Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser

You know we all love a new Drunk Elephant launch. Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser is the cleansing balm I've always wanted from the line. Details per Drunk Elephant:

Slaai™ is an innovative cleansing balm that melts all traces of dirt, makeup and sunscreen from skin.  Gentle enough to be used around the eye area, it quickly transforms from oil to milk upon contact with water. Skin compatible Slaai™ effortlessly removes even water-resistant formulations and is free of PEGs and essential oils. 

Formulated with clean, antioxidant-rich fruit extracts and oils to help soothe, plus a nourishing African oil blend of marula, baobob, kalahari melon, mongongo and ximenia, Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser cleanses and moisturizes without any irritants or sensitizers.

Designed to be used on dry skin, Slaai™ removes excess oil, grime and makeup from skin. Adding water activates Slaai™ into a milk that rinses away cleanly, leaving behind a dewy glow. 

Suggested Usage:

PM: On dry skin, use dry fingertips to massage Slaai™ over face and eyes. Add water to activate, rinse well with warm water and pat dry. May also be removed with a soft, damp cloth.

AM: (optional) 1-2 times per week, add our Bamboo Booster™ to Slaai™ for a customized, skin-refining physical exfoliation to aid in the removal of dead skin cells that have accumulated on the surface overnight. Avoid the eye area when using the exfoliating booster.

Tip: If using retinol, we recommend avoiding Bamboo Booster™, or using with caution, as it can be too much for skin.

 

As with any cleansing balm it works best on dry skin. You miss the purpose if you try it on wet or damp skin. I love the relaxing facial massage action and de-stressing nature of a cleansing balm. It really allows you to have a quiet moment to yourself and perform a little self care. Cleansing balms are also the best at removing the days makeup, SPF ad grime. Oil removes oil based products well. This one has an emulsifier so it will turn into a creamy lather with water and rinse away clean. No cloth required. You can use a cloth if you wish. This could be a morning or night cleanser based on personal preferences. I only use cleansing balms at night minus an occasional weekend morning. I usually follow them with a second cleanser to remove any possible leftover oils on the skin prior to doing serums/treatments. Slaai comes with a cool magnetic spoon that sticks to the lid of the cleansing balm. It allows you to hygienically dispense the balm. Genius.

Slaai Key Ingredients:

• nourishing fruit salad blend a mix of non-fragrant soothing fruit extracts (blueberry, kiwi and strawberry) and replenishing fruit oils (cranberry seed oil, acai fruit oil and watermelon seed oil) that helps comfort + moisturize skin.
• marula seed oil a moisturizing oil, high in antioxidants and omegas 6 and 9., that preserves and nourishes your skin while restoring its youthful glow.
• baobob seed oil super-penetrating oil that intensely softens and helps dissolve makeup with its high fatty acid content and deep moisturizing properties.
• kalahari melon seed oil lightweight oil that soothes while moisturizing and restoring elasticity.
• mongongo oil has a fatty acid profile as rich as coconut oil that protects the vital lipids in skin as it melts dirt and other impurities from skin.
• ximenia oil rich in vitamin c and is very nourishing and moisturizing.

Ingredients

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Extract, Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Seed Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycerin

I thought Slaai was going to have a sherbet cleansing balm texture. A sherbet cleansing balm is a softer balm and it has a slightly grainy texture like sherbet. The other option is usually a harder smooth textured balm. Slaai is kind of a hybrid. It's got that light sherbet feel with a slightly smoother texture than the typical sherbet balms I've tried. It's a lighter balm so it feels less heavy and oily than some heavier cleansing balms. This is a little heavier and smoother than say Farmacy Green Clean but similar. This one is fragrance free so it's great for sensitive skin. Slaai does rinse clean as well as mentioned previously.

Safflower seed oil is a great lightweight oil rich in omega-6 rich fatty acids. It's great for acne prone skin and will give a lighter feel to the balm. This has a nice blend of fruit oils-blueberry, kiwi, strawberry (a fav), cranberry, acai and watremelon. They give this cleansing balm a nice dose of nourishing antioxidants. There are a few heavier more omega-9 rich oils in this like marula and sweet almond. That's going to hydrate and nourish the skin. If you have acne prone skin you can just use a cloth to remove or double cleanse with a gel like Beste no.9 or similar. Overall Slaai is pretty light compared to the other cleansing balms in my arsenal. I tend to gravitate towards the essential oil heavier balms that require a cloth to remove it. All cleansing balms leave a hint of oils behind even if they emulsify. I really like to double cleanse so the leftover oil on my face isn't an issue for me.

Bamboo Booster Key Ingredients:

• Bamboo Booster™ bamboo + charcoal powder tiny, ultra-fine bamboo spheres that gently exfoliate away built-up dead, dry skin.

Ingredients

Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Charcoal Powder, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mannitol, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Potassium Sorbate

 

Slaai comes with a really fun separate tube you can add to Slaai to boost its performance. Bamboo Booster is a powder physical exfoliant made of bamboo and charcoal spheres. I'm not a big physical exfoliant fan so I was skeptical to try this. However I was blown away at how gentle it was. It was really nice actually. You can see them mixed together below.

I think if you like cleansing balms you're going to like it. You get a huge almost 4 oz tub for $34. The price point is really good. I almost wish it came in a half size so it fit in my drawer better. It's a massive sized tub! A cleansing balm that emulsifies is a great one to start with especially if you're new to cleansing balms. They're lighter and easier on sensitive skin as you don't need a cloth for removal. I like Slaai and it's a great product, it doesn't beat a few of my other favorites (YOU Skincare, de Mamiel, Moss, Deviant, Mahalo). That's mainly because I like heavier oil textured balms plus I enjoy some fragrant oils in mine as it adds to the experience for me. This is by far the better of the sherbet textured balms that I've tried. Slaai is great for anyone who wants a cleansing balm that doesn't need a cloth to remove, those with sensitive skin and anyone who wants to stay away from essential oils. Plus for the price point it's a really good deal.

*Gifted by brand but all thoughts are my own