Line We Love: Non-Toxic Skincare Brand Drunk Elephant

Tiffany Masterson is the founder of Drunk Elephant, a line she created to eliminate any “question marks” in her beauty products. Every product in the lineup is formulated without the use of toxins, synthetics and other irritants like parabens, silicones and phthalates. Inspired by the “less is more” approach, the mother of four began selling a cleansing bar from Malaysia, which she said was “a great opportunity to learn about ingredients, talk to beauty industry professionals and to customers like me, who wanted to have healthy, young-looking skin.” Masterson was having a hard time recommending products beyond the small bar because of all the toxin-filled products on the market. “Eventually, I realized that to get the kind of products I wanted, I would have to develop them myself. So I did!” she said.

Founder Tiffany Masterson; Image: Courtesy of Drunk Elephant

Not only did Masterson set out to create a skincare line free of controversial ingredients, but she went a step further by removing any irritants like essential oils or synthetic fragrances that are harsh on skin, while keeping a clinically efficacious formula that contains the highest percentages of ingredients like vitamin C and glycolic. “So in addition to being non-toxic, these formulations deliver results without any interference from the unnecessary additives that don’t need to be there and that keep the expensive actives from doing their job,” explained Masterson. And so, the line was born. “I came up with a simple system that includes two cleansers (one exfoliating, one not), a 15 percent vitamin C product that I believe needs to be used daily to reverse and prevent free radical damage, an unrefined moisturizing oil, a physical sunblock and finally, a chemical exfoliate with 12 percent glycolic that is non-irritating and really effective.”

With Drunk Elephant, we know what we’re getting and skin-friendly ingredients are all good in our book. The standout that caught our eye is the Virgin Marula Oil, which Masterson discovered on an ingredient-scouting trip that also led to the brand’s playful name. “I googled [marula oil] and a video came up showing elephants eating the marula fruit and acting very tipsy. I didn’t think I could call my brand ‘Drunk Elephant,’ but when I started asking around, I realized that not only could I, but that it would be very attention-grabbing and unforgettable. I couldn’t resist and the formulations are serious enough that we needed a shot of playfulness in there someplace,” said Masterson.

Below, we’re sharing the current offerings from Drunk Elephant and we’re already hoping for more from the new brand. When asked if she would ever go into haircare, Masterson said, “Possibly. I’d love to do that because I think our breakouts on face, back and chest can oftentimes be attributed to ingredients in our shampoo and conditioner.” We’ll stay tuned, but in the meantime, Drunk Elephant is working on expanding its distribution and a brand new peptide-filled eye serum that addresses aging around the eye area and can be used on eyelids. Check it out in the slideshow below.