Ole Henrisken Phat Glow Facial: Is it a Drunk Elephant Babyfacial Dupe?
Way back when in 2017, Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ 25% AHA + 2% BHA Mask was one of the biggest releases in skincare. It was another time, skincare exfoliants weren’t *quite* as numerous, and this mask was pretty groundbreaking. Drunk Elephant was the first mainstream brand to offer a “professional” grade peel for users at home. Unfortunately, due to regulations on acid percentages and pH and what not, it wasn’t sold anywhere outside the US.
Fast forward to 2019, and Ole Hernriksen has released their own at home facial peel sort of mask, the PHAT Glow Facial™ Mask, with a similar promise and package. Naturally, tongues are wagging at the prospect of a Babyfacial dupe that IS available outside the US! I purchased the mask back in August and have been using it a few times a month to see if it’s a true Babyfacial dupe or not.
Disclosure: I received Babyfacial in a PR mailer from Drunk Elephant, but all opinions are my own. As much as I enjoy the mask, I don’t think I would go out of my way to repurchase it myself (more on that later.)
Price, size, & availability
Babyfacial: $80.00 for 1.7 oz/ 50 mL ($47.06/ oz) via Sephora & Drunk Elephant. As far as I know, this is not sold in Canada, UK, Australia, Asia, etc.— it’s strictly a US only market.
Phat Glow Facial: $49.00 for 1.7 oz/ 50 mL ($28.82/ oz) via Sephora & Ole Henriksen in the US, other retailers worldwide. If you’re in the US, I would suggest purchasing it off Ole Henriksen directly as they often have various promos and sales, especially with the holidays coming up. I personally purchased it for around $35 + free shipping with a coupon code. Even without any sort of sale, this mask is 40% cheaper than Babyfacial.
Packaging
Babyfacial: This is packaged in an airless pump with a locking device on the applicator. The opening of the pump can clog up if I don’t use it often enough.
Phat Glow Facial: This is also packaged in an airless pump, but instead of a locking mechanism, it has a cap. Similar to Babyfacial, the opening of the pump can also clog up if I don’t use it for some time.
Product Claims
Babyfacial: “A pro-quality AHA/BHA "facial" that resurfaces skin to reveal greater clarity, improved skin texture and tone, and a more youthful-looking appearance. Targets Dullness and Uneven Texture, Dark Spots, and Fine Lines and Wrinkles.”
Phat Glow Facial: “An age-fighting face mask that works like a facial, with potent PHAs and Nordic birch sap to exfoliate, illuminate, and brighten skin. Targets Dark Spots, Fine lines and Wrinkles, Pores, and Dryness.”
Ingredients
Babyfacial: Water, Glycolic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Silybum Marianum Seed Extract, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Cicer Arietinum Seed Powder, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dextrin, Polydextrose, Sorbitan Isostearate, Amylopectin, Niacinamide, Phytosphingosine, Lactic Acid, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Phat Glow Facial: Aqua/Water/Eau, Glycerin, Kaolin, Gluconolactone, Gluconic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Propanediol, Bentonite, Cetearyl Alcohol, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Betula Alba Juice, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyacrylate-13, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum/Fragrance, Pullulan, Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Polysorbate 20, Hexylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Biotin, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Extract, Eriophorum Spissum Flower/Stem Extract, Chlorphenesin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sorbic Acid, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77499), Citral, Limonene, Linalool.
As you can see from the ingredients, they aren’t really identical. Drunk Elephant’s Babyfacial contains a 25% blend of AHAs (glycolic, lactic, tartaric, and citrus acids) and 2% BHA (salicylic acid.) On the other hand, Ole Henriksen’s Phat Glow Facial utilizes PHAs— gluconolactone and gluconic acid. AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs are all chemical exfoliants that penetrate the top layer of our skin and help slough off skin cells. But they have slightly different mechanisms and provide slightly different results. Overall, the PHAs found in the Ole Henriksen mask are much gentler than the AHA + BHA blend found in the Drunk Elephant mask. While Ole Henriksen doesn’t disclose the percentage of active ingredients, I’m going to guess it’s not too high because it is sold in countries that have relatively strict regulations on active acids.
Both masks also contain a nice blend of soothing ingredients and plant extracts. Personally, if I’m using any sort of exfoliant, I want it to be balanced with calming ingredients to counter act the dryness and irritation that are side effects of said exfoliation. The Ole Henriksen mask also has a kaolin clay base which can help with breakouts and excess oil production.
Fragrance
Babyfacial: No fragrance or essential oils. It doesn’t smell like much to me.
Phat Glow Facial: This contains both fragrance and essential oils in the form of limonene and linalool (technically extracts from EOs but people who are sensitive to EOs, are usually sensitive to these too.) I personally do not enjoy the scent of this mask. It’s a synthetic fruity scent, not really what I would expect from a higher end product. And it lingers for some time. That said, I have a lot of stinkier skincare products in my stash so I’m not highly offended 😂
Application
Babyfacial: This is pretty easy to apply and spread. BUT I do have to apply a generous layer for it to properly work. The first few times I tried this, I was stingy with my application and I didn’t really notice any effects. It does cause a slight tingling sensation but I don’t find it irritating. It’s also pretty easy to wash off, for a mask. It dries down, but not completely.
Phat Glow Facial: The texture of this is a little bit sticky and tacky. It’s not as easy to apply as Babyfacial, but it’s still a generally spreadable consistency. The pump on this also lets out a lot more product vs Babyfacial. Whereas I will use a few pumps of Babyfacial per application, one or less pumps is needed for one application of Phat Glow Facial. Because it has a clay base, I would say this dries down more than Babyfacial and is not quite as easy to wash off. I like using a wet silicone scrubber to remove it.
Results
Babyfacial: During application, this tingles a little bit. Afterwards, my skin isn’t particularly sensitized but I do like to apply extra hydrating layers just in case. My skin definitely feels cleaner and my pores feel tighter directly after application. Sometimes I’ll ask have a bit of temporary redness after rinsing it off. Babyfacial delivers dramatic results overnight. After all, it’s supposed to mimic the effects you would get from a skin peel. My skin is smoother, brighter, glowier. Breakouts are smaller and scars are duller.
Phat Glow Facial: I didn’t experience any tingling while using this. But, my skin can feel a little bit dry after I rinse it off. This isn’t all that surprising to me as it has a clay base and clay masks are oft drying on me. On the plus side, I get the same clean, pore tightening look directly after application. Like Babyfacial, I do see a difference in my skin overnight but it’s not as dramatic. My skin does look glowy and more even, but it’s not nearly as effective on breakouts and scarring as Babyfacial.
Final Verdict: Is it a Dupe?
Survey says… no. Yes, both of them are exfoliating masks but the ingredients, application, and results are different enough that I don’t see the point of calling them dupes. If Phat Glow Facial is a dupe for Babyfacial, well then every exfoliating mask on the market is a dupe for Babyfacial. I do think Ole Henriksen was onto something by mimicking the name, packaging, and marketing of this mask as an alternative to Babyfacial. And I do think it’s a good mask! It simply isn’t a dupe.
The best dupe to Babyfacial is still the Ordinary’s 30% AHA + BHA peel. It doesn’t have as many soothing ingredients as Babyfacial, but the results are spot on. Plus, it’s less than 10% of the price of Babyfacial. Unfortunately, it also is not sold outside the US (that I’m aware of) because of local regulations.
Update: apparently the Ordinary’s peel is available in the EU and elsewhere! So you might have luck finding it at your local Deciem store or 3rd party retailer.
While I do enjoy Babyfacial, I don’t think it’s worth the price for how infrequently I use it. It’s a serious peel and using it more than once or twice a month for my skin is a surefire way to over exfoliating because I also regularly use vitamin C, an exfoliating toner, and gentle retinoids. I mostly reach for it when I’ve been lazy with exfoliating, which doesn’t happen all that often. I actually think a gentler mask like Phat Glow Facial is a better fit for my skincare rotations!
Let’s say I exfoliate 2 or 3 times with a toner during the week, I can still use Phat Glow Facial on the weekend for an extra ~*glow*~ to my skin. Whereas if I did that with Babyfacial, my skin would probably start burning. If your skin is sensitive, or if you also have a regular exfoliating routine, I think using a gentler exfoliating mask will probably serve you well too!