Is it possible, did Sephora release an affordable dupe for the coveted whipped sensation that is Drunk Elephant Lala Retro? Just how drunk is this elephant? Tipsy enough to be easily surpassed in the glow getter race by a moisturizer worth half its weight in gold? Well, today you’ll find out when I compare the two in a dupe review.
As a general rule, I do not believe a higher price point equates to a better-quality product. Of course, I am speaking in reference to skincare and beauty products. With that said, there have been times in my beauty journey where a high-end product, like Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer, exceed my expectations. So, what happens when a mega brand, in this case, Sephora, releases a potential dupe at a ridiculously lower price point? Well, keep reading to see if, in this case, cost counts.
The moisturizer dupe in question is Sephora Collection Nourishing Moisturizer Hydrate & Repair vs. the raining HG cult fave queen Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer with Ceramides. In this comparison review, I'll first give a mini synopsis of my thoughts on each moisturizer and its supposed superstar ingredients. Then I'll share my personal experiences using each one and how my skin reacted. And lastly, I'll answer the great dupe question.
Before we dive deep into ingredient lists, brand promises, skincare reactions, and other nitty-gritty topics, I’d like to touch base on one thing - who owns these brands? Come with me for a quick pit stop, to talk about the elephant in the skincare fridge if you will.
Eight Beauty Houses to Rule Them All.
Back when I was in school for aesthetics, I remember learning a lot about skincare ingredients and the various classes of beauty products. The drug store brands were synonymous with more cost-effective ingredients. Professional products were, at the time, generally available only from your favorite esthetician. Prestige brands like Lancome, Estee Lauder, La Mer, and so on varied greatly in price but generally stemmed from the houses of beauty with big, BIG, marketing budgets.
By houses, I am of course referring to the very present reality that many beauty brands are owned by just 8 beauty conglomerates: Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Unilever, Shiseido Group, Coty, and LVMH. Don’t worry, I won’t be going into a deep dive on the mega brands of the beauty industry. But, should you be interested, click here for a quick CB Insights synopsis or here to read an older, but slightly more in-depth review, from Insider.
Ironically, at the time I started writing this blog, Drunk Elephant was bought by the Shiseido Group for a reported $845 million. Prior to its acquisition from Shiseido, Drunk Elephant made quite a name for itself with a unique brand promise, quality ingredients, and a loyal cult-like following of #cleanbreak testimonials. Here’s hoping the brand stays true to its roots going forward.
Sephora, for those who don’t know, is owned by LVMH. So, it's safe to assume, Sephora has the research and development resources at its disposal to manufacture and market some quality products. Whether those products are worth your money is a different question. However, it is fair to note that Drunk Elephant's moisturizer did not have the backing of Sephora when it built a product and reputation for itself.
Okay, on to the experiment. Just what were the controls in my little comparison experiment that helped me know if S.C. was, in fact, a dupe for Lala?
One Swap at a Time.
I compared the two moisturizers using the same day and nighttime skincare routine. Keeping my cleanser, toner, serums, and exfoliation the same but using either Lala Retro or Sephora Collection.
To be fair, prior to this little experiment, I had been using Lala for at least 6 months. Still, the common practice in the esthetics world is to test a product for a month to get an understanding of how it will work for your skin. In this case, I felt a month's time was sufficient to see if the Sephora Collection moisturizer would keep up the results I had from Lala Retro. If not, then it's fair to surmise that the Sephora moisturizer is not a true dupe for Lala Retro.
First up, Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer.
I'm sure most readers will know, but for those who are unfamiliar, I think it's important to share what Drunk Elephant is all about. Their philosophy is pretty detailed, and basically comes down to this: "We are committed to using only ingredients that either directly benefits the health of the skin or support the integrity of our formulations." Clearly, that is a big oversimplification and doesn't do the brand story justice but as it is this blog is getting pretty long! So, if you're interested in reading more about DE read more with this link.
Moving on.
When analyzing any skincare product I like to look up the ingredients using either Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary (my gold standard), Skincarisma, or CosDNA to get a better understanding of what's inside.
A rule of thumb I hear often is - the shorter the list the better. And while in some cases this principle might be true, I believe it's more important to understand the ingredients of a product than to assume because it has a shortlist it's better. Ingredient lists display the highest concentrations at the top working to the lowest at the bottom. Therefore, some like to look at the first 6 ingredients as a marker of a "quality" product.
Some of the superstar ingredients detailed for Lala Retro on Sephora's website are:
Six Rare African Oil Blend said to nurture, rejuvenate and moisturize
Ceramides AP, EOP, and NP help soothe and maintain the moisture balance of the skin, simultaneously protecting again TEWL (water loss)
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer a smaller weight than hyaluronic acid allowing it to deeply penetrate into the skin. Said to deliver excellent hydration and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Lala Retro has a pH of 5.2, which is good. But, a quick analysis of the ingredients list and there are a couple of red flags. First would be the new and improved Ceramides formula is supposedly a key ingredient but falls at number 19 on the list. Presumably meaning, there is not a high concentration of ceramides in this beauty. Second would be the oils (presumably some are the 6 rare) fall about halfway down. In total, there are 34 ingredients in Lala.
Quick, before you jump to any conclusions that Drunk Elephant's moisturizer, with its promise to remove the suspicious 6, is clearly going to have better ingredients analysis - just wait. Much to my surprise, Drunk Elephant doesn't fair better for oily skins. To be fair, at Sephora, it is marketed as a rich cream to address the skin care concerns of dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles. Still, it claims to be for normal, dry, combination, and oily skins.
My Time Drunk Elephant: What I Think.
A quick stroll on my Instagram feed and you will find quite a few posts about Lala Retro. For some time, it was my HG moisturizer. What I like in a moisturizer is a no-fuss product that does what it should - moisturize. I don't need it to have all kinds of extras like retinol, vitamin C, or whatever antiaging ingredient is the latest fad. My moisturizer needs to be one thing - adaptable. It needs to work to keep me hydrated with exfoliants, make nice with actives, and friendly to the new products on the block!
Lala fit the mold for me. I enjoyed the consistency and how quickly it absorbed my skin. There were no horror story breakouts whilst my skin adjusted to it. In the winter months, it worked as both a day and night cream. The delivery method of the packaging is genius - every OCD germaphobes dream.
What I didn't enjoy was it almost felt too basic after a while. Simply put my healthy skin benefits seemed to plateau. Maybe my skin got complacent, she is fickle. Whatever the reason, I wanted more, and for a better price. Enter, Sephora Collection Nourishing Moisturizer.
Next Up, The Sephora Collection Nourishing Hydrate + Repair Moisturizer.
After analyzing the ingredients of the Sephora Collection moisturizer it seems it is more of a comparison to the combination of Lala Retro with Marula oil. I, however, did not compare the two using this combination. So take with that what you will - some might argue it's not truly fair comparison. Anyway.
The key ingredients gaining claim to fame for the Sephora Collection moisturizer on Sephora are:
Avocado Oil to nourish the skin
Marula Oil to repair the skin
Rose Hip Seed Oil that softens the skin
Not sure what the pH is, it's not given. Personally, I enjoy transparency from brands, always makes me suspicious when a pH or ingredient list isn't readily available. Knowing the pH of your skincare is very important, especially one at the end of your routine. Maintaining a healthy balanced pH in your skin is crucial. Unbalanced skins', with either too acidic or too alkaline pH, are more susceptible to an array of skin conditions. Not the least of which include irritation, heightened sensitivity, and acne. Yes, acne can be brought on by sensitivity.
Much like Lala, Sephora's top ingredients don't appear until late on the ingredient list. Avocado oil is number 15, followed by rose at 16, and marula at 17. To be fair, marula is also number 17 on Lala's list. The Sephora Collection cream has just 2 extra ingredients for a total of 36.
One of the greatest red flags for Sephora was the clear scent, it has added fragrance. Clean at Sephora guidelines mandate products contain less than 1% synthetic fragrance, which is unsettling because it has a clear scent. I prefer my products fragrance free.
My Experience with Sephora Collection: What I Think.
At first, when I made the Sephora switch, I began to notice a visible difference in my skin's texture. More than ever before, my skin felt hydrated and pore size (hair follicles) appeared smaller. Now, I know, you can't shrink pore size, but that's a long discussion for another blog. Still, what I took from the reduction in the appearance of pore size was this beauty seemed to be hydrating my skin better than the moisturizers of yesteryear.
With continued daily use, my visible skin results seemed to be going great. Initially, I didn't have any breakouts, my texture was getting better, and slowly I was getting used to the scent. It wasn't until about the three-week mark when I began to notice irritation. At first, the irritation was a faint itch with each application. Then it was visible irritation, my skin was red and itchy. No rash, hives, or breakouts - just discomfort.
Discomfort alone was enough for me to stop using it, right around the one-month mark. From an aesthetics standpoint, increasing sensitivity is a good reason to stop using a product. Something that causes itchiness, irritation, or redness is not the best for your skin. Granted there are exceptions, but you know what I mean. Don't worry, I used the remainder of the moisturizer on other parts of my body. Wouldn't want to be wasteful.
The Verdict. Dupe or No Dupe.
So, now that you've come to the end of the journey with me, you're probably thinking - okay, common is it a dupe or not?!
I know, I know. I've given you a lot of information to process. And true to form for me, I think the answer to that question depends on several factors. Most importantly what your skin type is. Me, I am a combination skin that seems to be perpetually dehydrated and fairly sensitive.
For me, it wasn't a dupe. Not because of any particular ingredient but instead the adverse reaction my skin had. Both contain similar hydrating ingredients and nourishing oils. But, with months of use, Lala never gave me itchy skin. Another flaw for SC was the added fragrance.
But, for those with different skin types or conditions here's a couple of diplomatic lists.
Reasons the Sephora Collection Moisturizer is not a good dupe for Lala Retro.
If you're someone where the consistency of your cream matters - beware. Unlike the thick dreamy cloud that is Lala Retro, the Sephora collection is thinner with an oilier feel.
For scent-sensitive beauty gurus (like me) Sephora contains a noticeable floral scent with added fragrance. Lala has no fragrance, whatsoever.
My sensitive skin guys and gals, Sephora's Hydrate + Repair cream might cause irritation.
Sephora feels heavier on the skin than Lala Retro, it lacks the same matte finish and feel. For dry skins, this might be nice, oily skins not so much.
Reasons Sephora Collection could work for you as a potential dupe for Lala Retro.
My price-conscious, on a budget, don't want to spend a lot on moisturizer friends - Sephora's is ridiculously affordable for what it is! You can get the same number of ounces for a much, MUCH, cheaper price. At Sephora in the US, it's $43 cheaper.
The quality of ingredients with Clean @sephora promise. Considering its ridiculously affordable price, it's pretty amazing Marula oil falls a the same point on the ingredient list.
Normal to dry skins will like how hydrating Sephora's moisturizer is. Before my reaction, my skin was glowing.
If you have any further questions or comments feel free to reach out. Find me on Instagram @insearchofglow or email searchingforglow@gmail.com.
*Disclaimer* This is not a sponsored blog post. The products were not gifted and all opinions and images are my own.