I remember the first time I smeared Lala Retro Whipped Cream Drunk Elephant on my face. It was winter. My skin felt like a piece of parched parchment that had been left in a desert for a decade. Honestly, I was skeptical. Every "heavy" moisturizer I’d tried before either sat on top of my skin like a layer of grease or broke me out in tiny, angry bumps by the next morning.
But this stuff? It's weirdly light.
It has this airy, mousse-like texture that feels satisfyingly thick when you pump it out but then just... disappears. Not in a "where did my money go" kind of way, but in a "my skin just drank a gallon of water" kind of way. It's become a cult favorite for a reason, though the price tag usually makes people wince at first. Let's get into why it actually works and why Tiffany Masterson, the founder of Drunk Elephant, decided to reformulate it a few years back with something called ceramides.
The Secret Sauce: It’s All About the Barrier
Most people think skin hydration is just about dumping water on your face. It's not. It’s about the barrier. Your skin barrier is basically a brick-and-mortar structure where your skin cells are the bricks and lipids—like ceramides and oils—are the mortar. When that mortar cracks, moisture escapes. You get flaky. You get itchy.
Lala Retro Whipped Cream Drunk Elephant is designed specifically to fix that mortar.
It uses six African oils. Marula, mongongo, baobab, wild melon, ximenia, and passionfruit. That sounds like a fancy salad, but for skin, it’s a lipid goldmine. These oils are rich in fatty acids. When the brand updated the formula in 2019, they added "plant-derived ceramides." This was a massive deal. Ceramides help your skin hold onto that moisture so you don't have to keep re-applying every three hours.
The pH level is also crucial here. Drunk Elephant keeps it at a 5.2. That's slightly acidic, which is exactly where your skin wants to be. If you use a cream that’s too alkaline, you strip your natural defenses. This cream plays nice with your biology.
Is it actually a "clean" product?
The term "clean beauty" is honestly a bit of a marketing mess these days. Everyone has a different definition. However, Drunk Elephant sticks to what they call the "Suspicious 6." They leave out essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrances/dyes, and SLS.
📖 Related: Hairstyles for women over 50 with round faces: What your stylist isn't telling you
If you have sensitive skin, the lack of fragrance is a godsend.
I’ve seen so many people complain that it "smells like nothing" or has a slightly medicinal, raw scent. Yeah. That’s because they didn't dump perfume in it. Fragrance is one of the leading causes of contact dermatitis. If you want your face to smell like a cupcake, look elsewhere. If you want your face to stop being red and irritated, the lack of scent is a feature, not a bug.
Who is this really for?
If you have oily skin, you might want to skip this. Seriously.
While it's "whipped," it’s still incredibly emollient. On someone with high sebum production, it might feel a bit suffocating. But for the dry, the dehydrated, or the aging? It’s a literal life-saver.
- Menopausal skin: Great for that thinning, dry feeling.
- Retinol users: If you’re using Tretinoin or high-strength retinol, you know the "retinol peel." This cream helps soothe that specific kind of irritation.
- Travelers: Airplanes are moisture-wicking vacuums. Slathering this on before a long-haul flight keeps you from looking like a raisin when you land.
I’ve noticed a lot of people try to use it as a "cure-all." It’s not. It’s a moisturizer. If you have deep cystic acne, this isn't going to fix it, though it won't necessarily make it worse since it's non-comedogenic for most. It’s about comfort and repair.
The Mixing Game: The "Smoothie" Concept
Drunk Elephant talks a lot about "skincare smoothies."
Basically, because their products don't contain silicones, you can mix them together in your palm. You don't have to layer and wait for things to dry. I usually take a pump of Lala Retro Whipped Cream Drunk Elephant and mix it with a drop of B-Hydra (their hydration serum) or a bit of C-Firma in the morning.
👉 See also: How to Sign Someone Up for Scientology: What Actually Happens and What You Need to Know
It saves time. It feels like a science experiment in your bathroom.
Does it actually work better? Maybe not "better" than layering, but it’s definitely faster. And since the cream is so dense, thinning it out with a serum makes it spread more easily across the neck and chest.
Let’s talk about that airtight pump
The packaging is divisive. It’s a jar, but you don't dip your fingers in it. You press down on the top, and a perfect dose of cream squeezes out of a tiny hole.
- Hygiene: You aren't introducing bacteria from your fingernails into the product.
- Preservation: Air and light break down active ingredients. This design keeps the oils and ceramides stable until they hit your face.
- Waste: It can be hard to tell when you’re running out. You think you’re fine, and then—clunk—nothing comes out.
Pro tip: If you think it's empty, you can actually pop the lid off the jar to scrape out the last bit. There’s usually about three days' worth of product hiding in the corners. Don't waste $60+ by throwing it away too early.
Common Misconceptions and Comparisons
People often compare Lala Retro to Protini Polypeptide Cream. They are very different. Protini is more of a "protein shot" for your skin—it's thinner, gel-like, and focuses on firming and texture. Lala is the "heavy blanket."
If your skin feels tight, go with Lala. If your skin feels saggy or dull, go with Protini.
Is it a dupe for La Mer? No. La Mer is based on fermented broth and mineral oil. Lala is based on plant oils and ceramides. They feel different, they act different, and honestly, Lala's ingredient list is arguably more "active" in terms of repairing the moisture barrier than many old-school luxury creams that rely heavily on petroleum byproducts.
✨ Don't miss: Wire brush for cleaning: What most people get wrong about choosing the right bristles
The Reality of the Price Tag
Look, $62 is a lot for a moisturizer.
You can go to the drugstore and buy a big tub of CeraVe for $15, and it also has ceramides. It’s a valid point. If you are on a strict budget, CeraVe is an excellent choice.
What you're paying for with Drunk Elephant is the elegance of the formulation and the specific blend of oils. The texture of Lala is miles ahead of basic drugstore creams. It doesn't leave a waxy film. It doesn't feel like you've put a mask on. For some, that sensorial experience—the way it feels under makeup and how it absorbs—is worth the extra forty bucks. For others, it’s a luxury they can skip.
How to Get the Most Out of It
To really see a difference, you need to use it on damp skin.
Don't towel-dry your face until it's bone-dry. Leave a little moisture there. This gives the humectants in the cream (like sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer) something to grab onto.
Also, don't ignore your neck. The skin there is thin and has very few oil glands. It needs the lipids in Lala just as much as your cheeks do.
If you find it’s too heavy for summer, don't toss it. Keep it in a cool, dark place and bring it back out when the humidity drops. Skin needs change with the seasons. Just because it felt "too much" in July doesn't mean your skin won't be screaming for it in January.
Your Actionable Plan for Dry Skin
- Assess your barrier: If your skin stings when you apply basic products, your barrier is likely compromised. Stop using all acids (AHAs/BHAs) for a week.
- Switch to a gentle cleanser: Use a non-foaming cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling "squeaky clean." Squeaky means you've stripped your oils.
- Apply to damp skin: Use one pump of Lala Retro Whipped Cream Drunk Elephant immediately after washing your face.
- Seal it in: If you are extremely dry, you can layer a face oil (like Virgin Marula Oil) over the top of the cream at night to create an occlusive seal.
- Monitor for 28 days: It takes about a month for your skin cells to turnover. Don't judge a product after two days. Give it a full cycle to see if your flakiness actually subsides.
By focusing on lipid replenishment rather than just temporary hydration, you stop the cycle of chronic dryness and actually allow your skin to protect itself again. It’s not about finding a "miracle" product; it’s about giving your skin the specific tools—ceramides, fatty acids, and the right pH—it needs to function the way it was designed to.