Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial & Why I don’t Expect Instant Miracles from Masks

Ahhh the T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial is finally mine! This mask has made waves in the beauty community because a) masks have gone gangbusters and become ‘trendy’ in the last year or so and b) it contains a whopping 25% of AHAs and 2% BHAs 😲🐘🌟 That’s a lot! Unfortunately, the mask isn’t on sale here in Australia and I’m guessing it’s because it is too ‘strong’ to be an over the counter product…. however, there are ways to get around this 🙃 but first, I should mention that this is the first Drunk Elephant (DE) product I am reviewing on the blog. I have tried a few of their products before, like the vitamin C serum (C-Firma Day Serum) but not for so long that I was comfortable giving a review… I admit that their playful name sparked my initial interest in the brand. I also love their philosophy – especially this first part;

Natural vs. Synthetic Drunk Elephant’s mission is to deliver clinically-effective, biocompatible skincare formulated with both cutting-edge synthetic and natural ingredients; and without the ubiquitous “toxins”, sensitizers and irritants, such as the disruptive essential oils, that block the pathway to healthy skin. We pay close attention to pH levels and safety, as well as formulating with efficacious percentages of active ingredients. Our goal is to teach the consumer that “natural” doesn’t automatically mean good and that every ingredient should directly and only benefit the health of our skin or the safety of the formulation.

The bit that I love talks about using clinically-effective ingredients whether they are ‘naturally derived’ or synthetic. I love it because the ‘green beauty’ trend overlooks the fact that a lot of ‘green’ ingredients are not stable or as effective as synthetic ingredients which are created safely in a lab. They also aren’t sometimes sustainably farmed, which is destructive to the environment. The one but I’m not a fan of is that Drunk Elephant calls controversial ingredients ‘toxic’. Yes, leave them out if they are controversial – the more people that are happy thanks to this the better. But using the word ‘toxic’ when there are no overwhelming studies to support such claims, still plays on peoples emotions and that whole green beauty marketing trend. That I don’t like. But anyhoo, moving on… to the mask! 😊

Babyfacial™ is a pro-quality AHA/BHA “facial” that resurfaces to reveal greater clarity, improved skin texture and tone and a more youthful radiance. Think of it as an extra nudge for stubborn, dull skin (in other words, it’ll knock your cells off).WHAT IT IS FORMULATED TO DO:This innovative at-home facial contains a whopping 25% AHA and 2% BHA blend including our dream team Glycolic plus Tartaric, Lactic, Citric and Salicylic acids to gently but efficiently resurface as it exfoliates the pore lining, getting rid of built-up dead skin cells by breaking down the substance that holds them to the surface. Babyfacial™ combines potent antioxidants such as matcha tea, apple fruit and milk thistle to soothe with ultra-hydrating sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer and non-fragrant plant oils to replenish moisture and nourish skin. We chose chick pea flour over clay for brightening and balancing without over-drying and pumpkin ferment for amazing enzymatic action. Niacinamide, a “cell-communicating” ingredient, effectively revives a healthy look and feel to skin as it brightens and tones. Appropriate for all skin types, Babyfacial™ will dramatically smooth texture, minimize the look of fine lines, wrinkles and pores and boost overall clarity—revealing fresh, radiant, baby-soft skin.WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW:Babyfacial™ was created with every skin type in mind. Glycolic acids get a bad rap for being sensitizing, but we believe that the pH level and accompanying ingredients (think fragrant oils or high amounts of alcohol) can often be the real problem. We formulated Babyfacial™ at the ideal pH level of 3.5 – 3.6 with a blend of acids that work together synergistically to ensure higher efficacy without the redness and sensitization.EASY DOES IT:To get the most out of this product, we recommend starting slow and giving your other potent treatments a break. This probably goes without saying, but if your skin is already in a confused state (i.e., sunburn, redness, or sensitized areas) wait until things are on the calm side before using this product. You’ve made the investment and we want you to get the maximum results.Now go have your cells knocked off! Top your results off with our Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and we think you’ll have a very satisfied glow.

You may or may not know this, but about a year or two ago now, I experienced a resurgence of acne. This was SUPER irritating and annoying. As a result, but skin became super congested, especially around my t-zone. My acne is under control now, however, I still think my skin is more congested than it used to be before this acne ‘spell’. Is this an age thing? I did turn 30 this year… It’s like my pores are a bit bigger now and so they clog up more easily *le sigh 😓… I also know that your skins rate of cell turnover decreases by up to 7% every decade. Maybe this is what I have started to notice? I’m not sure, but when my friend was going to the US last year, I asked her to bring me back this mask! Most of us probably know that AHAs exfoliate the skin, leaving skin feeling and looking smoother, remove surface pigmentation and fine lines caused by dehyrdration (sometimes caused by the build up of dead cells & gunk).

What stood out to me in this formula, is that it contains a few different acids (AHAs) to make up it’s 25%: glycolic + tataric + lactic + citrus acids. This is great, because different kinds of acids work in different ways. Glycolic acid particles are super small, so they penetrate into the skin very well, to increase cell turnover and support the product of new cells & collagen. Nicki from Futurederm estimates that the Sukari Babyfacial contains about 15% glycolic acid (it’s at the top of the ingredient list after all!) which isn’t extremely high – clinical strength glycolic peels tends to contain 30-70% glycolic acid. If it’s not clinical strength… I think it’s a bit silly that we can’t buy it here in Australia. Because glycolic acid particles are so small, if you ‘enjoy’ having chemical peels too often, it can cause skin thinning and degradation – eek! You don’t have to worry about that when using a product like Babyfacial, as long as you don’t use it everyday 😜

Lactic acid is the bomb, because it hydrates exceptionally well, as it stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid in the skin via a skin healing mechanism. Lactic acid is a natural trigger for hylauronic acid synthesis and deposition in the skin, more so than any other AHA. AHAs derived from citrus fruits also exfoliate the skin well, by breaking down a protein that bonds living cells to dead cells, allowing the dead cells to fall a part.  Citric acids used in peels and other over the counter products, eliminate fine lines, refine skin texture, treat skin discolouration and scars. Tartaric acid was a new one for me – it is an acid derived from fermented grapes and is much gentler than say, glycolic acid. It stabilizes the pH of formulations and is usually paired with glycolic acid.

BHAs (beta hydroxy acids, in this case salicylic acid) are another type of chemical exfoliator but BHAs as opposed to AHAs are oil soluble, which means they can sink into pores and exfoliate them from within. Because blackheads are primarily sebum (the other part is dead skin cells) which has come to the surface and oxidised. If Blackheads are an issue for you, this mask will help!

There are also a lot of extracts and oils in this mask, which probably helps to offset some of the irritation you might feel with a high percentage AHA (and in particular glycolic acid…). There’s Marula and passionfruit seed oil, aloe vera, camellia leaf extract and grape juice extract, just to name a few. I don’t know if all the extracts do something, but hey, if they do, that’s a bonus!

The directions for the mask is to apply an even layer all over a freshly cleansed face and leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing off. Something to note for those of you with acne (active surface spots) or if you pick your skin (not me obviously… 🙄🙄🙄) is that the mask will feel like it is burning the areas where you have spots. This ‘sensation’ only really lasts a few seconds, so I put up with it. For the rest of the 20 minutes, the mask does tend to feel ‘warm’ and ‘tingly’ on the skin. I don’t mind this because it means it is working! Some Beauties won’t like this though. I don’t think the feeling is so strong that you can’t stand it, but it won’t be ‘pleasant’ for some. I was worried that applying it to active spots might mean that my skin literally looks burnt after washing the mask off (this happens after applying too much Benzoyl Peroxide lol) but it doesn’t *phew…. It can look slightly more irritated/inflammed than before, but this passes relatively quickly.

How does my skin look and feel after the mask? Great! Skin is much smoother than before, it looks a bit fresher and clearer. So why did I say in the title of this post that I don’t expect miracles from masks? Masks tend to contain a lot more active ingredients than regular everyday products like moisturisers or even serums, so your skin gets a boost and refresher instantly. With masks becoming trendy all of a sudden, I’ve noticed that product descriptions and reviews tend to make it seem like you should expect skin TRANSFORMATION after using a mask only once! Wash it off and boom! New you! LOL To say that this doesn’t actually happen is an understatement… I’ve come to realise after being disappointed by some really, really expensive masks, that masks are a part of your skin care routine and that results are seen over time with consistent use. In regards to the Babyfacial mask, skin is automatically smoother and ‘fresher’, but does it instantly get rid of all the congestion I am dealing with? Of course not. Some congestion and blackheads go away, but not all of them. It’s only after consistent use (and as Drunk Elephant suggests – using Babyfacial once or twice a week) will you really notice results. Perhaps this isn’t want Instagram wants to hear, but it’s true. 80% of results come with time. Now I could probably use my Babyfacial twice a week to get better results, but when things get busy, I forget… I think I’ll have to start putting masking nights into my calendar 📅🖌

I’ve also noticed that you should not use Babyfacial in the mornings or before makeup application and going out. I thought – oh it’ll get rid of dead skin and some congestion, so it’ll be PERFECT pre a big event. Smoooooth makeup application here I come! No, no, no lol 😅🤣 The acids keep on working, so you will get a little skin and makeup peeling… not a good look. It doesn’t leave your skin feeling dry though – skin feels plump and comfortable. So happy in other words 😊

I like this mask a lot! I think it does a great job without having to go to a beauty salon (industrial strength peels don’t appeal to me anyway). With regular use, it does help to minimise congestion around my chin area and my nose. I love that DE have put this mask into a pump bottle. Yay! The mask itself has a thin creamy texture, but it also has some granules in it. I’m not sure what they are, but they are super fine so it doesn’t bother me.

After using the mask at night, I smother my face in a soothing yet hydrating cream or some Marula oil. Simplicity is best here. No more actives! Let your skin rest 🥰😴🌿 For me Marula oil isn’t too heavy. I only use two to three drops and then ‘press’ the oil into damp skin. You get a little mini 3ml sample of DE Marula oil with the Babyfacial mask, which is super cute (in the tiniest airless pump bottle you have ever seen!).

Reusing my Tatcha spatulas! 😄 I am loving the Melvita Nectar Supreme Cream as well 💛🐝🌸

The mask is expensive… for 50ml of product you pay $80 US dollars. It is also hard to get a hold of if you don’t live in the US. My friend bought this bottle of Babyfacial for me. But what will I do if I want to repurchase it? I use a shipping forwarding service when a US website doesn’t ship to Australia. I use WS1 and have done so for a few years now. They are fantastic. It costs nothing to set up a US postal box and everything sent to you is sent via courier, so you get packages within a matter of days! It is relatively expensive being a courier service (e.g. a small parcel costs about $18.90 US dollars) but I don’t use the service weekly 🤣😅 maybe 2-3 times a year? Your unique postal box is also yours for life! Their customer service is also great (no this isn’t a sponsored post, just a recommendation). But please note, Sephora doesn’t allow for you to send orders on to a postal box/parcel forwarding service (boo!). Will I repurchase this mask from the Drunk Elephant website via WS1? I think so (as long as my budget allows for it…) 😅 I really enjoy using this mask and think it does great things for my  skin. Congested and acne prone skin will really benefit from using this mask, but so will Beauties who are a little bit older and who want more hydrated and plump skin!

But why the hell is it called the ‘Sukari’ Babyfacial mask? Please tell me if you know!!! I Googled the word Sukari and found a Sukari goldmine in Egypt… that was it 🤣🤣🤣

Would you love to try this mask? Are masks a staple in your beauty routine? Let me know! 💜😘😘

Catch ya next time,

Beauty Bee~

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