A 360 View of Drunk Elephant: Is the Skincare Brand Safe for Kids and Adults?

The Gist:

• Drunk Elephant is a fairly natural, clean-ingredient skincare brand.
• Many people who have sensitive skin or are prone to breakouts love the company.
• The products are a pricier investment than drugstore skincare solutions.
• The brand makes many products that claim to be safe for use during pregnancy, as well as safe for kids and tweens — but not everyone agrees.

Trying new skincare products can be exciting. You might find something you love, like an ocean-safe sunscreen, or realize which new brands you want to avoid. Is Drunk Elephant a good brand to try when you’re attempting to solve a skincare challenge?

Check out this guide to learn everything you need to know about the trend, high-quality skincare company. You’ll learn how the ingredients could affect your skin and decide if it’s the best brand for your daily routine.

Drunk Elephant is a skincare brand dedicated to biocompatible ingredients, according to the brand’s philosophy. Everything in each product supports the skin’s microbiome to maintain its pH levels and absorb quickly. As per the company’s philosophy, Drunk Elephant also avoids the ingredients it calls the Suspicious 6:

• Drying alcohols
• Essential oils
• Chemical sunscreens
• Silicones
• Fragrances or dyes
• Foaming sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).

PETA confirms that Drunk Elephant products are truly cruelty-free, and aren’t available where laws require animal testing. Although not all Drunk Elephant products are fully vegan, 16 products are vegan, as noted by Cruelty-Free Kitty. More vegan products will hopefully follow in the future as the brand grows.

Pricing is the primary challenge consumers face while shopping with Drunk Elephant. The ingredients cost significantly than comparable products at drugstores, but they’re also why Drunk Elephant is so popular. For instance, a 50-milliliter (about 1.7-ounce) pot of the Protini Polypeptide Cream costs $68.

The high internet praise has people returning for more because the ingredients are an investment in their skin’s well-being, as noted in comments about the brand on Reddit.

That said, not everyone loves the brand. On one Reddit thread on the Ulta subreddit, someone who tried Drunk Elephant products said they found them to be "super drying" and "lackluster." Another commented that they were "Totally not impressed."

Drunk Elephant has also been the subject of several controversies, including the brand deleting customers' comments complaining about the products hurting their skin, and the brand being sued by L'Oréal for alleged patent infringement.

There are mixed thoughts on this topic across the internet.

Drunk Elephant claims to be good for kids, according to an Instagram post from the brand’s founder, Tiffany Masterson. She notes that kids and teenagers should avoid the products with retinol and acids until their skin develops with time, and the post lists which products are allegedly safe for kids to use.

The brand also makes its products for people who don’t follow specific steps in their skincare routine. The Drunk Elephant website encourages its fans to make skincare smoothies by mixing their favorite products and applying them simultaneously. It’s much easier for young beauty enthusiasts to get into skincare routines when there aren’t specific steps to follow.

Kids may know more about things like skincare brands because they live in a world with digital health resources and marketing. Digital health providers make healthcare accessible at home with virtual appointments and widely available information, per Pathstone Partners. Young kids and teens might pick up on this information by searching the web, spending time on social media (Drunk Elephant products are mainstays in "get ready with me" videos on TikTok), or reading forums where experts write their thoughts about various skincare trends.

All that being said, some people on the internet warn kids against using Drunk Elephant products. Another Reddit thread on the Ulta subreddit — supposedly an "Employee Only" discussion — is titled "Do you warn parents about Drunk Elephant products?" In the thread, numerous comments (from people who all claim to be Ulta staff) discussed why Drunk Elephant products are not truly what's best for young skin, and debated whether it's worth warning customers about this.

Drunk Elephant is allegedly safe for use in pregnancy, according to the brand’s FAQ page. The same answer recommends skipping A-Gloei, A-Shaba, A-Passioni and Babyfacial without listing why. To be safe, always the ingredients list to your primary care provider to determine if your desired Drunk Elephant products are best for use during pregnancy.