s quite a few ingredients. It’s mostly natural but they still use a few non toxic synthetics.It’s more like science meets nature, you get the best of both worlds.They actually have their own category of skincare that they like to call clinical clean. According to the Drunk Elephant website, the active ingredients are:

- 25% AHA blend (glycolic + (T) tartaric, (L) lactic, (C) citric acids): exfoliates surface dead skin cells and revs up surface turnover to smooth and brighten the appearance of skin.

- 2% salicylic acid (BHA):penetrates and exfoliates inside the pore walls as well as on the surface of the skin, unclogging pores and providing greater skin clarity while also soothing redness.

- gram / chickpea flour:balances and brightens skin’s appearance while combating dullness.

- matcha (green tea leaf), milk thistle & apple extracts:potent antioxidant blend to neutralize pollution and environmental attack, helping to condition and soothe skin.

- pumpkin ferment extract: a rich source of fatty acids and antioxidant components carotene, lutein, and carotenoids; contains naturally occurring enzymes that aid in gentle exfoliation.

- pomegranate extract: potent antioxidant properties neutralizes pollution, free radicals and other damaging environmental stressors.

- cactus extract: soothes redness and sensitivity, helping to calm skin while using topical AHAs.

- passionfruit seed oil:has antioxidant properties, improves dryness and soothes redness.

-virgin marula oil: super-absorbable oil, high in critical antioxidants and omegas 6 and 9, helps hydrate, nourish and rejuvenate skin.

-niacinamide: also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinic acid,niacinamide is a potent “cell-communicating” ingredient that restores aging skin and helps prevent moisture loss.

-sodium hyaluronate cross polymer: has a smaller molecular weight than hyaluronic acid and is able to deeply penetrate skin, delivering excellent hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while promoting firmness.

HOW TO USE DRUNK ELEPHANT SUKARI BABYFACIAL

Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial is gentle enough to use weekly. There's no recommended number of pumps you use but I found you only need 3 to 4 pumps to form a thin, even layer over your entire face. My skin is currently a bit dry and the product absorbed quickly, so I may have needed more product than a normal/oilier skin type. You apply the mask as the last step to your skincare routine, after your face has been thoroughly cleansed and dried. 

After leaving the mask on for 20 minutes, rinse completely with warm water and pat dry. It is recommended to follow the treatment with their Virgin Marula Luxury Oil, though I'm sure you could use any hydrating oil that doesn’t break you out unless you're willing to spend an extra $70 dollars.

MY EXPERIENCE

Like any new product you research for months on end before purchasing, I was excited when I finally got my hands on baby facial. It was like Christmas Day when it arrived in the mail, I couldn’t wait to rip the package open and see what this product was all about. At first it felt like one of those cruel jokes where there’s a box inside a box inside a box and then nothing inside, but eventually inside the 3rd box there it was-Babyfacial!

I am not huge on reading how many fl oz something contains so I really shouldn’t be complaining but I will say, it’s pretty small. I don’t know! It’s just if I spend $80 on something I want it to last me a while, 4-5 months maybe? This looks like it might last four uses, it’s just not very big so keep that in mind if you’re looking to purchase! Then again if you’re only using it once a week max, it will probably last 2-3 months but I’m not sure since you can’t see the product.

Oh yeah, did I mention that? You can’t see how much product is in the darn thing, I wish there was at least a little see through side bar that showed you how many uses you had left. What if you start to put the facial on, and only get done with half of your face before you run out? Hopefully they’re able to change this in the future!The packaging is cute though, I’m a sucker for anything baby pink and the design is nice. It’s something you definitely want to show off on your bathroom counter.

Anyways let’s get to the point- what was the mask like?! Well when I pressed down on the pump I fully expected an off color cream or gel to come out- maybe pink, or green? I’m used to masks being brightly colored ordarkly (if they contain clay or charcoal) but this one was a lightnude sheen. It almost looked like a lightweight B.B. cream in a way. I put a thin layer on and it absorbed quickly into my dry, sensitive skin. It did tingle a little bit but it wasn’t too extreme, it didn’t burn or anything! I only left the mask on for 15 minutes, instead of the recommended 20 since I know my skin can be sensitive to exfoliants. I made sure to thoroughly rinse with warm water and followed up with the trial sized marula oil that was included.

The next morning, my skin was softer and my scars were less noticeable, even hyperpigmentation seemed to fade. However, I had a cluster of white heads all around my mouth, some under the skin irritation and inflammation which ended up fading away in a few daysbutI’m not sold that it really helped my acne.Then again, it doesn’t claim to help acne. It does however claim to help with textural issues and uneven skin tone. I can definitely say I saw progress in these two areas but is it worth the risk of creating another problem? That I’m not sure of.

It’s a catch 22: I treat my scars but then end up with new whiteheads that I have to treat with more product.I didn’t use any other new products that week and the reaction was almost immediate, it should be noted that things like aha and bha can cause purging. Since you’re exfoliating the skin's surface it causes acne that’s deep under to be brought out, so increasing usage of bha/aha may be to blame on this one.It’s going to have to be a product that I try out again in the future, but for now I’ll stick to things that help my scars and don’t cause acne, like the banisher!

Another Drunk Elephant review is for their Acid Trip Kit. I’m not the type to buy skin care kits – I like to have complete control over my product selection – but the cute packaging and exceptional customer reviews of the Drunk Elephant Acid Trip kit convinced me to step outside my comfort zone for the first time.

The Drunk Elephant Acid Trip kit contains three products which promise to improve dullness, uneven skin texture and tone, as well as loss of firmness and elasticity. With a variety of skin-healthy acids, it claims to leave skin smooth, nourished, hydrated, and even.

I don’t know about you, but these are all things I want for my skin. So, I gave the kit an honest try.

THE DRUNK ELEPHANT ACID TRIP KIT

The Drunk Elephant Acid Trip Kit that I received contains three sample-sized products:

• 15 mL C-Firma Day Serum
• 15 mL T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
• 8 mL Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

Some kits also contain the Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial.

The packaging on all products is very cute, and while it’s not eco-friendly or minimalistic, it is functional, and I can appreciate that. I loved that the products all came in air-tight pumps and opaque packaging to preserve fickle ingredients.

MY SKIN

Having such temperamental, combination skin makes it hard to find products that work for all my skin’s needs.

My T-zone is super oily with acne and dry cheeks. On top of that, my skin is also sensitive, and I’m dealing with pigmentation and texture issues from years of sun and acne damage.

Thankfully, acids are amazing for this skin type. I had a good feeling this Drunk Elephant  Acid Trip kit would be right up my alley. And, boy, was I right!

C-FIRMA DAY SERUM

The C-Firma Day Serum is a blend of antioxidants such as l-ascorbic and ferulic acids, and vitamin E. It is supposed to protect the skin from damaging free radicals and improve the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. It also enzymatically exfoliates the skin, brightens, and hydrates.

I applied it all over my face, neck, chest and the backs of my hands after I let my acne treatment dry. The texture and consistency are that of a dry-ish oil, which spreads easily. Although it did absorb fairly quickly, it left a bit of a clammy, sticky feeling even after I applied my other products.

At first, it smelled of sweet citrus, but as I applied it, it began to smell like a rotten orange. The smell was off-putting and seemed to linger an unfortunately long time.The product didn’t look rancid, though, so I didn’t worry about it.

Although my skin did appear brighter and more consistent after use, I still prefer the vegan Banish Oil as my choice vitamin C product.

T.L.C. FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM

The Framboos Night Serum is an AHA/BHA gel blend that includes glycolic, tartaric, citric, and salicylic acids which are all fantastic for rejuvenating dull skin and improving acne by helping to shed dead cells.

The verdict? Run, don’t walk, to your nearest Sephora and get this. It’s a game changer!

This serum was pleasantly gentle and ridiculously effective!I noticed an immediate improvement in my complexion from just one use, and continued improvement as I used it again and again! My skin is:

• less oily
• pores don’t look as congested
• fine lines and wrinkles are plump and full
• skin texture is smoother
• complexion is even instead of blotchy and irritated

Mixing it with the Marula oil meant I didn’t experience any of the dryness and sensitivity like I have with other AHA/BHA products. It’s my new botox-in-a-bottle, and I’m never giving it up.It’s one of the few AHA/BHA products that has tackled my stubborn hormonal acne as well as my other skin issues.

VIRGIN MARULA LUXURY FACIAL OIL

And finally, the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil is pure and simple – 100% Marula oil. It’s an unrefined, naturally antimicrobial, highly absorbable oil that’s rich in antioxidants. It is supposed to deeply moisturize and rejuvenate your skin.

I followed the directions in the kit and used the Framboos and Marula together, which worked very well for my skin. The combo went on so smooth and absorbed almost instantly. I woke up with an ultra-glowing complexion that I didn’t even know my skin was capable of.

Marula oil is probably the most hydrating and non-greasy oil I’ve ever used on my skin, and I’ll definitely keep using it. It leaves my skin feeling:

• hydrated without feeling heavy
• supple and elastic

Sometimes acne treatments can dry out the skin, and oils just seem to be counterproductive for my acne. This Marula oil has changed that for me, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. Drunk Elephant sure knows their stuff!

Consider me a newly-converted enthusiast, because this Drunk Elephant Acid Trip kit blew. me. away! I ended up loving all the products and the results!The bottom line is, the kit does exactly what it claims to do, and that says a lot.

Overall, the convenience of trying smaller sizes is coupled with the incredible value you’re getting. I would recommend getting the entire kit to try it out if you want your skin to look brighter, more hydrated, even and supple!

Have you tried any of the  Drunk Elephant product line? Let us know what you tried and what you thought of them below!