PRODUCT REVIEW
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
1% pure retinol, honestly stated, with no fragrance or essential oils. It is $74, and 1% is enough to hurt you if you rush it.
Key facts
Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream at a glance.
Retinol 1.0%
Key active
Rich cream
Texture
Experienced retinol users
Best for
$68–$74
Approximate price
Fragrance free
Fragrance
1.01 oz
Size
$76.00
Price
Retinoid
Type
What is it?
Top things to know about Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream
- Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream is a rich, fragrance-free night cream, 30 ml for about $68 to $74. It is a treatment, not a daily moisturizer, and 1% is a high dose to start on.
- The active is retinol at 1.0%, printed as a plain number rather than folded into a "complex." Around it sits a cream base: niacinamide, plant oils, ceramide NP and three peptides. Retinol breaks down in light and air, so the tube matters — a jar would let in both.
This one states a plain 1% retinol instead of hiding behind a complex, which is rarer than it should be, and the tube keeps light off the active. That is a high dose. Use it twice a week and build up, because nightly from day one is where the peeling reports come from. Beginners should start lower.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Sun Damage
Ultraviolet light breaks down the collagen that keeps skin firm. Retinoids are the only over-the-counter ingredient with decades of evidence for building some of it back, and this one states its dose plainly at 1.0%. A high dose does more, and stings more.
Comedonal Acne
A closed bump forms when the cells lining a pore stop shedding and the pore plugs. Retinol speeds that shedding up, which is why it clears the small colorless bumps a spot treatment never touches. The first six weeks look worse.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
A brown mark is melanin sitting in the skin. Retinol brings those pigmented cells to the surface faster, so the mark clears sooner. Daily sunscreen does more for this than the cream does.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Cream
A rich, thick cream in a squeeze tube. It sinks in slowly, so most people need nothing over it. No fragrance and no essential oil, which is unusual for a cream this rich. Expect dryness and flaking for the first few weeks, more than a beginner retinol gives you. That is the 1%, not the base.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream
Also discloses its numbers, retinol 0.11% and bakuchiol 0.30%, for about $10. A cheaper way to learn how your skin handles retinol.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal
Equally straight labeling, retinaldehyde from 0.01% to 0.24%, so you step up one rung at a time. It is scented; coumarin is listed.
Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum
Its headline 6.5% adds together things that are not all retinoids, including blue-green algae, so the real dose is unknown.
Ingredients · Interactive
What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.
Full ingredient list · 63 ingredients, in label order. Click one.
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
A light oil made from coconut oil and glycerin. It smooths and softens the surface.
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
One of the main fats between skin cells in the outer layer. It helps refill gaps in the barrier.
A building block skin uses to make its own ceramides.
Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Here it mainly keeps the oils in the product from going rancid.
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
A thickener that gives the product its texture.
An emulsifier. It keeps the oil and water parts from separating.
Helps the preservative work and softens the feel of the product.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- How muchA pea-sized amount for the whole face. More is waste and more irritation.
- CarefulAdd one night every two weeks and hold wherever your skin is comfortable. Most of the peeling reports come from people who used 1% nightly from day one. Retinol also makes skin burn faster, so wear sunscreen daily and do not start an exfoliating acid alongside it.
- TipIf it is too strong, buffer it. Moisturizer, cream, moisturizer.
What to expect
- What to expectDryness, flaking and tightness for two to six weeks, sometimes a short breakout as blocked pores clear. Texture and fine lines change over three to six months. If skin is still raw after a month, drop back a night or two.
Questions
Common questions.
Is the retinol dose in Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream disclosed?
Yes, 1% pure retinol.
Is Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream fragrance-free?
Yes, with no essential oils either.
Is Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream at 1% too strong to start with?
For beginners, usually yes. Start twice a week and build up.
Is the Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream packaging good?
Yes, it comes in a tube, not a jar.
Can I get 1% retinol cheaper than Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream?
Yes, though the base here is richer than budget options.
References
Sources.
- 1. Efficacy and tolerability of a double-conjugated retinoid cream vs 1.0% retinol cream or 0.025% tretinoin cream in subjects with mild to severe photoaging (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28762645/) — Confirms 1.0% retinol is an established, studied active for photoaging and that retinol/retinoid creams commonly cause redness and irritation (tolerability). Link
- 2. Safety Evaluation and Anti-wrinkle Effects of Retinoids on Skin (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3834457/) — Supports the mechanism that retinoids improve wrinkles (collagen synthesis, MMP-1 inhibition) while producing mild skin irritation that is expected rather than sensitization. Link
- 3. Benefits of the Dermocosmetic Mineral 89 Probiotic Fractions Adjunct to Topical Retinoids for Anti-Aging Benefits (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9928536/) — Supports pairing niacinamide with a retinoid: niacinamide has anti-inflammatory/barrier properties and reduced retinoid-induced erythema, dryness, burning and stinging. Link
- 4. Evidence for the Efficacy of Over-the-counter Vitamin A Cosmetic Products in the Improvement of Facial Skin Aging: A Systematic Review (https://jcadonline.com/efficacy-of-over-the-counter-vitamin-a/) — Systematic review evaluating the clinical evidence base for over-the-counter retinol/vitamin A products for facial skin aging (neutral context on efficacy claims). Link
- 5. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream ingredients (Explained) (https://incidecoder.com/products/drunk-elephant-a-passioni-retinol-cream) — Verifies product formulation facts: contains 1.0% retinol, niacinamide and peptides, and is free of fragrance and essential oils. Link