Drunk Elephant skincare is raved about by many for the way it can transform your skin! There is no doubt that Drunk Elephant is one of the most popular skincare brands and they create effective products. Some of their best products are their serums — especially their TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. This serum is a chemical exfoliant that helps with texture, acne, wrinkles and fading dark spots.
Drunk Elephant is extremely pricey so we found a great Drunk Elephant night serum dupe for their TLC serum with Pixi Overnight Glow Serum. Pixi Overnight Glow Serum contains AHAs to provide chemical exfoliation to help fade dark spots and improve texture. Pixi serum has a similar texture, it’s aimed for night use and it’s a fraction of the price compared to Drunk Elephant.
Drunk Elephant Framboos Glycolic Night Serum Review
Drunk Elephant TLC Glycolic Night Serum is an AHA/BHA gel that resurfaces dull, congested skin by lifting away dead skin cells.
Drunk Elephant Framboos contains AHAs and BHAs. AHAs include glycolic, lactic and tartaric acids. AHAs are water-soluble and good for dry skin types as well as treating aging. BHAs include salicylic acid, are oil-soluble, and good for acne, decongesting pores.
The combination of the two in one serum does wonders for congestions as well as reversing the signs of aging. This serum is recommended as a night serum because acids make your skin more susceptible to the sun’s rays. Overall, this serum has skin-friendly ingredients, does the heavy lifting in your routine and for many leads to great results. But the combination of acids in one serum can be too intense for sensitive skin-types.
Where to buy: Amazon
Drunk Elephant Night Serum Dupe List
The hard part about finding a dupe for Drunk Elephant Framboos Glycolic Night Serum is finding one with both AHAs and BHAs. But, this doesn’t mean that you need AHAs and BHAs to improve the quality of your skin. AHAs on their own or BHAs on their own can have very similar results to Drunk Elephant night serum. Keep in mind some skin types can’t tolerate both AHAs and BHAs in a serum, so finding a serum with one may be a good thing.
Pixi Overnight Glow Serum
Pixi Overnight Glow Serum exfoliates your skin with a serum that works while you sleep to reveal a brighter complexion.
While this serum only contains AHAs, it’s texture and consistency is similar to Drunk Elephant Glycolic Serum. It also contains a derivative of Vitamin A which is retinol, but it’s still gentle for daily use. This serum works to fade fine lines and reduce the appearance of dark spots. Reviewers rave about the wonders it does for their complexion in terms of glow and evening out the skin tone.
Pros:
- Formulated with 10% glycolic acid.
- Paraben-free.
- Cruelty-free.
- A fraction of the price compared to Drunk Elephant.
- Gentle yet effective chemical exfoliation. It works to gently unveil a smoother, brighter complexion.
Cons:
- Does not contain BHAs like Drunk Elephant.
- Some reviewers state that this didn’t do anything for their skin. Remember serums and actives take around 28 days to notice a difference in your skin.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid
Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid is a gentle leave-on exfoliant with salicylic acid that quickly unclogs pores, smooths wrinkles, and brightens your skin.
This toner is an amazing option for unclogging pores and managing acne. This product only contains BHAs while Drunk Elephant contains AHAs and BHAs. But, this product works for all skin types and it’s really amazing. It helps to fade dark spots, decongest pores, minimize wrinkles and prevent future breakouts.
If you’re looking to help with acne while minimizing fine lines, this is a great option — it helps with everything!
Pros:
- BHA mimics the skin’s natural exfoliation process by helping it to shed dead skin unveiling a brighter complexion.
- BHAs are really great for oily, acne prone skin.
- This toner is gentle enough for most skin types and can be used daily.
- No fragrance or parabens.
- Affordable and one bottle lasts a while.
Cons:
- Not a serum like Drunk Elephant.
- Doesn’t contain AHAs.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Bliss Clean Genius Liquid Peel
Bliss Clean Genius Liquid Peel is a pore-clearing facial treatment that clears pores and exfoliates dead skin for next-level clarity.
This treatment has a 10% BHA, AHA, PHA trio. It works to decongest pores and exfoliate dead skin to unveil a smoother, brighter and clearer complexion. Unlike Drunk Elephant night serum, this product is made to use 2-3 times a week as it’s a bit harsher. It is however an affordable, potent option that includes AHAs and BHAs.
Pros:
- AHA, BHA, PHA blend. (PHAs function like AHAs but are larger molecules and cause less irritation.)
- Affordable, potent blend of acids.
- Reviewers rave about how much this product smooths out their skin!
- Good for texture, acne, wrinkles, dark spots and uneven texture.
Cons:
- This product is intense and can be too much for some. Aim force once a week and build up as your skin reacts.
- Weekly treatment, not a nightly serum.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner
Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner is formulated with AHA, BHA, and other purifying botanical ingredients to refresh and soften your skin.
This spray toner contains AHAs and BHAs and the application process can’t get any easier. This toner is pretty gentle and provides a great base for your skincare. It’s gentler than Drunk Elephant but it does contain AHAs and BHAs and it’s good for newbies or daily use. When using a product like this, be careful with layering on other acid serums.
Pros:
- Spray applicator makes it easy.
- Contains AHAs and BHAs.
- Super affordable.
- Skincare friendly ingredients.
- Gentle. Great starting point for acids if you’re skin is sensitive.
Cons:
- Gentler than Drunk Elephant.
- Toner rather than a serum.
- If you’re really looking to improve your skin, this option may be too mild.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Some By Mi AHA, BHA, PHA Miracle Serum
Some By Mi AHA, BHA, PHA Miracle Serum ius formulated with AHAs, BHAs and PHAs to gently exfoliate your skin.
This serum is a miracle worker for decongesting pores, smoothing out the skin tone and dealing with texture and dark spots. It contains BHA, AHA and PHA which are like AHAs but gentler. This is a good Drunk Elephant night serum dupe and it’s a nightly, chemical exfoliation serum that gives similar results.
Pros:
- Contains tea-tree water extract to help manage sebum production.
- Cost-effective dupe!
- K-Beauty! This is made in mind for sensitive skin types.
- Reviewers rave about how much this product does for their skin.
- Good product if you’re struggling with acne.
Cons:
- May be geared towards oily skin-types and acne control.
- Not a good option if you’re sensitive to tea tree.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid penetrates your skin to clear your clogged pores.
This BHA liquid may only contain BHA but it’s great at decongesting pores, dealing with acne and smoothing texture. Cosrx offers amazing, effective products at a great price point and this is no different. This only contains BHAs but like Drunk Elephant night serum it can really minimize breakouts and improve the quality of your skin.
Pros:
- Affordable.
- Potent, effective yet gentle enough for daily use.
- The texture is very similar to Drunk Elephant Glycolic serum.
- Free of parabens and fragrance.
- Good for acne and oily prone skin.
- Very effective at removing black heads.
Cons:
- Only contains BHAs.
- If you’re looking for something to help with fine lines and dark spots, they’re may be better options.
Where to buy it: Amazon
Final Thoughts
Everyone should include some type of chemical exfoliation in their skincare routine! Physical exfoliation with beads and sand can create micro tears in the skin. Chemical exfoliation does wonders for the skin and it can fix many problems at once. If you’re looking to improve skin texture, fade dark spots and help with acne, chemical exfoliation is the answer!
Overall, our favorite dupe for Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night serum is Pixi Overnight Glow serum. It’s formulated to mimic similar results to Drunk Elephant night serum and the texture is similar. Any dupe on this list is a great option for chemical exfoliation — you don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars for a good option. When deciding, do your research and pick based on your skin type, experience with acids and personal preference!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use AHA or BHA with retinol?
No! Never! BHAs and AHAs are actives along with retinol. Stick to one a night. Using both of them in the same routine on the same day can lead to intense irritation, redness and even peeling.
It’s good practice to alternate nights when using acids and retinol. Stick to a few times a week and see how your skin reacts but always on alternating nights. Infact, alternating both overtime can lead to your best skin ever!
What should I pair with a serum or treatment like this?
Anything with acids should be the star of your routine. So I like to go double cleanse, acid toner or serum, niacinamide, hydrating serum and moisturizer. Niacinamide is okay to use with an acid. So is hyaluronic acid and other sorts of hydrating serums.
Whenever you use an acid you always want to make sure you are using SPF! Acids make your skin more sensitive to the sun and to sun damage. Wearing SPF daily is essential because if you’re skipping on it, you’re basically negating all the positives of using acids. For your face aim for SPF 30 and up. SPF 50 is ideal.
How long does a product like this last?
Generally around 6 months to a year. Whenever you have actives or serums you always want to use them up at that time versus saving them for later. They become less effective and even expire as they age and go unused. So don’t mass buy serums and use up what you have first!
If you’re using an old serum and it feels like it’s not working, it probably is no longer effective. Active ingredients like acids, vitamin c and retinol go bad faster than a moisturizer or cleanser.