Reviewing Drunk Elephant's New Haircare Products

Last week I reviewed Drunk Elephant’s new body care launches— including their Kamili body cleanser, Sili body lotion, and deodorant. Aaaand now let’s move onto their new haircare launches, made in collaboration with famed hair stylist Chris McMillan. If you would like more of a preface and background on the brand + these launches, please read last week’s post!

All products were sent as PR samples but all thoughts are my own.

T.L.C. Happi Scalp Scrub

$36.00 for 6 fl oz via Sephora & Cult Beauty

As a longtime scalp scrub user, I’m glad to see them gaining popularity! This one is unique in that it’s a chemical exfoliator and physical exfoliator. It contains a 10% AHA blend that’s also found in their cult classic TLC serum and Babyfacial mask plus salicylic acid. In addition, it also contains cellulose acetate to work as a physical exfoliator. If you’ve ever used a peeling gel, you should be familiar with the texture.

Unlike many other scrubs, you apply this 10 minutes prior to washing your hair. I’m assuming this is to allow the chemical exfoliants to do their work. And then in the shower, you can rinse it off!

Without getting into all the technicalities on a cellular level, chemical exfoliants work by loosening the chemical bonds between cells, freeing up dead skin cells. Physical exfoliants work by physically scrubbing away the dead skin cells via friction. So in theory, this scrub works by freeing up dead skin cells through chemical exfoliation and then washing them away through physical exfoliation.

It’s worked pretty well washing away product build-up (dry shampoo, texture spray, etc.) and dandruff for me! My scalp feels clean but not stripped. The texture of the scrub isn’t particularly scrubby ie the particles are small and not too concentrated. On the plus side, this makes it much easier to rinse away, and it’s gentler than most other scalp scrubs I’ve tried.

I have pretty severe dandruff and only a good anti-fungal treatment (my favorite is the Sachajuan scalp conditioner) + scalp scrub keep it under control. While this scrub does get rid of my flaky scalp, it doesn’t prevent it from coming back like a targeted anti-dandruff treatment. It works way better when used alongside a targeted anti-dandruff treatment.

Like the body products, this also smells like almond extract.

I really like the packaging! It has a pointed spout that makes application a breeze. I part my hair and apply it directly to my scalp, easy peasy. It also comes with a decent amount of product, and I don’t find myself using too much each application.

Cocomino Glossing Shampoo

$25.00 for 8 fl oz via Sephora & Cult Beauty

Similar to their Kamili body cleanser, this uses a gentle combination of surfactants to mimic the effectiveness of SLS without actually being SLS. As someone with a finicky scalp, I am very grateful for that fact. I do find myself using a little bit more product for it to lather up compared to some other shampoos I have been using recently. It takes me a little bit more time to apply and rinse away,

I didn’t hate this, but neither did I love it. It was very middle of the road. It cleansed my hair and scalp, which is a plus. While it wasn’t stripping, nor was it particularly moisturizing. I also don’t think it did anything for my natural curl pattern.

For around the same price, I could purchase the Olaplex No 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo or DAE Daily Shampoo. Both are gentler, lather better, help support my natural curl pattern, and are just as effective at cleaning my hair/ scalp.

Cocomino Marula Cream Conditioner

$25.00 for 8 fl oz via Sephora & Cult Beauty

Personally, I don’t find this moisturizing enough for me. My hair is on the dry side and when I skip washing it for 4+ days (which has been the case while quarantining), it gets even drier. As I rinse this conditioner out, I don’t feel that silky softness feel to my hair that I get with my favorite conditioners.

The formula relies on a blend of oils and butters to nourish the hair. It’s free of silicones, which some people avoid as it can weigh down your hair. Personally, I don’t mind silicones as they lock in moisture and give a smoothness to my hair.

All that said, this might work better for people with finer hair who don’t want their conditioner to weigh their hair down.

Wild Marula Tangle Spray

$25.00 for 4 fl oz via Sephora & Cult Beauty

The first few times I used this I didn’t shake it…and it was a flop. Then I read the directions, shook the bottle, and then generously sprayed it onto my wet hair. All of a sudden, it did make a difference! My hair was easier to brush through. It did make my ends feel softer without weighing them down or making them feel oily. Worth noting that it is free of silicones!

To see if I could notice a noticeable different, I sprayed it on half my hair. I wouldn’t say my hair was completely frizz-free when it dried, but it was smoother than the side I didn’t spray. It didn’t weigh down my hair but nor did it to do anything to define my curl pattern.

The thing I like about this is it has a light, even spray. Plenty of oil sprays tend to squirt out which then leads me to having to blend it out with my hands, which kind of defeats the point of a spray.

In the realm of leave in hair products, I would definitely say it’s on the lighter side. If you have finer hair or find most hair oils make your hair look greasy, this could be an option. Personally, I like pairing it with a hydrating cream to lock in the moisture on the ends of my hair.

Out of all the products, I think this has the lightest scent. But it does still smell like almond extract.

Overall Thoughts

Similar to the body care products, there wasn’t any particular product that blew my mind. I think a lot of the hair products would work better for those with finer/ normal hair types— whereas mine craves moisture.

The TLC Happi Scalp Scrub is definitely an innovative product— I’ve yet to see an effective pre-shampoo treatment that contains both physical and chemical exfoliants. It’s handy but I can’t say the gentle chemical + physical exfoliation combo was more effective than a scrubbier scrub. If it were scrubbier, it could have been more impactful for me.

As with the body care products, these all smell like almond extract, a scent I do not care for. At the moment, I don’t see myself running out to repurchase any of these but we’ll see when I finish them up 🤷‍♀️