Drunk Elephant girl?
Tiffany Masterson's skincare philosophy is simple: reset your skin, pare back your regimen and reap the rewards. But what does the woman behind the fast-selling cult brand, Drunk Elephant have to say about investing in skincare? Take a look below.
Talk us through the philosophy behind Drunk Elephant.
“I really wanted to create a new category that represented the best of clinical and the best of natural, combined to make a clean, compatible and clinically-effective skin care option. We leave out sensitisers like chemical screens and essential oils and we use high percentages of potent actives such as L-Ascorbic Acid and Glycolic. Focusing in on safe, pH-balanced skincare that resets skin back to a healthy state was important to me.”
What’s the biggest misconception you’ve come across when it comes to women and their skin?
“That essential oils are good for skin. I believe they break down collagen and imperceptibly and cumulatively sensitise the skin, creating the ‘sensitive skin’ we hear about from over 95% of our clients. We don’t need marketing ingredients in our skin care, we need ingredients that are there to either directly benefit the health of our skin, or support the formulation’s safety and efficacy. We don’t believe as much in sensitive skin as we do insensitive ingredients.”
Talk us through your choice to eliminate certain ingredients form your products.
“It was pretty simple really. I looked at the synthetic side and took out any potential internally disruptive, toxic ingredients. Basically the same ones you hear about over and over and that are a problem in the minds of most consumers. Then I looked at the natural side and took out the sensitisers and irritants that I believe wreak havoc on our skin. The result is a non-toxic, clinically effective, synthetic and natural line like nothing most people have really tried before.”
What advice do you have for someone looking to pare back their skin care routine but doesn’t know where to start?
“I would start with a pH-balanced cleanser, an antioxidant rich moisturizer, a great chemical exfoliant and a physical block. We always recommend avoiding chemical screens, essential oils, silicones and fragrances/dyes. Once you’ve been successfully on this routine for a couple of weeks, you can start to reintroduce some of these ingredients one at a time to make sure none of them are problematic for your skin; it’s like a cleanse for skin. [The skin] is our largest organ and can function at a higher level once reset."
