Protini Polypeptide Cream

Drunk Elephant

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is a emulsion. Our analysis of its 58 ingredients (46 low-risk) rates it Excellent (99/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Emulsion
Ingredients
58
Low-risk
46
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States
Data updated
Jun 2026

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 18/10
Good for dry skin
Glyceryl Caprylate Dicaprylyl Carbonate Linolenic Acid Linoleic Acid Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil Cetearyl Alcohol Isomalt Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Sodium PCA Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Coco-Caprylate/Caprate Coconut Alkanes Histidine Sodium Lactate PCA Lecithin
Caution for dry skin
Glyceryl Caprylate Linolenic Acid Linoleic Acid Sorbitan Olivate Sorbitan Isostearate Xanthan Gum Glycerin Polysorbate 20 Polysorbate 60 Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin No data
Sensitive Skin 2/18
Good for sensitive skin
Glycerin sh-Oligopeptide-2
Caution for sensitive skin
Glycine Linolenic Acid Linoleic Acid Valine Serine Aspartic Acid Alanine Arginine Isoleucine Butylene Glycol Glycerin Threonine Phenylalanine Phenylpropanol Proline Histidine Sodium Benzoate Phenoxyethanol

Ingredients list

58 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All58 Skin Conditioning55 Fragrance18 Hair Conditioning18 Antistatic Agent13 Humectant13 Emollient9 Masking8 Emulsifying7
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Cetearyl Olivate
(Hair Conditioning)
1
A
Sorbitan Olivate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant)
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
(Antioxidant, Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Nymphaea Alba Root Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
sh-Oligopeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning)
sh-Oligopeptide-2
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting)
sh-Polypeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning)
sh-Polypeptide-9
(Skin Conditioning)
sh-Polypeptide-11
(Skin Conditioning)
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
(Skin Conditioning)
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Alanine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Arginine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Glycine
(Buffering Agent, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Agent Miscellaneous, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Histidine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Humectant)
1
A
Isoleucine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent)
1
A
Phenylalanine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Proline
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Serine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
A
Threonine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Hair Waving Or Straightening)
1
A
Valine
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
B
Acetyl Glutamine
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Coconut Alkanes
(Emollient, Solvent)
1
B
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Aspartic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Antistatic Agent, Masking)
1
Linoleic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Linoleic Acid., Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Linolenic Acid
(Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Sufactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Linolenic Acid., Antistatic Agent, Emollient, Perfuming)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Polyvinyl Alcohol
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
3
B
Sodium Lactate
(Buffering Agent, Exfoliant, Humectant, Keratolytic)
1
B
Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
3
B
PCA
(Humectant, Moisturising)
1
A
Sorbitan Isostearate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
1
A
Carbomer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
3
B
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
3
B
Polysorbate 60
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
(Skin Conditioning)
1
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Isomalt
(Anticaking Agent, Bulking Agent, Flavoring Agent, Humectant)
1
A
1,2-Hexanediol
(Solvent)
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
2
A
Chlorphenesin
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial, Preservative)
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
TOCOPHEROL
(Antioxidant, Fragrance, Skin Conditioning)
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)
1
Phenylpropanol
(Masking, Perfuming, Solvent)
1
A
Glyceryl Caprylate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
(Skin Conditioning)

My Ingredient Notes

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Key ingredients

Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant, Humectant
Nymphaea Alba Root Extract
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

Good for dry skin

Concerns

Contains paraben
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioningEmollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Opacifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingOpacifyingFoam boostingViscosity increasingagent - aqueousViscosity increasing agentEmollientEmulsifyingViscosity controlling
Cetearyl Olivate
Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningHumectant
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant, Humectant
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A AntioxidantHumectantSkin conditioning
Nymphaea Alba Root Extract
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Skin conditioning
sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin conditioning, Skin protecting
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioningSkin protecting
sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
sh-Polypeptide-11
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioning
+ 33 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin
Linoleic Acid
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantsurfactant-cleansing agent is included as a function for the soap form of linoleic acid.Antistatic agentEmollient Fungal-acne trigger
Linolenic Acid
Fragrance, Hair conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHair conditioningSkin conditioningSufactantsurfactant-cleansing agent is included as a function for the soap form of linolenic acid.Antistatic agentEmollientPerfuming Fungal-acne trigger
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Sodium PCA
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningHumectantAntistatic agentSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Officially notified as a cosmetic in Malaysia (NPRA). Government registration record.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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