Drunk Elephant
Protini™ Polypeptide Cream
Protini™ Polypeptide Cream
Drunk Elephant
protini-polypeptide-cream
Moisturize
9628108652837
Morning or Evening?
How often will you use this product?
Notes
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Moisturizing cream with signal peptides, growth factors, supportive amino acids, and pygmy waterlily
FEATURES
Improves skin tone, texture, and firmness; reduces appearance of lines, wrinkles, and sun damage
BEST FOR
Not enough information provided
CHECKS
Does not contain essential oils, silicones, fragrance/dyes, and solvent alcohols
Who Is It For?
Not Enough Information Provided Default To Above 18 And Both Men And WomenWhat Does It Help With?
Improves Skin Tone Texture Firmness; Reduces Lines Wrinkles And Sun DamageBudget
PremiumHow To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Drunk Elephant Says
Product Description:
A (refillable!) peptide-packed gel-cream moisturizer that immediately improves the appearance of skin's tone, texture, and firmness
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
AQUA, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Extract, Nymphaea Alba Root Extract, sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-2, sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Polypeptide-11, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Acetyl Glutamine, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aspartic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Isomalt, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenylpropanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Key Ingredients
Signal peptide complex, Pygmy waterlily stem cell extract, Soybean folic acid ferment extract
Ingredients Details
Cetearyl Alcohol
Common Name(s): Cetostearyl alcohol,c16-18 fatty alcohol
CAS Number: 8005-44-5
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides fatty alcohol emulsification and thickening for stable, well-textured emulsions.
Why It's Used: The most widely used fatty alcohol in cosmetics – provides emulsification, thickening, and emolliency simultaneously from a single ingredient with excellent safety profile.
How It Works: Forms bilayer lamellar structures in water with emulsifiers creating a viscous structured network that thickens and stabilizes emulsions. fatty alcohol emolliency provides direct skin conditioning. bilayer formation reduces inter-droplet coalescence in emulsions.
Typically Found In: Creams,lotions,conditioners – virtually all emulsion products
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient – fatty alcohol emulsifier/thickener
Secondary Functions: Barrier sealing,softening
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%–25%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes – from vegetable or coconut/palm fatty acids
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Plant-derived, synthetic or animal-derived. verify source.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 1/5 – low; formulation-dependent
Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.
Works Well With: Humectants,ceramides,actives as carrier
Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Cetearyl alcohol's ability to form lamellar liquid crystal structures ('krafft phases') with water and co-emulsifiers provides not only emulsion stability but also enhanced skin penetration via the lamellar skin barrier pathway. these crystalline structures can act as a reservoir for active ingredients, slowly releasing them as the lamellar structure melts on skin contact.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Cetearyl Olivate
Common Name(s): Nonionic emulsifier,o/w surfactant,emulsion stabiliser
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Stabilises o/w emulsions by forming a molecular monolayer at the oil-water interface, provides co-emulsification synergy with other emulsifiers, and contributes to emulsion texture through interfacial film properties.
Why It's Used: Nonionic emulsifiers are preferred for sensitive skin and ph-extreme formulations — no ionic charge means no electrostatic interaction with skin proteins, no ph-dependent function loss, and compatibility with both anionic and cationic co-ingredients.
How It Works: Hlb determines emulsion type: hlb 8–12 for o/w emulsification; hlb 3–6 for w/o. the peg or glycoside head group provides hydrophilicity while the c16–c18 fatty chain provides lipophilicity. at the o/w interface, nonionic emulsifiers form a mixed monolayer reducing interfacial tension from ~35 mn/m (clean oil-water) to 5–10 mn/m, providing thermodynamic stabilisation.
Typically Found In: Creams,lotions,o/w emulsions
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient – cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%–10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 – non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1–2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Mixed emulsifier systems (e.g., glyceryl stearate + peg-100 stearate, or cetearyl glucoside + cetearyl alcohol) provide better emulsion stability than single emulsifiers — synergistic packing of different molecular geometries creates a more cohesive, mechanically robust interfacial film.
Last Verified: Cosing database,nonionic emulsifier hlb system review
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Common Name(s): Dicaprylyl carbonate,cosmetic active,functional ingredient
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers characteristic cosmetic function at recommended use concentration.
Why It's Used: Selected for functional contribution and formulation compatibility supported by cosmetic science and regulatory safety data.
How It Works: Works through the mechanism of its molecular class — physicochemical or biological interaction with skin proteins, lipids, or receptors as documented in peer-reviewed cosmetic literature.
Typically Found In: Skin care formulations
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient – cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%–10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 – non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1–2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Dicaprylyl carbonate has an established safety and efficacy profile within the cosmetic regulatory framework at standard use concentrations.
Last Verified: Cosing database,dicaprylyl carbonate technical literature
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Glycerin
Common Name(s): Glycerol,glycerine,1,2,3-propanetriol
CAS Number: 56-81-5
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Glycerin pulls water from the environment and deeper skin layers into the outer skin layer (epidermis), boosting moisture levels and keeping skin soft, smooth, and plump.
Why It's Used: It is used in virtually every moisturizer, serum, and cleanser because it is highly effective at hydrating skin, is well-tolerated by all skin types, and enhances the texture and spreadability of formulations.
How It Works: As a humectant, glycerin forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules, trapping them in the skin. it also reinforces the skin barrier by integrating into lipid structures between skin cells.
Typically Found In: Moisturizers,serums,cleansers,toners,sheet masks,sunscreens,body lotions,shampoos,conditioners
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Humectant
Secondary Functions: Skin barrier support,emollient,solvent
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 1%–30% (typical: 3–10%)
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes – plant-derived (coconut, soy, palm) or synthetic
Halal Status: Yes – when plant-derived or synthetic; verify source with supplier
Source Notes: Derived from plant oils via hydrolysis or saponification; synthetic versions also available. palm-derived glycerin carries sustainability concerns.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low; non-irritating at all standard concentrations
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 – non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Extremely rare allergic reactions; generally safe for all skin types including sensitive and baby skin
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Widely recognized as safe. ewg hazard score: 1. no significant concerns for irritation, sensitization, or toxicity at typical concentrations (up to 50%).
Works Well With: Hyaluronic acid,ceramides,niacinamide,panthenol,urea,peptides,retinol,ahas/bhas
Avoid Combining With: No known incompatibilities at standard concentrations
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Glycerin is an endogenous skin component found naturally in the stratum corneum. aquaporin-3 channels in keratinocytes facilitate glycerin transport, making it integral to natural skin hydration pathways.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment,ewg skin deep,inci decoder
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12