I love Drunk Elephant. And I know lots of other people do too, not least because when friends come over to my apartment, they inevitably emerge from the restroom with glowing skin and a guilty look on their faces. I have a lot of products in my medicine cabinet, and it's always fascinating to see what they gravitate towards. And the brand they most often grab first is Drunk Elephant. That’s fair enough: It's one of the most-discussed brands on the internet. Got to see what the hype is all about. 

The brand is a leader in the “clean beauty” wave: founder Tiffany Masterson identified six “suspicious” ingredients that she believes were at the center of her biggest skin woes: essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances and dyes, and sodium laurel sulfate (or SLS, which significantly dries the skin).

Instead, ultra-nourishing marula oil is at the center of the Drunk Elephant's line—it's found across many of the brand’s hydrating, youth-perpetuating products. And the ingredient is also central to the brand’s own name: There’s a rumor that when elephants eat the fallen marula fruits, the natural alcohol from those fruits ferment inside the beasts and inebriates them. When applied to the skin, this virgin marula oil delivers immense amounts of antioxidants and fatty acids to cells, preserving suppleness and thwarting pollutants and toxins that accelerate skin’s natural aging.

All Drunk Elephant products are designed to work in tandem with one another. No need to layer them; you can stir your Vitamin C serum into the moisturizer and apply them together. Of course, you’re not going to mix your moisturizer and your scalp scrub and apply them together—unless you’re actually drunk—but you get the idea. 

It's a big lineup, and if you're interested in trying our Drunk Elephant for yourself, it can be hard to know where to start. Which is where we come in. We picked out the 10 Drunk Elephant products that are worth sneaking a sample of during a dinner party—or just picking up for yourself. 

The Best Drunk Elephant ProductsC-Firma Fresh Day serum

Drunk Elephant Vitamin C serum$78

Sephora

My favorite product from Drunk Elephant was recently reformulated to ensure that its vitamin C doesn't go stale—this is very important, given the skin-brightening ingredient is so volatile. You just combine the serum and powder on opening—you'll never have to worry about how long it's been sitting on the shelf. 

Protini Polypeptide moisturizer

Drunk Elephant peptide cream$68

Sephora

I like using "Protini" as a night cream, so that its powerful combination of amino acids, growth factors, and peptides can really sink their teeth into my skin; together these ensure firm, smooth, resilient complexion come morning. 

B-Hydra serum

Drunk Elephant hydrating serum$48

Sephora

Marula oil marries a blend of amino acids and fruit extracts in this restorative, hydration-boosting serum. Central to its success are firming ceramides (derived from pineapple) and moisture-trapping panthenol. It's like a shot of espresso for dull, dry skin.

Cocomino shampoo 

Drunk Elephant Shampoo$25

Sephora

Panthenol hydrates your hair and scalp while sacha inchi seed oil soothes the scalp and boosts shine. The key ingredient, though, is the coconut-based surfactants, which strip away excess grime and sebum while nourishing strands with body- and bounce-building amino acids.

C-Tango vitamin C eye cream

Drunk Elephant Vitamin C eye cream$64

Sephora

This eye cream counters dark circles and saggy, puffy eyes alike by combining five different types of the ingredient with eight skin-firming peptides. It nourishes instantly, and delivers quick results upon morning application—while continued use will drastically prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and skin thinning, over time.

F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial mask

Drunk Elephant overnight mask$52

Sephora

This is a once- or twice-weekly substitute for your go-to night cream, and it delivers some serious hydration to the skin, thanks to a quartet of electrolytes. Niacinamide evens-out surface texture; five types of ceramides deliver a formidable firmness; Vitamin F (rich in fatty acids) keeps skin supple while assisting the other ingredients in their nourishing, smoothing, and skin-balancing roles.

T.L.C. Happi Scalp scrub

Drunk Elephant scalp scrub$36

Sephora

Ultra-fine plant cellulose beads give this scrub a gentle buffing ability, but it's the combination of dead-cell-dissolving AHAs and BHAs that make the product sing. And it's that BHA (salicylic acid) that also tones oil levels in the scalp. So, not only to you stimulate circulation and boost nutrient deliver to the hair follicles, but you also prevent flakes and excess sebum production. Deploy this one twice weekly prior to a shampoo.

A-Gloei retinol oil

Drunk Elephant retinol oil$72

Sephora

Let this retinol oil be the last step in your nighttime skincare regimen, especially if you have dry and sensitive skin that is too vulnerable for prescription-grade retinol.

Virgin Marula face oil

Drunk Elephant face oil$68

Sephora

This heavy-duty face oil is Drunk Elephant's hero ingredient, marula, in its most concentrated form. Use it after your routine to keep everything locked in. 

T.L.C. Framboos glycolic acid night serum

Drunk Elephant resurfacing glycolic serum$90

Sephora

Glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids come together in this overnight resurfacing serum. Use it twice weekly to lift and dissolve dead skin cells, both at the surface of the skin and rapped within pores. This promotes a clearer, smoother, brighter complexion, by "resurfacing" your most youthful, lively cells. And it does so without major irritation, thanks to the inclusion of calming aloe juice.

Read MoreThe 10 Best Products from The Ordinary

The absolute best creams and serums from the number-one name in affordable skin care. 

By Adam Hurly



Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQGQ RecommendsBathroom and ShowerMoisturizerSkincare