Beauty review: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion

Nearly everything cult favourite skincare brand Drunk Elephant comes up with becomes a modern beauty icon: the T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial, Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil (one of my all-time favourites), and Lala Retro Whipped Cream have all been applauded for their high performance capabilities that quite literally, live up to the hype. Every. Time. And every time a new release from the brand has dropped there is literally a deafening cry from DE fans begging: ‘when are you going to create a body product?’, and at long last, they have!
In late August, Drunk Elephant officially released T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion, a next level, hydrating product charged with 10 percent alpha hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate and resurface dull, dry skin. The brand has pretty much taken its most refining, radiance-boosting formula, the AHA-powered T.L.C. Framboos serum, and transformed it into an all-over, supercharged body lotion that will transform skin just in time for summer, and then some. 

Its key driving ingredients are:
* The now-legendary T.L.C. Framboos™ AHA Blend (Glycolic, Tartaric, Lactic, and Citric Acids): a DE-developed formula which visibly resurfaces dull, uneven skin for a smoother, brighter, more even look.
* Marula Butter: A super-pure, concentrated butter derived from marula oil that is rich in antioxidant polyphenols, lipids, and fatty acids to thoroughly moisturise skin and provide powerful barrier protection.
* Shea Butter: A concentrated shea-fruit-derived butter with a complex triglyceride composition responsible for its characteristically rich, emollient, skin-barrier-protecting properties.

With a pH of 3.5 and a blend of glycolic, tartaric, citric, and salicylic acids, this body lotion gently smooths rough, bumpy skin while visibly improving areas of uneven tone, and it feels almost cool on application before it gets to work doing its thing. It absorbs super quickly which I love, only delivering a little sting if you have any tiny cuts from shaving your legs or whatnot. The latter is clearly a testament to the formula’s efficacy, and if you apply it in the morning and feel ready to bare then a sunscreen before leaving the house is a must.
The brand says that unless your skin is already used to this sort of chemical exfoliation, start using the product every few days before building up a tolerance and increasing your frequency. Perhaps trade off applications with a more hydration-focused lotion or oil every other day, and watch the magic build over time.
I’ve always maintained that when it comes to beauty from the neck down, great summer skin is made in the cooler months, and the arrival of this beauty down under is perfectly timed with exactly that in mind. At $40, T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion is more expensive than a supermarket bought body moisturiser, but also a lot cheaper than many premium skincare brands’ offerings. And in my humble opinion, better. Consider me hooked.
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion is available now at MECCA.