The arrival of Drunk Elephant to our shores certainly caused quite a splash. However, two things stopped me in my tracks – the price point and the fact that not all the products are worth their weight in gold judging by the rave reviews. I completely bypassed any influencer’s opinion who had received a generous hamper of freebies and decided to wait till the hype died down.
When it comes to good skincare that delivers, a cleansing product is usually a good starting point and Drunk Elephant recently debuted its Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser. The last three are my trigger-happy words and retailing at a reasonably priced £29, I immediately placed an order on Cult Beauty.
In case you didn’t know, Drunk Elephant was founded by Tiffany Masterson, who wanted a clean break from toxins and the ‘Suspicious 6’ (essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical screens, fragrance/dyes and SLSs), thus creating a new category in beauty and skincare dubbed as ‘Clean-Clinical’.
The name ‘Drunk Elephant’ is unusual but there is meaning behind it – apparently it is rooted in a myth that says the elephants love to eat the fruit that has fallen from Marula trees. Once eaten, fermations occurs inside their very large tummies and the elephants become drunk. Virgin Marula oil, straight from the “pip”, can be found throughout the Drunk Elephant line. It is an oil that Tiffany Masterson believes is superior to any she’s tried due to the high content of fatty acids and antioxidants.
The Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser (which also comes with a physical exfoliant Bamboo Booster) is a balm-to-oil-to-milk formula, effectively melting away all traces of dirt, make up and sunscreen from skin, while the Bamboo Booster helps to clear build-up for a radiant complexion.
The balm, which is fragrance-free, is infused with clean, anti-oxidant rich fruit extracts and oils to help soothe skin while an African oil blend of marula, baobab, Kalahari melon, mongongo and ximenia, intensely moisturises, restores elasticity and a youthful glow, softens and dissolves make-up. It’s designed to use directly on dry skin, melting quickly into an oil before adding water to emulsify into a milk that rinses away although it is perfectly fine to wipe off with a damn flannel. The balm comes with a small tube of a bamboo exfoliator (made from ultra-fine bamboo and charcoal spheres) which can be used once or twice a week either in the morning or evening.
In a bid to cut down on using and discarding cotton pads (and the ultimate test in how effective a cleansing product is), I have been using this balm straight onto dry skin with a full face of make-up as part of stage one of cleansing and it removes every trace – mascara, foundation, eyeshadow…the whole shebang and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. A small amount is all that’s needed and it comes with this fantastic magnetic spoon that neatly sticks to the lid so no more scrambling about or losing it.
Drunk Elephant’s cleanser reminds me of Pestle & Mortar’s Erase Cleansing Balm except the latter is slightly dearer at £34 for 100ml (Drunk Elephant is £29 for 110ml). I reckon with daily use, this will last 3-4 months. You know, it feels like a mini facial every time I use a cleansing balm. That’s probably why I like a balm more than a cleansing oil. Any way, this is a superb product – effective, good for the skin and definitely worth its weight in gold.
Drunk Elephant’s Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser is also available from Space NK for £29.
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