Kamili is a body wash from Drunk Elephant for all skin types, formulated with mild surfactants to gently cleanse and plant oils and amino acids to soothe, strengthen and moisturize the skin. This product claims to create a rich foam that lifts dirt and other residue without drying the skin.
Kamili contains coconut-based surfactants, an amino acid blend to strengthen and soothe skin and plant-based oils that provide moisture. There is no added fragrance, just the natural scent of the ingredients (sweet almond).
Directions: Apply to wet skin, massage and rinse. It is suggested to follow with Drunk Elephant’s Sili Body Lotion. Drunk Elephant says Kamili can be used to cleanse the face as well.
I have combination skin on my body; dry legs and back and oily chest. I have keratosis pilaris on my legs and arms and acne on my chest. I usually use Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash which I do not need much of to make a rich, long-lasting lather due to the sodium laureth sulfate. When I use the Aveeno, my back tends to feel dry and itchy, so I wanted to try something else.
Kamili has cocamidopropyl betaine, a surfactant often used in sulfate-free shampoo that makes the lather. Kamili has light, soft, rich bubbles when massaged onto a bath poof (if using just the hands, it does not lather much), but I need to use about twice as much body wash than I would using a wash containing sulfates (perhaps to be expected).The foam does not last long on the body or the poof. I’ll wash my whole body, shave one leg (I just use body wash to shave) and by the time I go to the other leg, the bubbles are almost gone. I tried to “reactivate” the bubbles on the poof by massaging again and adding water, which does not work, and I have to add more body wash.
The body wash itself cleanses well and rinses well with no residue. My skin feels moisturized and a bit softer and my back does not get dry or itchy. Kamili is more enjoyable to use than other body washes; I think because of the softness of the bubbles and the almond scent. The acne and breakouts on my chest remained the same (though I did not really expect the body wash to help).
I’ve used Kamili a few times on the face as well. I have oily/combination skin. This product foams a bit while massaging with the fingers. It cleanses well (needs a double cleanse for makeup and sunscreen) and rinses well, however, after rinsing and drying, the skin feels quite dry on its own and to the touch and I would not continue to use this product as a facial cleanser.
While Drunk Elephant’s Kamili Cream Body Cleanser is moisturizing, has soft bubbles and is nice to use, the bubbles do not last long and I need to use quite a bit of product. I likely will not repurchase.
E-Rase by Drunk Elephant is a micellar water with a milky texture that claims to gently and thoroughly remove makeup, sunscreen, pollution, dirt and bacteria from the skin (no rinsing needed) without causing sensitivity or irritation and makes the skin feel clean and soft.
To remove oil, dirt and makeup at the end of the day, I usually use The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser. I have not used a micellar water previously, so have nothing to compare Drunk Elephant E-Rase to, but I see the Bioderma and Garnier micellar waters being used a lot online that are much less expensive than E-Rase.
E-Rase has a micellar blend, gentle surfactants that attract and capture dirt, debris and pollution which are then wiped away; a ceramide blend that helps soothe and balance moisture of the skin and protects against water loss; watermelon oil that soothes, moisturizes and provides a protective barrier; vitamin E and plant oils.
Directions: E-Rase can be used as a cleanser and makeup remover. Shake before use and gently smooth over face, eyes, and lips with a soft cotton pad, holding for a few seconds on heavily made-up areas. Do not scrub, tug or rub the skin. E-Rase can be used anytime, and in between cleanses. No rinsing needed.
Going through some Instagram comments, Drunk Elephant says that E-Rase, if not rinsed, will not break down any actives or prevent absorption of actives and other products applied on top (this was my worry; if I use a serum or oil-containing product after E-Rase that the micelles would attract and break down some of the product). According to Drunk Elephant, it can be used before a traditional cleanser or after (similar to how I would use a toner, though E-Rase is not marketed as a toner and if I remember correctly, Drunk Elephant feels toners are unnecessary). They say not to skip the usual nighttime cleanse as an important step to remove makeup, product, pollution, oil and bacteria (so I gather this means E-Rase is more of a light or first-step cleanser not meant to replace a regular or thorough (double) cleanse routine).
E-Rase is a white, slightly thick-ish, slippery liquid with a smooth texture and no scent. It does not feel heavy or greasy when left on the skin and does not leave a film. Throughout my review of this product, E-Rase is not drying or irritating; the skin feels soothed and lightly moisturized and has not caused breakouts, blackheads or congestion.
I purchased E-Rase mainly for my kids to get them interested in skin care (they don’t particularly like splashing the face with water and love the name Drunk Elephant), but wanted to try it for myself as well. I have oily but dehydrated skin prone to breakouts and congestion. I have used E-Rase for 10 days thus far, trying it a few ways (morning cleanse, evening cleanse when not wearing makeup, as a makeup remover before my usual evening cleanse, before and after working out and as a toner/moisturizer). I apply with Klairs Toner Mates. The textured pads do not absorb much product and are great at helping remove makeup and debris, and the sponge pads dispense product back to the skin and can be held over the eyes or areas of heavy makeup to help dissolve and remove product.
Above, I cleansed the face and neck in the morning with E-Rase. I was surprised at the dirt accumulated on my face while sleeping and my skin gets pretty oily over night. My skin does not feel oily after using E-Rase, so it works well to remove oils. In the after photo above, there is no residue or film over the skin and the redness looks calmed down (though may be due to difference in lighting). The skin feels soft and lightly moisturized where I do not feel the need to use another moisturizer (my skin is oily and the weather hot at the time of this review).
Drunk Elephant does not advocate cleansing the skin in the morning (other than with water), however, the above is a good indication for why I want to. I usually use NIOD Sanskrit Saponins as a morning mask/cleanse.
For the last couple mornings, I have been cleansing with Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator, which makes my skin shiny, tight and dry, so I have been applying E-Rase as a moisturizer which has been soothing and hydrating and makes the skin soft.
I use E-Rase before working out to cleanse off any makeup and sunscreen, and then after to get rid of sweat, dirt and oils.
For the above photos, I used E-Rase as a makeup/sunscreen remover in the evening, shaking product on to the textured Klairs cotton pads and sweeping over the face, as I wanted to see how easily makeup was removed. I held the cotton pads over the eyes and lips for a few seconds to help with removal. This is a light, everyday makeup. Products used:
I used four cotton pads, applying E-Rase to each, and swiped a toner over the face for the fifth. There was still a bit of makeup residue, indicating, as mentioned by Drunk Elephant, that a second cleanse is needed. E-Rase takes off the mascara well. There is a bit of eyeliner around the bottom lashes and a bit of lip color left. The face makeup and sunscreen were taken off well. E-Rase is not irritating to the eyes. Touching the skin, I do not feel any makeup or sunscreen residue. Using E-Rase this way uses quite a bit of product and a number of disposable cotton pads (I should have used both sides). With a full coverage, heavy makeup even more product and cotton pads would need to be used. My skin was also a bit red and irritated using this number of textured pads, particularly as I have been using Retin-A in the evening.
For the above photos (using the same sunscreen and makeup products), I patted E-Rase all over the face using one Klair’s sponge pad (alternatively, I could pat it on the skin with my fingers) and let sit for about 15 seconds, swiping off with the textured pads (cleanse 1, 2 and 3). For cleanse 2 and 3, I applied more E-Rase to the pads. Dabbing product on the face first with the fingers or the sponge pad worked better to cleanse the eye and lip makeup and was less irritating to the skin.
Finally, I tried E-Rase as a I would a cleansing balm, applying to the face and massaging in for 30 seconds, concentrating on the eye and lip areas, then rinsing. Most of the product seemed to be absorbed into the skin as I was massaging. While rinsing, I could still feel the sunscreen on my face. As shown in the photo above, after rinsing with water, I swiped toner over the face to see how clean the skin got. If I cleanse this way again, I would apply more E-Rase to a cotton pad and swipe over the face, as there was still quite a bit of makeup left and I could still feel sunscreen residue on the face (not really unexpected as E-Rase is not made to emulsify as a balm would, but needs to be wiped away).
E-Rase would be handy to have while traveling or camping when unable to take along a whole skin care routine (but a screw lid with a small hole at the top of the bottle would be preferred, I foresee the pop top opening in a bag).
Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water is soothing, moisturizing and does not leave a film on the skin. It is not drying or irritating. It is relatively versatile, used as a makeup remover, cleanser, toner and moisturizer and works very well at softening and removing clay masks. It does remove makeup, however, not as well as a cleansing balm or oil would, needing multiple cotton pads and an excess amount of product (I was impressed by its ability to remove eye makeup, however). I prefer E-Rase to Drunk Elephant’s Slaai cleansing balm.
I probably would not use this as my main daily makeup remover (I prefer The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser), but would consider purchasing again for camping trips, for those mornings or evenings when I am in a hurry and do not have a lot of time to do a whole routine, as a quick refresh before and after working out and in a minimal routine as a toner/moisturizer.
Sili is made up of plant oils and butters, amino acids, antioxidants and five ceramides to moisturize, provide a protective barrier and nourish and rejuvenate the skin. For a moisturizer to be complete and effective, it should contain an emollient, an occlusive and a humectant, all of which Sili is formulated with. Ceramides are lipids found in the upper layers of the skin forming a protective barrier, protecting against moisture loss and damage from the environment.
Directions: Massage over body until absorbed. Can be used on wet skin and can be used on the face as well.
This is a light-weight lotion. Like Drunk Elephant’s other body and hair products, Sili has a sweet almond scent (think almond extract); the natural scent of the product as there are no added fragrances. The scent lasts for only seconds.
I have dry shins and normal skin elsewhere on the body, other than very dry hands. I’ve used Sili daily after showering for over a month now. On application, the skin has a smooth, soft and silky feeling, with a light protective layer left behind. It is not heavy or greasy and absorbs quickly. On application to the hands, the skin has a silky feeling with relief of the dryness for about 10 minutes. After this, the skin feels dry again, but still has the silky layer that lasts on the skin over a couple light hand washes. After a month of twice-daily use as a hand lotion, there is some improvement of surface hydration, but nowhere near the improvement I would expect (the skin still feels dry, though does not really look dry). My shins are dry (not visibly excessively so, but feel dry to the touch compared to the rest of the leg) and I have to use quite a bit of product for the skin to feel moisturized and protected and even after a month, while softer, the skin still feels dry. Elsewhere on the body, while there is not much difference in terms of hydration, the skin is softer. The skin has the smooth silky feeling for a few hours after application. I used the lotion a few times on my face. I have oily skin and this provided moisture and a protective layer over the skin.
Over the last week, I have been adding a couple drops of moisturizing oils (trying squalane, rose hip and the Briogeo hair oil) to the Sili, then applying to the hands and body and this seems to increase hydration and protection of the skin immediately and throughout the day, so Sili just is not moisturizing enough for dry skin. It maintains normal skin, however.
Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion absorbs quickly, is not greasy, improves softness of the skin and leaves a silky protective layer, preventing water loss, however, is not very moisturizing. This would better suited to the face and neck (I use on my underarms as well) and normal skin with very minimal dryness and would provide light hydration in warmer weather. I do prefer Sili over the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream in terms of softness and silkiness of the skin. I likely would not repurchase.
Sweet Pitti is a cream deodorant from Drunk Elephant’s new body care line that is free of baking soda, aluminum, fragrance and essential oils. This claims to soothe the underarms and keep odor at bay.
Mandelic acid is an AHA that kills odor-causing bacteria. Arrowroot powder absorbs wetness from sweat. Shea butter is an emollient that provides skin barrier protection.
Directions: Only needs to be applied once a day and “always” to clean dry skin. Can be applied with fingertips. I find the instruction “always” apply to clean and dry skin odd; what if I want to reapply after a workout or being in hot weather because of underarm odor or wetness or does it not work well unless it is applied to clean skin. Getting further instructions from Instagram comments, one application is a 1/4 turn of the dial, which dispenses 1.2 mL of product. Using it this way, there are 50 single underarm applications (or 25 uses applying to both underarms).
Other baking soda-free deodorants I’ve tried use magnesium for underarm bacteria odor rather than mandelic acid. This is a cream formula; like a thin face cream. There are no essential oils or added fragrance; the natural scent of this product is sweet almond, like the other body products from Drunk Elephant. It smells like the almond extract used in baking. The scent lasts only minutes. With no added fragrance, I can get a sense of how well this works without a fragrance to just mask the odor.
I like that this deodorant comes in a twist container rather than a jar; less messy that way. One application is a 1/4 turn of the dial. I feel like this is way too much. Using this amount takes a long time to rub in until the deodorant creates an invisible layer. I use a bit more than a pea size for each underarm; usually with cream deodorants, I’ll see instructions that say to use a pea size. I tried applying by rubbing the container under the arm; that does not work well. Rubbing in with the fingers works much better. This does create an invisible protective layer that is felt under the arm once it dries. It is not sticky. I like the cream formula rather than the paste-type deodorants I have used, but it does take longer to rub into an invisible layer than these formulas. It felt nice and a bit moisturizing under the arms.
Wearing the deodorant just around the house, it lasts all day (9 to 10 hours). Applying at night to help with wetness and odor while sleeping worked somewhat. The underarms were less smelly, but not completely free of odor. I applied 3 hours before a workout. After my workout, I had quite sweaty underarms and I am not sure Sweet Pitti absorbed much sweat while working out (it had, by that point, likely absorbed as much as it could). There was a slight odor, definitely much less than not having worn deodorant. I wanted to try this after already sweaty considering this should “always” be applied to clean dry skin. I applied after my workout and was surprised it absorbed quite a bit of the wetness, but there was still a slight odor. I applied one morning after waking up stinky and sweaty and some sweat was absorbed, but none of the odor. I applied before going for a walk in warm weather for about 30 minutes. There was no odor after getting home, but a few hours later my underarms were relatively stinky. I was thinking that maybe this deodorant does not work as well without applying the large amount as directed, so applied the deodorant as instructed, with the 1/4 turn, with the same scenarios above, and got the same results.
Overall, Drunk Elephant’s Sweet Pitti is not too bad; other deodorants I’ve used performed better when doing activities and when already stinky (I think a good deodorant should be able to diminish odor already there), though instructions do say to apply to clean skin. I might consider a repurchase just for using at home or at the office, but would probably use a different deodorant for working out or going out in hot weather.
This is a mini review/first impression of Drunk Elephant’s TLC Happi Scalp Scrub; I will update in 2 months (see update below). Happi Scalp Scrub is part of the new Drunk Elephant hair care line developed in collaboration with celebrity hair stylist, Chris McMillan. This product is an AHA/BHA blend that dissolves dead skin cells, oils and product buildup, while biodegradable exfoliating beads sweep them away. According to DE, the scrub should have about 36 uses. The hair line is color safe and is formulated for scalp health. Happi Scalp can also be used on the body and face. The hair and body lines seem more reasonably priced than DE skin care.
Happi Scalp uses a 10% TLC Framboos AHA blend (I assume this is similar to the face serum of the same name, which I have not tried). Cellulose acetate makes up the biodegradable spherical scrubbing beads that are very, very fine. This has a number of plant and seed oils and amino acids that nourish the scalp.
Directions: Before showering, on dry hair, apply directly to the scalp. Massage and let sit for 10 or more minutes. Shampoo and condition as usual. Happi Scalp can be used 1 to 2 times a week. There was a clip on Drunk Elephant’s IGTV with Chris McMillan applying the product. He sectioned the hair into one inch sections, applying the product down the part of the scalp, then massaged each section. I think, if done this way, the product would not last very long. It looks like he applied a lot of product. I parted my hair into four sections, applying a thin layer and felt this was enough product.
The scrub has a fine tip nozzle that makes for easy application onto the scalp. This has no added fragrance and smells like sweet almond (quite like almond extract found in the grocery store and used for baking).
I have fine hair. My scalp and hair get oily quite quickly, my scalp can get a bit itchy and I have a few dandruff-like or product buildup flakes. After a hair wash, by the end of the second day/beginning of the third day, it is already pretty oily and in need of a shampoo. I wash my hair once to twice a week, use dry shampoo once a week and a clarifying shampoo once every 3 to 4 weeks. I’ll usually need to shampoo two times each wash to get rid of the oils and buildup.
I’ve used the same products in my hair and have used the same styling process for a few months now – shampoo and condition with Briogeo Banana and Coconut Superfood shampoo and conditioner, apply a leave-in conditioner and Olaplex No. 7. I then spray Briogeo Blossom and Bloom volumizing spray on the roots and blow dry the hair, applying a few more drops of Olaplex No. 7 to smooth any fly-aways.
I used on fourth-day hair. The scrubby beads are very fine and I can’t really feel them while massaging on the scalp. Above, the scalp got a bit reddened due to a combination of the chemical and physical exfoliants and the massaging. Many of the beads seemed to sit on the hair and dropped down onto my shirt and bathroom counter. My scalp got mildly warm for the first couple minutes while the scrub sat on my scalp. The product feels oily on the fingers and the hair. After leaving on the hair for 10 minutes, I rinsed well before shampooing. Despite my hair itself being oily and the plant oils from the scrub added on the hair, as I was rinsing, the hair got much less oily, so this product does dissolve and rinse away some oil buildup even before shampooing.
Usually when I wash my hair, I need two shampoos as the first does not really lather up because of buildup. While shampooing after Happi Scalp, the first application gets quite sudsy and I can use less shampoo. The scrubby beads rinsed well and I didn’t notice any left on the hair after getting out of the shower.
After doing my normal styling routine, the hair looked and felt lighter and seemed to have more volume than usual; same with my next-day hair (usually my next-day hair will be slightly oily and a bit limp). My scalp still had some itchiness, so I guess, depending on the cause, Happi Scalp doesn’t really help with that (at least in my case).
I used Happi Scalp as a body scrub while in the shower. I want to use this mainly for the hair, so just used on knees, arms, elbows, heels and underarms. The scrubbing beads do not dissolve in water and are very fine, so not irritating to skin but also not very effective to smooth the body. On rinsing, the skin does not feel much smoother, but had a bit more moisture due to the plant oils. A sugar scrub works better than this and the pumice scrub from First Aid Beauty works even better. Happi Scalp is not very effective as a body scrub.
The scrub can be used on the face, keeping in mind other acids and retinols used in the skin care routine, and using the scrub on alternating days. I applied to clean, dry skin; this was too harsh even massaging very lightly, so I added some water, rubbed gently onto the skin and let sit for about 5 to 7 minutes. My face did not sting or get warm, but my cheeks got a bit red. The beads rinsed well, but I was left with an oily layer on the skin, so cleansed the skin again before applying a hydrating toner. My skin was very smooth and had a bit of a glow. I think I will likely use this on the face again once a week, but would use on my skin in the morning (since the skin is cleaner than in the evening) before cleansing and continuing with the rest of my routine.
I’ve only used Happi Scalp once (I will be using once a week) and will post an update here in 2 months. Thus far I really like this product and it might become a favorite. Happi Scalp Scrub is not a shampoo and does not have surfactants like that of a clarifying shampoo, but I can probably do less clarifying shampoos since the scrub does a good job of removing oil and product buildup on the scalp and roots. I likely will not need as much shampoo when I use this product.
Update (June 9, 2020):
I have been using Happi Scalp for 2 months now twice a week. When zooming in on the photos, in the before picture, I have a few flakes and what looks like oil sort of attached to the hair follicle, both of which have improved over the 2 months. The hair has continued to have more volume and feels lighter on the scalp. I am not sure how necessary the exfoliating beads are to this product and I wish it was a little thinner or at least more easily spread. I did end up sectioning the hair into 1-inch sections and applying a thin layer, as the product does not really go a long way. My scalp still gets mildly itchy a few hours after washing.
I’m not sure I can call this particular product a favorite, given that I’ve not tried any other scalp scrubs, but rather more of a favorite concept to add to my routine.
I am still happy with the scalp scrub and my scalp health has improved. I would purchase again, but feel the formula could be improved a bit.
Raiyne On Beauty 