What is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream?

A lightweight gel-cream moisturizer combining multiple peptides, amino acids, and growth factors designed to hydrate, firm skin, and improve texture.

Is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream worth it?

The gurus are split. 9 of the 18 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 3 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 65%.

What is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream's Guru Score?

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream holds a Guru Score of 65%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 18 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream best for?

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is generally suited to mature skin.

What is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is good for breakouts and acne (2 experts), rough or uneven texture (2 experts), fine lines and wrinkles (2 experts), loss of firmness (2 experts), excess oil and shine (1 expert) and irritated or reactive skin (1 expert).

Is Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream good for breakouts and acne?

2 experts who reviewed Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream say it is. No BS Beauty put it this way: “For acne prone skin it's probably their most friendly product.”

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream: a Guru Score of 65%

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Sam Ellis

902k subs

~Yay

"I also like that this is lightweight enough that you could easily use it during the day, layering it [...] with vitamin C and sunscreen, or you could use it in your nighttime routine after your retinoid. My verdict here is stay. This is a really good two-for-one product, and although it is $72, if you look at the cost of a peptide serum and a moisturizer separately, you might end up at that cost in two separate steps."

Allie Glines

829k subs

~Yay

"I love Drunk Elephant products. I think they're very effective and straightforward with clean ingredients, and this is one of my favorite more gel-like moisturizers."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Mixed

"I've had a little bit of issues with the Protini foaming up before, especially in a routine with vitamin C, but I didn't have any issues with that today. It applied really nicely, it doesn't look too greasy, it looks like a nice natural finish, and there's no fragrance in it, and it's got some nice anti-aging peptides. The Protini played great over my vitamin C serum, I don't know why I had issues with it foaming up before, but it seems to be a winner today."

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"I've had a [...] problem with the Drunk Elephant Protini, which is why I stopped really using it. It foams up over vitamin C serum."

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"I used to use Drunk Elephant Protini for I don't know for a couple years there I used that a lot. I don't know something in it changed and anytime I would apply it over vitamin C or even exfoliant it would foam up and it would take minutes for it to defoam so that instantly became a no for the daytime routine."

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"I really loved it. Something in it changed or something about my skin chemistry changed. I don't know what it is, but I don't love it anymore. Usually when I apply it, it froths up. [...] It got very expensive and for some reason something that just started to not work as well and I didn't like the foaminess and it became a high maintenance product."

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"It's expensive. It's a great moisturizer but a lot of us are kind of over some of the brand and some of the things the brand has done."

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"So here is the Protini. [...] I would say the pH of this is probably around 5.5. [...] Face serums typically fall between 4 to 6, and retinol products between 4 and 6.6. The real kicker is that some skin types can be sensitive to products with a pH that is too low as well as too high."

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"It's got a nice gel texture. It's still a great moisturizer. A lot of people use it and love it. I kind of switched from using it, but out of all of my moisturizers that I love, this is one of the ones I've repurchased the most. I probably wouldn't repurchase it at this point, but it's still a great one."

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"I've probably done two videos on my initial dupes and then my second run of dupes on it and that's the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. I've spent my share of hard earned money on it and there's so many good dupes for it."

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"This was a hate pan and I used to love this. This is the Drunk Elephant Protini. I don't know what happened to it, but [...] anytime I apply it to my skin it foamed and frothed up and it was really unpleasant. I finally finished it on my décolletage area. I mean, it just foamed. I have one more jar that I got for Christmas, [...] I think a couple of Christmases ago, and [...] I'm having the same thing happening. It's foaming up. I don't know what the deal is."

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"The Drunk Elephant Protini, man, it used to go through like one of these jars like a month or something like that, it was insanity, and now I go through one of these a year. So times have changed. That's okay. It's expensive."

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"The Drunk Elephant Protini is a nice one"

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"Every time I apply this it foams up, unless I apply it on dry skin with nothing else on it, it foams up, and even then it foams up. I don't know something changed or I have no idea, but it foams every time, and I used to love this stuff, man. I would go through it so fast, and now I'm still working on the same jar for like [...] a year or two years. I don't know, it just foams up."

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"It feels nice. The real deal [...] has no chemical smell which is nice. Both [...] feel very similar in terms of texture. [...] The first three ingredients [...] are the same: water, glycerin, and then diethyl carbonate. [...] Instead of using the marula oil that Drunk Elephant uses, the dupe product used macadamia oil instead, which I found interesting."

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"Very similar to the Drunk Elephant Protini in terms of ingredients."

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"So in my opinion, this one's not relevant anymore. There's really nice dupes and alternatives that you don't need to spend that much for. One of them being the Neogen Dermatology High RX Exosome Cream, which I think is 19 bucks right now. It's got a lot of the same great ingredients, anti-aging ingredients, resveratrol, it's lovely. This has no scent, and this one doesn't foam every time I apply it. And you're saving around 50 bucks."

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"It's got a wonderful texture to it. It's really nice because I can mix this in with my bronzing drops no problem and it soaks in pretty nicely. It doesn't look too greasy or shiny. Really versatile product overall. I think that's what people end up liking this because it's so versatile. You can use it morning, evening. It's great for oily skin, dry skin, aging skin, youthful skin, whatever. For acne prone skin it's probably their most friendly product."

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"I love it, it's probably out of all these one I've repurchased the most. However, I don't know something changed in it because almost anytime I apply this now it foams up. [...] It's a good moisturizer, it works well for so many people. It's expensive, it's 69 bucks. Something changed or something I changed or maybe something in my skin changed, but almost anytime I apply this now it froths up on me. I don't know, but one of my best friends just bought it and loves it, doesn't have that issue."

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"I don't lately the Protini, it just it doesn't seem as luxurious as it once did. I really like this one better."

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"I think the Glow Recipe cushion cream is a competitor to probably the Drunk Elephant Protini cream. [...] For some reason something in that product changed, [...] I have no idea [...] if they changed the formula or something else [...] changed, but now every time I put it on it just foams up and takes like 2 minutes to settle down."

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"I would prefer over the Drunk Elephant Protini every single day. I don't know what happened to Protini, but something changed in it. It just brasses up every time I apply it."

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Dr. Mamina

283k subs

~Yay

"The Drunk Elephant Protéini also contains copper peptides, which is why that moisturizer performs the way it does. [...] It's one of the most well-formulated options on the shelf. For fine lines and surface texture, if you're in Sephora and you want something you can grab today, it's a solid signal peptide complex option."

Beyond50Skin

32k subs

~Yay

"Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream."

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"Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream."

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"I had this in a little kit that I got for Christmas. This has never been one of my favorite creams, but it was just a convenience at the time. I thought why not give it another try. Again, it's probably best for normal skin types. There's nothing really special about this formula that makes my skin look any different. It's just a basic moisturizer. So this will not be a repeat purchase for me."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

~Yay

"The Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream combines multiple signal peptides with moisturizing amino acids and growth factors for improved texture, tone, and firmness. It's really lightweight, more like a gel cream texture that absorbs really quick. It's suitable for most skin types. It offers that immediate hydration and that bouncy feel which improves firmness over time."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Yay

"This product is probably one of my favorites from them. The Protini Polypeptide Cream. It's really nice. This is looking attractive with vitamin E and beta size sterile squalane omega 9. Pretty substantial jar here. I'd be excited to give that a try."

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"There are a lot of Drunk Elephant products that are quite good. I enjoy the Protein Polypeptide Cream."

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"This polypeptide cream is called Protini, it's got peptides in it which help with hydration, and I've always liked this, it's kind of got a nice emollient effect to it."

Dr. Jenny Liu

324k subs

~Yay

"If you don't like the feel of thicker creams, there is a really lightweight gel moisturizer that I gravitate to towards the summer time. It's the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. This is a lovely gel cream that is great for summer or great for anyone that doesn't like richer creams or have more like oily and combination skin."

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"The Protini Polypeptide Cream is a lightweight gel moisturizer with a blend of peptides that helps to hydrate the skin, nourish the skin without heaviness. It absorbs instantly and is a lightweight gel cream."

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"Protini Polypeptide Cream is one of my favorite moisturizers from Drunk Elephant. It's this lightweight gel cream, so certainly for the wintertime it's better suited for oily combination skin, but it's lightweight, helps to hydrate without leaving any heaviness."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

~Yay

"This cream [...] is more like a moisturizer because it's not that emollient, one pump and it's lightweight. It's not something that's going to stay on your face, it absorbs very easily. It's an absolutely beautiful formula. It is pretty iconic because I've loved this product for a very long time primarily because peptides and I believe in peptides a lot. I would like to have peptides in every part of my skincare routine including the moisturizer, which is why this is good."

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"Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, and this is something I've used I love it. You have 10 peptides and this is only $80."

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"The Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is a fabulous fabulous product. You get a lot of hydration, so even if you've got a disrupted skin barrier this product just works like a charm. This is something that I have really enjoyed."

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"I feel that this is a cream that really enhances anti-aging impact nine different types of peptides that is what you get in the Drunk Elephant Protini Peptide Cream"

Translated from the guru's original language.

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"The Protein Peptide chef kiss it is one of the best products from Drunk Elephant"

Translated from the guru's original language.

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James Welsh

1.58M subs

~Nay

"While some batches of the [...] Protini Polypeptide Cream lack a preservative system, tests actually revealed the presence of yeast, such as Candida parapacillosis and bacteria related to the bacteria it was found. [...] They were actually all microorganisms that are commonly found on the human skin and in the environment, but they can cause infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals or those with compromised skin."

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"Standout products for them like their C Firmer vitamin C serum, Protini Polypeptide Cream and the TLC Sakuri Baby Facial really helped fuel this growth and kind of helped cement the brand's status as a staple of the skincare world in less than a decade."

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

~Yay

"This is an empty Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream so I have the packaging in my bathroom and because I have that every time I finish the cream I just go and purchase the refill sizes so that I can just interchange them. [...] It's full of peptides there's growth factors in here great for signs of aging and to firm the skin and it's also very lightweight and moisturizing and I just absolutely love this cream and I use it pretty much every day twice a day."

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"I love this cream so much because it has nine types of peptides which really helps to address signs of aging. It can firm the skin, stimulate new collagen, and it has growth factors as well. But I also feel like it is very lightweight, it's not heavy in the least, and it's moisturizing enough even for the summer months. All I generally do is like half a pump during the summer because that's all I need for my combination skin, and then in the winter months I'm a little bit more generous."

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"This has been my go-to for several, several months. I was using this last year a lot as well and it's one of my favorite products because it performs really well in terms of keeping your skin moisturized and there's a lot of anti-aging ingredients in here to really help firm the skin and address signs of aging. There are nine types of peptides in here, there's also growth factors and the list goes on. This is jam-packed with so many wonderful ingredients to really help with signs of aging."

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"This is very moisturizing but it also has nine types of peptides to address signs of aging and to help firm the skin and to help produce new collagen. [...] I keep going back to this one because I really do see a difference with my skin when I am consistent with this. I love the pump style packaging with that little button push down. The formulation is truly on point. Although I do wish it was a little bit more affordable, other than that I have nothing negative to say about this."

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"This has been my go-to cream as of late. I will use this in my morning and I will use this at nighttime sometimes. This one has nine types of peptides, so great for signs of aging and to firm up the skin. I love pairing this up with peptides or with serums, and I do pair this up at night time or with a retinol. This really is a great moisturizer that you can use everyday twice a day and it pairs up so nicely with a lot of ingredients and products."

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"I've been using this one the most as of late and I'm really impressed with this. This has been a favorite for a really long time. [...] The texture is so thin and lightweight but it's so moisturizing, great for all skin types. There are nine types of peptides in here and of course there are other additional ingredients that are great to keep the skin moisturized as well. I feel like this really is one of the best from Drunk Elephant."

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"This [...] really is one of the best peptide creams. It really helps to create more of that firmness with the skin, it also addresses fine lines, but it's extremely moisturizing. This is perfect for all skin types including dry, including oily skin. I have combination skin, I am acne prone, this doesn't break me out. This is still moisturizing enough to keep my skin comfortable, but it's also very lightweight and it never interferes with my sunscreen nor with my makeup."

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"I love the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. You guys know that I use this a lot in my nighttime routine but I will occasionally use this in my morning routine as well. [...] Just that little amount locks in all of that moisture that we just applied with all of those serums and it just gives this nice glow to the skin as well, which I'm a big fan of."

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"For a face moisturizer I'm going in with the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream because my skin isn't too dry and tight right now. [...] I've been using this pretty much every day since the beginning of December. [...] A little bit goes a long way, it spreads nicely, and your skin has this beautiful glow to it. It sits nicely underneath sunscreen and makeup. It's a little bit more lightweight but it's still quite moisturizing."

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"It keeps the skin super moisturized. I have combination skin and even during the winter months when my skin can become quite dry and tight, this is still enough moisture to keep my skin comfortable. Whether you have dry skin, whether you have oily combination skin, honestly I feel like this is great for all skin types. Yes, it's expensive, it really is expensive, but I'm really really obsessed with this."

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"It has that nice push down style packaging. I use this with retinol, peptides, copper peptides, when I'm using vitamin C, I'm using this with it, and I just love the way that this performs on my skin. If you feel like for some reason this is a little bit too heavy, which I feel like it isn't, but of course we're all different, then use this at night. [...] But this really is great in the morning. I actually used it today. This is actually part of my everyday morning routine at the moment."

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"I really love this moisturizer for the summer especially because I feel like it's really lightweight. I've been using this for a really long time, [...] in the winter months as well. It requires just a little amount because it's so effective. I've noticed that I can use it on my neck [...] without irritation, [...] and I do not get any irritation. [...] I mean, with consistency and with just time, I feel like your skin can adjust to this, even if you're someone with really sensitive skin."

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"So spending a little bit more money will get you a refill size, and then of course there's your discount on top of that. I am most definitely picking up this Duo kit, because I use the Protini Polypeptide Cream all the time, sometimes twice a day, almost every day, and I know I will get a lot of use out of this. It almost makes me want to purchase two of these, because of how good this little kit is for the price point. So I might pick up two, but I will most definitely pick up at least one."

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"The Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is very lightweight but it's moisturizing, and this has nine different types of peptides so peptides are great for signs of aging as well. I love pairing up peptides with retinoids. This cream is also perfect for all skin types including dry skin. When my skin is at its driest, I feel like this does an excellent job to keep the skin comfortable, but if you have oily skin I think you will also really like this because it is lightweight."

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"So this is a great deal, and I might even purchase two of these, because this is one of my go-to creams. I use it in the morning and I use it at night. It's full of peptides and growth factors, great for signs of aging and for firming the skin. It's quite lightweight, but it's also very moisturizing at the same time. I love pairing it with other types of peptide serums, as well as retinol. It's a great deal, and like I said, I might pick up two of these."

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

~Mixed

"The Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is $69 for 1.7 oz and I believe it has all the exact same peptides in it as the comparable peptide cream at a lower price point."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

~Mixed

"But because the brand avoids silicones I don't think [...] this buffs into your skin very nicely, it's [...] slow and kind of tricky. That's actually the reason I don't think I'm going to buy this again. [...] So while I do like this and understand why it's their bestseller, it's going to be the last time that I buy it."

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"Ultimately I like the Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. I've bought it at good deals, and I like that it has some EGF ingredients as well. It's not actually as cosmetically elegant as you would think though. [...] It's not bad, it's just that there really are nicer creams."

Kelly Driscoll

91k subs

~Nay

"It definitely felt nice on application just didn't hold up throughout the day for me. [...] It's a middling moisturizer in my opinion at best. [...] I don't think there's anything in here that's bad, I just don't understand the price and I don't understand why it got hyped up, especially for the young crowd."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

~Mixed

"The polypeptide moisturizer from Drunk Elephant is a $68 debacle and while it's not terrible you could use it on young skin because it has peptides which are naturally found in the human body, it's $68."

Hyram

4.33M subs

~Mixed

"This is a peptide cream that firms the skin, helps fight against premature aging, and deeply moisturizes. The combination of firming, aging-focused ingredients with the unique texture is the reason why it's so popular. It truly is a very unique formula, and it was really hard to find a dupe for."

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

~Nay

"Now if you put olive oil in your skin it's going to feel like this, it'll feel good. But hey, you are overpaying for this product. You know it's marketed as a polypeptide cream, but the peptides are so low down on the ingredients list that it may as well not be a peptides cream. It's basically an olive oil cream."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Mixed

"A product that comes to mind is Drunk Elephant's Protini Polypeptide Cream, it's a very lightweight cream, there is no scent. Do I really think that this is going to help make my neck into the lamp pool that it should be on the street? Nope I do not but I might as well just use it because I have it."