Everybody seems to be on the look out for a good dupe for Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream. We get so many messages asking “Do you know any Drunk Elephant dupes”? In fact, an alternative to Protini specifically is consistently one of the most searched terms that leads many skincare enthusiasts to find our SKINSKOOL website and our exclusive INCI list comparison tool. The love for Protini is real: people can’t seem to get enough of this peptide rich moisturizer.
So what do you find when you put the Protini cream in the SKINSKOOL search engine? Well the top result is one of Skincare Compare’s greatest finds. The top ingredient INCI list comparable for DE Protini is Acure’s Radically Rejuvenating Whipped Night Cream at a pretty high INCI compare score. The price differential is crazy. DE’s Protini sells for $68 while Acure’s version is $21.99. Wild right?
Despite the fact that DE Protini is marketed for its polypeptides while Acure isn't specifically shouting about the peptides in its formulation, Acure actually contains the exact same 9 polypeptide blend. This is incredible. If you think about the number of peptides out there, that is pretty incredible. Both products also have sodium hyaluronate. So while Acure has arguably more actives with the addition of vitamin C and ferulic acid, we think the high INCI Compare score is justified because the substantive part of Protini is present. It's always interesting to see when our SKINSKOOL algorithm picks up ingredient similarities that are not necessarily stressed in a product's marketing material.
But similar ingredients, however, are not the only thing that people look for in a dupe. Texture is also highly important. So what about the texture of these 2 peptide creams? From the IRL feedback gathered from our Dupe Talk Facebook Private Group members, it seems that the Acure cream is a bit less spreadable and so to thin it out, people have suggested to mix in a few drops of something like a hyaluronic acid.
You can use SKINSKOOL to find your own incredible comparables for 45,000 skincare products on the market.
