Drunk Elephant vs Ole Henriksen: Which at-home facial is best for soft and radiant skin?

The path to a glowing complexion can be an overwhelming one, jam-packed with potent skincare products designed to banish spots, minimise pores and boost hydration. But aside from the basics, which you have surely mastered during the various lockdowns, there are additional steps you can incorporate into your routine to achieve radiant skin, including an at-home chemical peel.

While the idea of applying acids to your face might sound daunting, if they are used with precaution then they are safe and can be a worthwhile addition to your routine, especially if you struggle with some of the most common skincare woes, such as pigmentation, uneven skin tone or rough texture.

A souped-up version of exfoliating, facial peels help to lift away the accumulated layers of dirt and grime that haven't been caught by your daily regime, and the build-up of dead skin cells that can block pores and cling to your skin, making it look dull. The result? Softer, brighter and smoother-looking skin. 

Once only accessible by visiting a professional, now a whole host of skincare brands have harnessed the power of acids so you can use them in your own bathroom, albeit in lower dosages so they remain safe in the hands of rookies.

Granted, this is not the easiest skincare category to get your head around. So we’ve put two of the most lauded at-home facials to the test to see if they really work: Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C sukari babyfacial, which launched for the first time in the UK on 1 January 2020, against Ole Henriksen’s phat glow facial.

The former launched in the US in 2017 and, despite the brand arriving on this side of the pond last year, babyfacial did not come with it due to regulations on acid percentage and pH level. But it has now gone through a rigorous process to gain accreditation in order to be sold in the UK, much to the delight of Drunk Elephant fans.

In 2019, Ole Henriksen answered the prayers of disappointed beauty fans who couldn’t get their hands on babyfacial by launching its own exfoliating peel. Now Drunk Elephant’s cult-formula is finally here, we decided to put both to the test.

While both formulas are on the luxury end of the beauty scale, there is a £25 price difference between them, with Ole Henriksen’s costing £42 and Drunk Elephant’s a heftier £67. And, while they both claim to deliver similar results, they use completely different ingredients, so we were keen to put them head to head.

We put the facials through their paces over the festive period to see how well they managed to revive our skin after days of overindulging. 

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Instagram is a very good litmus test for what people are excited about in the skincare industry, and Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. sukari babyfacial has infiltrated the feeds of all beauty obsessives ever since its US launch in 2017. But, what exactly is it? 

Described as an at-home facial, this product uses a combination of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), which are used to treat different skin problems. The former are chemical exfoliators that can be helpful for blemish-prone skin, uneven skin texture and fine lines, while the latter can be great for those who struggle with acne, blackheads and milia (the little white bumps you sometimes see under the skin).

Babyfacial is made with 25 per cent AHA and two per cent BHA, using a combination of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids, which aim to help smooth texture and minimise the look of pores and wrinkles. It also contains chickpea flour, pumpkin ferment and an antioxidant blend of matcha tea, milk thistle, and apple, which will brighten your skin and leave it feeling baby soft, according to the brand.

Housed in a simple pump bottle, the formula is easy to apply and has a pink guide colour so you can clearly identify where you have placed it. We applied a generous layer and after a few minutes could feel a strong tingling sensation. While it was not overly irritating, it can feel quite intense for beginners, so if you’re new to acids we’d suggest leaving it on for 10 minutes and gradually working your way up to the full 20-minute leave-on time.

At the end of the countdown, the formula does not dry down completely, meaning it can be easily wiped away with warm water and a face cloth. Afterwards, Drunk Elephant suggests applying a few drops of its virgin marula oil, of which they provide a small 3ml sample.

But does it work? When it comes to results, don't let the word “baby” in the name of this product fool you, because it’s anything but child's play. Our skin felt instantly softer and looked brighter after the first use, and while we did experience redness after rinsing the mask off, it was temporary, subsiding in an hour or so. After just a few uses, we began to see dramatic results, with stubborn pores beginning to fade and the appearance of that elusive dewy glow, which, for our tester’s notoriously dull skin, is no mean feat.

While the efficacy of babyfacial is undeniable, it is a potent treatment, so we recommend starting slow and approaching with caution if you have sensitive skin. Due to its high acid percentage, it’s also not recommended for use by pregnant or nursing mothers. Babyfacial is a costly product, but considering you'd only need to use it once a week at most, one bottle should last plenty of time. With beauty services closed due to the pandemic, it’s a more affordable alternative to a professional facial.

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Ole Henriksen launched its phat glow facial in 2019, leaving UK-based beauty tongues wagging as to whether it could fill Drunk Elephant’s babyfacial shoes. But, despite both being at-home peels and claiming to have similar results, the two contain completely different ingredients, with the effects of phat glow powered by polyhydroxy acids (PHAs).

They work in a similar way to AHAs – helping to improve skin tone, signs of ageing and texture through chemical exfoliation – but have a larger molecule, which means they cannot penetrate the skin as deeply and instead work exclusively on the surface. This results in minimal irritation and little-to-no recovery time. Phat glow facial also contains a blend of soothing ingredients, including Nordic birch sap to hydrate and nourish skin, pink bentonite clay to help clarify, chia seed oil to help plump and cotton extract to help condition.

The formula itself is tacky to touch and while it is generally spreadable, the consistency can take some getting used to. However, we found this to be a positive as, unlike some face masks, it did not drip or slide. When you first apply the mask it has a rosy-pink colour, but when you activate the formula by gently massaging it into your skin, the colour changes from pink to white. The brand designed it this way so you know the product has been properly applied, but we thought it also brought a fun element to the whole experience.

Unlike babyfacial, we did not experience any skin tingling during the 15-minute countdown. As this product is made with a clay base, we did find that it dried down more, but it was easily removed using a damp wash cloth. Our skin felt super soft and taut following our first use and, after subsequent applications, our complexion also began to appear brighter. 

At £42, phat glow facial is more purse-friendly, caused no irritation and made a difference in the texture of our skin overnight. However, the formula did feel quite drying, so we’d recommend following up with a hydrating moisturiser or oil.

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If it’s super-soft, glowy skin that you’re after then you won’t be disappointed with either of these face masks – both deliver on their claims of revealing an instantly more luminous complexion.

There are, however, some things to consider. Overall, Drunk Elephant’s babyfacial delivered the most impressive results, dramatically changing the texture of our skin, improving the appearance of pores and fine lines, and even helping our notoriously dull skin to look more glowy. 

But, it’s not for everyone. In addition to its high price, babyfacial is intense and, despite the brand stating its products can be used by all skin types, we would urge anyone with sensitive skin to err on the side of caution. If you’re familiar with acid-based exfoliators though, then babyfacial is well worth investing in and absolutely lives up to the hype.

While Ole Henriksen’s phat glow facial is not as powerful, it's a great gentler option that you can use more frequently. If you are new to acids, have sensitive skin or have found products containing AHAs and BHAs too strong in the past, this could be the one for you. It’s still pricier than your average skincare product, but because you will use very little at a time, it is guaranteed to last.

For more beauty inspiration, read our review of Benefit’s debut setting spray