REVIEW: Why Is Drunk Elephant Protini a Different Level of Moisturising Cream

Drunk Elephant Protini Cream
Photo Credit: Drunk Elephant Facebook
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Brand
Drunk Elephant
Product
Protini™ Polypeptide Moisturizer
Where to Buy

Nowadays, moisturisers come in all shapes and forms — often touting one or more wonder ingredient that supposedly makes it more effective than the rest.

Among the ingredients that are totally worth the hype are peptides — these naturally occurring amino acids in the skin. Also known as polypeptides, they make up certain proteins needed by the skin, including collagen. By adding peptides to your skincare routine you can stimulate the skin to make collagen, and this, in turn, can lead to firmer, younger-looking skin.

If you haven’t heard yet, Drunk Elephant Protini is among those that offer the promising benefits of peptides — it’s regarded as one of the best face moisturizer out there. A protein moisturiser that boasts of having nine signal peptides in its formula, it’s said to restore younger, revived-looking skin, almost from the first application. Its moisturising effects can reduce fine lines, wrinkles and signs of sun damage, as the skin feels strengthened and protected.

But because the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream doesn’t come cheap (say $68 for a 50 ml tub), you may want to find out more about the product before you decide to go on a skincare splurge.

Let’s first take a closer look at Drunk Elephant Protini: learn how to use Drunk Elephant Protini Cream, pore over some of the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream reviews, and look at some of the Drunk Elephant Protini before and after photos online.

This way, we’ll help you decide whether the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is really right on the money when it comes to everything that it claims to do.

The Drunk Elephant Skincare Brand

The Drunk Elephant skincare brand differentiates itself from its competitors by choosing ingredients based on biocompatibility. Rather than being hung up on whether something is synthetic or natural, Drunk Elephant selects ingredients that either directly benefit the health of the skin, or support the integrity of their formulations.

The brand strives to provide skincare products that maintain healthy pH levels and formulations that the skin recognizes. It also focuses on a small molecular structure that’s easily absorbed, and effective active ingredients that support and maintain the skin’s acid mantle.

That said, Drunk Elephant makes sure to avoid adding what they call the Suspicious 6™ (which they believe are at the root of almost every skin issue) from their product line. These include essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes, and SLS.

You may also want to read: REVIEW: Is the Drunk Elephant Retinol Cream the Key to Younger-Looking Skin?

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream: How It Works

Imagine Drunk Elephant Protini as a powerful shot of protein powder for your skin, helping to maintain collagen and encouraging its production.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is able to do this because it’s jam-packed with rich levels of amino acids, growth factors and signal peptides. This hardworking moisturiser melts right into the skin to keep it hydrated, protected and balanced.

With a special formulation of peptides, pygmy waterlily stem cell extract, soybean folic acid ferment extract and acetyl glutamine, the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream can definitely restore depleted and tired skin to its former glory. As such, you can say that this silky water-gel moisturiser could be the perfect defence against the signs of ageing.

The Key Ingredients of Drunk Elephant Protini Cream

  • Signal Peptide Complex (growth factors) – Nine signal peptides (made up of amino acids, which form proteins in the skin) bind moisture for that firm, plump and bouncy skin.
  • Pygmy Waterlily Stem Cell Extract – Extremely moisturizing, soothing, and calming the pygmy waterlily stem cell extract can support healthy, youthful-looking skin. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and nutrients to replenish the skin.
  • Soybean Folic Acid Ferment Extract – Especially after sun exposure, our skin is thirsty for folic acid. This B vitamin plays a key role in maintaining youthful, elastic skin.
  • Acetyl Glutamine – An amino acid that helps soothe and strengthen skin.

How to Use Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

Drunk Elephant Protini comes in an airtight pump tub applicator, so all you need to do is “pump” the teal palette and the perfect single-dose moisturizer comes out.

If you’re wondering when is the best time to apply a moisturizer, you can use Drunk Elephant Protini morning and night. After cleansing and drying, the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream can be used with any of the brand’s serums, creams, or oils as part of a total skin-care solution.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream Reviews

What Beauty Bloggers and Beauty Magazines Say

To help you get a sense of what industry experts thought about the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, we’ve summarised the reviews by some of the top beauty bloggers and beauty magazines!

Holly Rhue, Byrdie

Holly Rhue of Byrdie after trying Drunk Elephant Protini
Holly Rhue. Photo Credit: Byrdie

Since trying it for the first time more than two years ago, I’ve consistently been using it every day as a daytime moisturizer, only pausing for a few days or weeks when I’m testing a new moisturizer.

For Byrdie’s Holly Rhue, the Drunk Elephant Protini Cream has been a miracle moisturiser for her over-exfoliated, acne-prone skin, and she highly recommends it to be part of your daily skincare routine. Although she mentions that Drunk Elephant Protini was a bit slow to absorb on the skin, there should be no problems once the moisturiser has dried — it can even double as a primer for makeup.

Holly also agrees that $68 might seem like a lot for a daily moisturizer, but she explained that the value lies in what Drunk Elephant Protini Cream does over time. After a month of using the product, she noticed an improvement in the lines under her eyes, zero dry patches, and fewer breakouts. In two months’ time, she felt like her skin barrier is strong enough to regulate the excessive oil production on her face.

Mara Leighton, Insider

I wish the Drunk Elephant products were less expensive (which goes for the industry at large), but I truly love using them, and (if it came down to it) would probably rather pay more than risk any scary ingredients or questionable synthetics in something I regularly let my skin absorb.

According to Mara Leighton of Insider, she loves the Drunk Elephant Protini Cream because it moisturises her skin well, but she loves it more for how quickly and totally it’s absorbed.  

As for the cost, she thinks that it’s worth it because the product is safe, effective, and fast-absorbing. If you’re looking to spend a little extra for better skin care, she highly recommends Drunk Elephant Protini.   

Caitlin Brody, Glamour

I normally use a moisturizer with a lighter feel during the day because I don’t want to look greasy, but this is the perfect texture that feels incredibly moisturizing and light, without feeling heavy.

In Glamour’s roundup of the best Drunk Elephant Products, entertainment director Caitlin Brody talks about how the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream absorbs into her skin right away, leaving it nice and plump. She’s also a fan of the product’s packaging, saying that it enables her to dispense the perfect amount of moisturiser without sticking her finger in the jar.  

Lauren, The Honest Beauty Review

drunk elephant protini before and after photo from the honest beauty review
Photo Credit: The Honest Beauty Review

I’m really excited about the line smoothing results I got. The biggest difference I noticed was a plumping effect to the wrinkle above my left eye.

In an article on her blog The Honest Beauty Review, Lauren says that after using the Drunk Elephant Protini Cream, her skin felt noticeably tighter the next morning. While she could not exactly say whether it’s from the firming effects of the peptides, or her skin was just craving more moisture from this cream, her skin nonetheless felt smooth and the flakiness from the night before disappeared.   

Cierra Miller, STYLECASTER

Cierra Miller of STYLECASTER after trying Drunk Elephant Protini
Cierra Miller. Photo Credit: STYLECASTER

The holy grail moisturizer! I slather this one all over my face and neck, morning and night.

STYLECASTER graphic designer Cierra Miller tried using only Drunk Elephant skincare products for a month. For her expereince with Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, she slathered this moisturiser all over her face and neck, twice a day. Since it’s a gel-cream hybrid, she finds that the product sits well underneath makeup without feeling too thick.

Jayla Andrulonis, Real Simple

This anti-aging moisturizer is so good, my mom has been “borrowing” it from me non-stop.

As for Jayla Andrulonis of Real Simple, she reports that in just one week of use, she noticed that her skin was not only much more hydrated throughout the day, but her fine lines became less visible and her complexion looked brighter

Jayla also loves that the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream pairs well with other products to amplify their benefits. She’s not surprised then, that her mom kept borrowing her tub of Drunk Elephant Protini after she recommended it for her dry skin.

What the Internet Says

For a more honest and comprehensive review, we’ve scoured the internet to learn what people have to say regarding the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. Here’s what we’ve found on Reddit and Twitter:

The Believers:

  • 80% gave Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream a positive review, and agreed that the product was effective
  • 65% loved this moisturiser, and said that Drunk Elephant Protini is among their favourite skincare products
  • 30% were impressed by the product’s moisturising benefits and loved how their skin felt after using Drunk Elephant Protini Cream
  • 27% were a fan of the texture — they said that Drunk Elephant Protini felt light and was fully absorbed by their skin
  • 12% believes that the price is totally worth it
  • 7% said the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream gave them healthy, glowing and brighter skin
  • 7% enjoyed several other benefits of Drunk Elephant Protini Cream, which include soothing inflamed skin, clearing acne, and tightening pores
  • 5% loved the fact that this moisturiser is fragrance-free

The Naysayers:

  • 11% felt that Drunk Elephant Protini did not provide adequate hydrating benefits for their skin, and some said they had to compensate with another skincare product
  • 8% said they experienced some type of adverse reaction such as a breakout

Over to You

With tonnes of choices for a moisturiser, you may be wondering why you need to spend more for a particular brand. In the case of the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, our research reveals it’s a worthy skincare investment.

With its breakthrough formula that combines a concentrated array of signal peptides, growth factors, supportive amino acids and pygmy waterlily, you can expect that Drunk Elephant Protini Cream can deliver younger, healthy-looking skin.

After learning all about Drunk Elephant Protini, having read all these  Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream reviews and having seen some Drunk Elephant Drunk Elephant Protini before and after photos, it’s time to decide whether you want to indulge and experience this product’s well-loved moisturising benefits for yourself.

Worth the Splurge
With the product's excellent moisturising benefits, a sought-after lightweight texture and convenient packaging that dispenses the right amount of product each time, the Drunk Elephant Protini Cream is a must for every skincare enthusiast.
Price
70
Effectiveness
93
Texture
96
Packaging
92
Ingredients
90
Peptides and botanical extracts provide excellent hydration
Functional tub container
Priced higher than most moisturisers
88