The Ultimate (and Honest) Drunk Elephant C Firma Review

Delving into the realm of anti-ageing skincare, few ingredients pack as much of a punch as vitamin C. This potent antioxidant, featured prominently in my Drunk Elephant C Firma Review, has been clinically proven to protect the skin from environmental stressors, boost collagen production, and brighten discolouration.

However, vitamin C is notoriously unstable and challenging to formulate effectively. Enter Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma Fresh Day Serum – a supercharged vitamin C treatment that promises to deliver all the benefits of this skincare superstar while overcoming its diva-like demands.

This comprehensive Drunk Elephant C Firma Review is your guide to understanding everything you need to know about this popular product.

I’ll be taking an in-depth look at Drunk Elephant’s innovative approach to vitamin C, analyzing the key ingredients that set C-Firma apart, and evaluating how well it truly lives up to its radiance-restoring claims.

As someone who takes anti-ageing seriously, I have high standards for any vitamin C product in my routine. Did C-Firma’s 15% L-ascorbic acid complex impress or did its quirky self-activating formula leave me wanting more?

Let’s dive into this Drunk Elephant C Firma Review and find out if this serum deserves a spot in your skincare arsenal.

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The Brand

Drunk Elephant products have been in the news recently due to reports of young teens, and even children, clearing out the shelves in shops. This led to criticism, unfairly in my opinion, for targeting youngsters due to their bright and colourful packaging.

I’m not getting into a discussion of that here, however, I am tempted to in another post as it is an interesting debate for a blog that is based on skincare for women who have children! Watch this space…..

I would say that if you’re looking for a skincare brand that takes a truly scientific, no-nonsense approach to ingredients and formulations, Drunk Elephant deserves your attention.

This innovative company isn’t interested in following the latest “natural” trends or using plant-based ingredients just for marketing appeal. Instead, Drunk Elephant is laser-focused on what actually works for skin health based on cutting-edge research.

The brand’s core philosophy revolves around avoiding what they’ve dubbed the “Suspicious 6” – six common ingredient culprits that studies show can create inflammation, irritation, and other skin issues.

These include essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical sunscreens, fragrance/dyes, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Many of us have been conditioned to think ingredients like essential oils or “natural” fragrances are good for our skin, but Drunk Elephant insists the science says otherwise…..and I happen to agree.

By eliminating these six troublemakers completely, Drunk Elephant claims your skin can hit the “reset” button and return to its healthiest, most balanced state. They’ve even coined the term “Drunk Break” for this ingredient detox process.

The Drunk Elephant website has a modern, fresh and colourful look to it, but could also be argued rather large and in-your-face……at least for what could be described as my overly sensitive eyes!

What Does Vitamin C Do For Your Skin?

Let me give you a rundown of what Vitamin C is and its benefits in the skincare world. It’s only a brief run down here, and I do think it deserves a whole post of its own…….another watch this space!

The best description I’ve read online in relation to skincare Vitamin C is that it can be likened to an A-lister superstar: amazing talent and performances, but with diva-like behaviour which makes it very difficult to work with!

We all know Vitamin C is good for us and that does includes our skin. Unfortunately eating vitamin C won’t directly increase its levels in your skin, but applying a topical vitamin C product can work wonders.

The Superstar Perks of Vitamin C:

• It is a powerful antioxidant and UV protection booster: Studies show that applying vitamin C to the skin reduces redness, sun damage, and even tumour formation from UV exposure.
  
  Using it under sunscreen provides an extra layer of photoprotection, especially when combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid.
  
  
• It promotes collagen production: Unlike collagen molecules in skincare that can’t effectively rebuild skin’s structure, vitamin C has been clinically proven to rev up skin’s natural collagen synthesis for firmer, more youthful skin over time.
  
  
• It fades dark spots and hyperpigmentation: Vitamin C inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase, which is needed for excess melanin production that causes brown spots and discolouration.
  
  
• It promotes a radiant, rosy complexion by enhancing blood flow and microcirculation within the skin’s layers
  

The Diva Demands

• It is extremely unstable and oxidizes easily: Pure vitamin C serums can turn brown and become ineffective within a month or two due to oxidation from air exposure. Encapsulated, air-tight packaging helps, as do low pH levels and stabilizing ingredients like ferulic acid.
  
  
• It has poor absorption into the skin: As a water-soluble ingredient, vitamin C struggles to deeply penetrate the skin’s surface. Formulas with lower pH levels of around 3.5 or waterless versions overcome this.
  
  
• It can cause irritation at high concentrations: While some tingling is normal, highly concentrated (over 10%) vitamin C may be too strong for sensitive skin types.

Related posts:
– 11 UNIQUE STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTING YOUR SKIN IN THE SUMMER
– HOW TO AVOID RETINOL PURGE – 17 TIPS FOR STARTING RETINOL

Drunk Elephant C Firma Review – The Product Overview

Vitamin C for skincare works best at concentrations between 5-20%. The 15% vitamin C/l-ascorbic acid concentration of Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma is on the higher side of this range, but what really makes it stand out is the use of ferulic acid at 0.5% and Vitamin E at 1%.

You see, with vitamin C, it’s not just about having the highest concentration. An ultra-potent 30% vitamin C serum is essentially useless if it lacks the right supporting ingredients and formula to stabilize and boost absorption of the star ingredient.

The addition of vitamins E and ferulic acid in this Drunk Elephant formulation supercharges the Vitamin C’s performance while enhancing its stability.

Also, the pH is perfectly calibrated between 3.3-3.5 to create an acidic environment that allows the Vitamin C to thrive and work its radiance-restoring magic.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Claims

So what does Drunk Elephant claim this product will do for us? Well, the central claims are what we know Vitamin C in general does for us:

“This super-potent 15% vitamin C day serum is packed with antioxidants, essential nutrients and fruit enzymes to firm, brighten and improve signs of photo-ageing.”

Other claims are down to the other ingredients in this product which I will go through in more detail later, but to give you an overview here, they claim C-Firma:

• Firms and brightens the look and feel of skin while minimising the signs of photo-ageing as well as damage caused by pollution and other environmental stressors.
• has powerful free-radical-scavenging properties and skin-soothing benefits.
• provides gentle enzymatic exfoliation, which boosts the penetration of C-Firma’s antioxidant complex
• mimics the antioxidant benefits of vitamin D for more youthful-looking skin through a chrono-peptide.

Drunk Elephant says that in a “clinical study with 30 people, after 4 weeks:

• 100% showed improvement in skin’s tone and radiance​
• 96% showed improvement in overall hyperpigmentation
• 93% showed smoother skin texture

The Star Ingredients

Ascorbic Acid – see above

Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract – an exfoliant and anti-oxidant that is a liquid exfoliant containing around 40% alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) derived from grapes. These AHAs gently lift away dead skin cells to reveal smoother, fresher skin beneath.

The intensity of exfoliation depends on the concentration used. It is marketed as a gentle yet effective skin peeling and exfoliating agent

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract – is a soother and anti-oxidant that is also known as Green Tea. It is a true skincare superstar thanks to its potent antioxidant catechins like EGCG.

High-quality green tea extracts offer anti-ageing, cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties that protect against sun damage, calm acne and rosacea, and inhibit signs of ageing.

Tocopherol – A strong antioxidant with Vitamin E activity that also has some emollient properties. One of the best at protecting our collagen from free radicals and due to being fat soluble is very easily absorbed by our skin. It also protects our skin from UVB damage. 

Sodium Hyaluronate – is both a skin-identical ingredient and a moisturiser/humectant. Sodium hyaluronate is the salt form of the well-known humectant Hyaluronic Acid (HA). HA, is a substantial polymer naturally present in the skin and functions as a moisture-retaining sponge, promoting a plump and elastic complexion.

Its remarkable water-holding capacity, binding up to 1000 times its weight in water, has earned HA its fame. However, a notable distinction between the two lies in the salt forms superior stability, formulation ease, and cost-effectiveness, making it a prevalent inclusion in ingredient lists.

Ferulic acid – a plant-based antioxidant abundant in grains like rice and wheat. It enhances the stability and UV protection abilities of other antioxidants like vitamins C and E when used together in skincare formulations.

Ferulic acid penetrates skin effectively, provides its own antioxidant benefits, and amplifies the effects of other anti-ageing ingredients.

Tetrahydrocurcuminoids – This trio of ingredients have skin-brightening, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. They come from a standardized powdered extract from the roots of the Curcuma longa (Turmeric) plant.  

Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole This cell-communicating ingredient mimics the effects of sun exposure on the skin’s circadian genes that regulate biorhythms.

Designed for fatigued, stressed, or sun-deprived skin, it aims to stimulate the skin’s natural defence systems and potentially boost vitamin D production. In essence, it revitalizes tired complexions by replicating some of the sunlight’s beneficial impacts.

Pumpkin Enzyme – a gentle exfoliant derived from pumpkin ferment with the lactobacillus lactis bacteria. During this fermentation process, the pumpkin’s complex biomolecules break down into isolated phytochemicals.

The proteolytic compounds are then selectively filtered out, resulting in a pumpkin enzyme that provides mild exfoliation, similar to alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), but in an alternative plant-based form.

Pomegranate enzyme – an exfoliant derived by fermenting pomegranate fruit with the lactobacillus lactis bacteria. This fermentation process breaks down the fruit’s compounds, allowing the proteolytic enzymes to be isolated through filtration techniques.

The resulting pomegranate enzyme provides gentle exfoliation to increase cell renewal, offering a milder alternative to acid exfoliants like glycolic acid, though not as potent.

Licorice Root is a soother and skin-brightener with depigmenting abilities, thanks to the active compound glabridin. Studies show topical application of just 0.5% glabridin can inhibit UV-induced pigmentation, with some research suggesting it outperforms the gold standard hydroquinone.

Licorice is considered one of the safest, most gentle skin-brightening agents with minimal side effects.

Glycerin – A natural humectant moisturiser that’s in the outer layer of our skin. It is effective for moisturising dry skin but also protects against irritation and damage to the skin barrier (very helpful when it’s being used as a cleanser)

All the Other Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Laureth-23, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Liquorice) Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract, Ferulic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Tetrahydrobisdemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodemethoxydiferuloylmethane, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Ethical Ethos

• Weirdly I found it really hard to find anything on their website concerning their ethical stance. There is, however, one section in each product description on how the packaging can be recycled.
  
  
• I had to research this on other reputable sites, but there is no animal testing by this brand and they only use cruelty-free ingredients. All of their products are 100% vegan. 

Its Scent

• A lot of companies say their product is fragrance-free, but then sneak some in, in some form. Not Drunk Elephant….this is evident by the fragrance of this product. Woah!
  

• Yeah, it’s really not pleasant, but this is the natural fragrance of the ingredients – unmasked in all their mouldy ham-like glory! That’s the only way I can think of to describe it.
  
  I don’t have any problem with the smell of any product when I’m applying it, and I don’t find the smell of this product on my face long-term a problem, but I can smell it on my palms ALL DAY even after I have washed my hands.
  
  
• Let me stress this – the smell is a small price to pay for the fact I am using a really great Vitamin C formulation, with no irritative fragrance. I always say fragrance is an unnecessary ingredient after all
  
  
• In truth, I can understand why most skincare companies add fragrance if their product smells like this, but for Drunk Elephant, fragrance is one of their “suspicious 6”. I think it’s fantastic they have stuck to their ethos by not adding any to this product, despite it stinking!
  
  
• This will be a real bonus for you if your skin is sensitive to fragrance……in fact, this may well be a brand to consider for other products too.

Its Texture

• It is a watery liquid despite it being a serum. It certainly doesn’t feel like a luxurious serum when you put it on as it’s not at all oily and smooth.
  
  
• I wouldn’t say it is that easy to apply as it’s slightly sticky and therefore difficult to spread around your face. It feels like you have to move quickly otherwise it’s sunk in and you have to pump more out to finish the areas you’ve missed.
  
  
• As I say, it does sink in quickly but does leave a bit of a tacky finish – mostly gone after 5 minutes or so though

Its Packaging and Use-by-Date

The difference between this specific product to most others on the market is that you have to formulate this final product yourself. It’s a bit of a faff and a bit concerning when you think you might screw up a lot of money you’ve spent, but it’s not that arduous.

The reason for this self-formulation is due to them shipping internationally – the length of time it took to arrive to customers caused it to lose its freshness, so they had to “deconstruct” it and package it for us to construct it instead.

This product was my first run about the block with a Drunk Elephant product. I didn’t appreciate the complexities of their packaging and spent a good 10 minutes trying to pick the lid up, before realising you twist it. What a dope! (I found some older photos online of this product with a sticker on the lid saying “twist me” – why did they discontinue this sticker? Could have saved me 10 minutes!)

I have since learned the purpose behind this design is not to be gimmicky, as I initially thought, but to protect the product from the air and sunlight which would oxidise it – clever!

The packaging itself is white and luminous orange – classic bright Drunk Elephant colours and makes perfect sense they chose orange for a vitamin C product!

It’s also entirely opaque, which as I mentioned is to not allow daylight to affect the product.

Here are a few key points to mention regarding the use-by date – really important when it comes to Vitamin C products:

• It has to be used up 4-6 months after it is formulated. Easy to do if you are using it daily (a bit trickier for me, but more of that to come)
  
  
• Drunk Elephant also recommends you don’t wait too long after purchasing it to get started with it. One would hope they have a way of dealing with the length of time it sits on shop shelves too!
  
  
• It doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge once it has been formulated – just avoid hot and humid locations like your bathroom (I don’t store any of my skincare products in the bathroom for that reason)
  
  
• The liquid should be a light golden shade when it is fresh – when it’s oxidised and past its best, it goes a dark orangey/browny sort of colour.

Moving on to the leaflet! Hmmmmmm…….forget it!! What bright spark thought it would be a good idea to have it printed in light luminous green against a white background?! Even my fresh-eyed 19-year-old son couldn’t read it!

The instructions for formulating it are on this leaflet, so you will have to struggle through or go to the website.

Its Purchase Locations

• You can purchase it from Amazon here.
• Other stockists include Sephora and Cult Beauty

The Directions

Once you have discovered that there is no point battling on with the leaflet, and you turn to the website, you will be promised a video on how to mix the products.

Be warned, there are 2 videos there: one video is a very cute but unhelpful rendition of the products being turned into Dirty Dancing characters in the iconic “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life” scene. Random….I know!!

You have to click the little arrow button to get to the 2nd more helpful video.

Assuming you realise you don’t need to learn how to dance the Mambo to mix this product up, it’s actually quite easy, so don’t worry. There are also plenty of other opportunities to learn how to do this on the website and of course….from this Drunk Elephant C Firma review right here!

The process of making it up is cleverly designed so the product never touches the air where it would oxidise. In a nutshell, it works as easily as this:

• Unscrew the cap of the liquid serum base and remove the pump from the vial containing the 15% l-ascorbic acid powder.
  
  
• Pour all of the liquid serum base into the vial with the powder. Screw the pump onto the top of the vial and shake for one minute until the powder dissolves fully. Bubbles will form and that’s fine.
  
  
• Finally, insert the vial into C-Firma’s opaque outer container with the pump facing to the left until it snaps into place.

The directions on how to apply the product daily are as follows as per their website (and I’m assuming their leaflet – who knows!?):

• In the morning, apply one pump to a clean, dry face, neck, chest and backs of hands
  
  
• Apply sunscreen

So here is my take on applying this product:

• Apply it to those freshly cleansed areas but wait a bit to let all of them dry first. The pH of the product can be affected by skin moisture which you don’t want.
  
  
• With the best will in the world, you are not going to get 1 pump around all of those body parts – you may need 2 pumps or at least an extra half. I will say it is worth applying it to the neck, chest and hands, as well as the face, as these exposed areas do catch the sun just as much.
  
  
• Wait a few minutes before applying the next product just to allow it to absorb
  
  
• I personally apply a day moisturiser after this before my sunscreen – you may not need to.
  
  

Related posts:
– KIEHL’S ULTRA FACIAL CLEANSER REVIEW: HOW TO ACHIEVE FRESH, CLEAN SKIN

Who is it for?

Quite a lot of us really! The beauty of Vitamin C is it works perfectly well for anyone on either end of the dry or oily skin spectrum They also claim it is suitable for those with sensitive skin, however in my experience while using it with Tretinoin (which causes sensitive skin) I had to be extra cautious.

Here is a further list of those it would work perfectly for:

• Anyone who lives or works in a highly polluted area and anyone who smokes
• Mature skin with wrinkles or fine lines and a lack of firmness.
• Anyone with tired and dull skin
• Anyone with uneven texture, hyperpigmentation or scars
• Anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors exposed to UV rays
• Anyone who’s skin cannot tolerate retinoids, but wants similar results
• Anyone during pregnancy who has to avoid retinoids. Have a look at my post on safe retinoid alternatives during pregnancy if you’re interested in this.

One mention on Vitamin C being used traditionally for mature skin: If you are under 30 and have a dull and uneven complexion, you could go ahead and use it. You will get a radiance boost with this, however I would only use it once or twice a week.

Related posts:
– EXPLORING SAFE RETINOL ALTERNATIVES DURING PREGNANCY FOR GLOWING SKIN

Who is it Not For?

• Firstly, if you have a teenage girl or a child who is getting in on the current Drunk Elephant trend, they certainly do not need to use this.

• If you have sensitive skin I think you will most likely need to be careful with this. I needed to make micro changes to my routine (see below), and I did notice in the reviews a few people felt it stung their faces.

• If you are sensitive to a bad smell you may struggle with this! I know there is no way I could have coped with it when I was pregnant, but honestly, it’s not too bad and I find you don’t smell it on your face at all once it sinks in. I got used to the smell on my hands!

• The 1 and 2-star reviews were nearly all due to the smell……

Results For The Drunk Elephant C Firma Review

• The reviews on Drunk Elephant’s site show an average of 4.4 stars out of 318 reviews. It’s the same score on other sites like Boots, Sephora and Cult Beauty, but out of more reviews with both Sephora and Boots.
  
  
• There is no doubt in my mind that this product will perform exactly as Drunk Elephant claims it will. It just has to due to the ingredients and the formulation of it.
  
  
• My experience, however, is a bit mixed with this product. I found a month or so after starting it that my face felt like it was burning a bit, and I had the worst flaky period ever.
  
  
  I am using the heavy-duty retinoid Tretinoin and what I experiencing was clearly a flare-up of retinoid irritation – it did, however, start a month into using this product.
  
  I toyed with the idea of it being caused by using Tretinoin during the cold winter months, but I came to the conclusion it was the combination of this product with the Tretinoin – the same skincare combo that caused issues when I started on Tretinoin but with a weaker Vitamin C product.
  
  
• I’m currently still using both this Vitamin C product and the Tretinoin, and I’m quite sure I want to continue with a second purchase of this as it’s such a good product, but I’m having to adapt my routine slightly:
  
  – I don’t wait too long between applying the C-Firma and a moisturiser.
  
  – I’m using a restorative moisturiser during the day not just at night
  
  – I’m currently only using the C-Firma alternate mornings with the hope to build up to daily usage come the warmer months.
  
  
• Results for me are a little harder to distinguish, particularly as the desired outcomes overlap with the outcomes from retinoids. My reasoning for using Vitamin C is a long-term ageing one (or hopefully lack of!), so it’s impossible to say if this is a success or not.
  
  
• What I can say is do get compliments on my skin regularly and regular discussions that my skin doesn’t look my age……I’ll take that! This occurs even without my makeup on.
  
  
• I would also say that my face doesn’t look dull in any way and, for want of a better term, I would add radiant. I like to think that not only is my face being protected from long-term UV damage, but the C-Firma also gives it some colour.

Related posts:
– CAUDALIE RESVERATROL LIFT REVIEW – POWERFUL NIGHT CREAM OF YOUR DREAMS?
– FIRST YEAR STARTING TRETINOIN: WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THIS POWERFUL ANTI-AGER

Pros and Cons

So Should You Buy It?

The most important question to this Drunk Elephant C Firma review. If you’re like me and are serious about anti-ageing skincare, then Vitamin C has to be part of your arsenal. And if Vitamin C is going to be in your arsenal, there is no doubt that this is one of the best Vitamin C products out there you could find.

If this describes you, then yes you should buy it!

I can’t say applying it is a pleasant experience, which most skincare is for us skin nerds, but it’s reassuring to know that despite the smell, you are applying a product to your skin that will do what it claims it will.

It’s also not a cheap experience purchasing it, however, I do think it’s cost-effective considering its quality. If you are hoping to pare your skincare regime down to the bare essentials for cost purposes then this anti-ageing skincare should be a non-negotiable for you.

Related posts:
– MEDIK8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3 REVIEW IN FOCUS: CRYSTAL CLEAR RESULTS
– RETINALDEHYDE VS. RETINOL – CHOOSING THE BEST FOR YOUR SKIN

Well, I hope this Drunk Elephant C Firma Review has been of some help for you. Ultimately, Drunk Elephant has created a truly “fresh” take on vitamin C serum formulation that overcomes many of the stability issues that have plagued other brands.

If you can get past the minimal inconveniences, C-Firma delivers professional-level vitamin C performance in a classic Drunk Elephant bright and colourful way.

In the world of anti-ageing skincare, vitamin C is an indisputable heavy-hitter. With C-Firma, Drunk Elephant has crafted a worthy contender to help this superstar ingredient really shine. With effective results, it’s an excellent addition to any dedicated skincare regime and will be staying put in mine.

Have you tried Drunk Elephant’s C Firma serum? What are your thoughts on this product? If you have any further questions about Vitamin C ask away in the comments below…..