DRUNK ELEPHANT | SLAAI MAKEUP-MELTING BUTTER CLEANSER

This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, The Best Cleansing Balms for Dry Skin, Oily Skin and Sensitive Skin. You can still catch the full piece here.

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Drunk Elephant kills it with everything they introduce — at least for me. The clean skincare brand recently introduced a wonderful cleansing water, the Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water. I copped myself a bottle the day it came out and reviewed it over the summer in a blog article titled, New Cleansers that Get Me Excited to Wash My Face. If you didn’t catch my review of the E-Rase Milki Micellar Water, you can find it here.

One reason I was so excited about the new Drunk Elephant micellar cleanser is because I’m a big fan of the brand’s cleansing balm, the oddly named Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser. I guess the name is very Drunk Elephant, but it’s still weird to me nonetheless!

As expected, the Slaai cleansing balm is a thick, rich and luxuriously buttery treatment that smells like olive oil — though actually there’s no olive oil in it. There is, however, a plant oil mélange that Drunk Elephant refers to as a Nourishing Oil Blend.

This replenishing complex of non-fragrant plant oils comprises Safflower Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Açai Fruit Oil and, of course, the brand’s beloved Marula Oil. All of these combine with multiple antioxidant botanical extracts for a wonderfully soothing cleansing experience.

But perhaps what I love most about the Slaai cleansing balm is something that’s not actually in the formula itself. Slaai comes with this small tube of Bamboo and Charcoal Powder.

It’s so delightful and gives you the option of turning the super gentle Slaai cleansing experience into a bit of an exfoliating treatment.

I gotta say, whoever thought of that is a genius. There aren’t many exfoliating cleansing balms out there. In fact, I know of nary a single one.

So the option to add a smidgen of gentle exfoliating grains to the balm is super cool.

Why is charcoal good for skin? (or isn’t it?!)
There’s an intriguing piece on the online Beauty site Byrdie about the mixed benefits of charcoal titled, Turns Out Your Charcoal Sldncare Products Might Not Be Doing All They Claim. Here’s what Byrdie has to say:
The natural ingredient has long been used in medicine to remove toxins in the body, but the idea that charcoal can do the same for your skin isn't backed up by research—just countless theories and testimonials, and convincing ones at that.
So what do we do with all those charcoal masks we’ve all stockpiled? It’s a confusing spot to be in, so we enlisted the help of skincare experts Michelle Wong, a content creator at Lab Muffin Beauty Science with a chemistry PhD, and Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Entière Dermatology, to fill us in on the facts about using charcoal for skin benefits. Scroll ahead for their expert insight.
Theoretically, the “stickiness” of charcoal works to treat acne and detoxify the skin by removing dirt and oil, but Wong says these claims lack the science and research needed to back them up. According to Levin, it’s unclear whether its ability to remove toxins can be translated to removing them from the skin through topical application.

As cool as it is, though, I have to admit I rarely use the exfoliating powder blend. It’s kind of like having a pool in your apartment complex. Nice to have, but how often do you partake? (I don’t think I've ever been swimming in any of the pools in my apartment buildings. Too many kids and onlookers!)

No matter, I’m not expecting the Slaai cleansing balm to do anything but cleanse — really well.

All of those replenishing plant oils not only help break down surface oils, but they leave the skin deeply moisturized. Something I can’t get enough of in the cold!

With its balance of oils and extracts, and the option to add purifying charcoal powder to your cleansing routine, the Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser is the best cleansing balm for all skin types.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser for $34 here.

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