Drunk Elephant vs Glow Recipe: ingredient comparison (our data only)
Updated · Based on 4158 screened products
Short answer: in our directory, 36 of 43 Drunk Elephant products (84%) and 26 of 30 Glow Recipe products (87%) list none of our watchlist ingredients. This page compares only facts from our data: ingredient lists, flags, fragrance-free status, sunscreen filter type, the range we have screened and buy links. It says nothing about how well any product works, and our coverage of each range is incomplete.
Which formulas: ingredient lists come from the brands' US sites, drunkelephant.com and glowrecipe.com, checked 18 Oct 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: buy buttons and "View on Amazon" cards on this page may be affiliate links (rel="sponsored"). If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never affect which products pass our ingredient screen or their order. As an Amazon Associate, CleanGlow earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
At a glance
| Drunk Elephant | Glow Recipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Products screened | 43 | 30 |
| Clean (no watchlist ingredients) | 36 | 26 |
| Flagged | 7 | 4 |
| Fragrance-free by our INCI check (all / clean) | 36 / 29 | 8 / 8 |
| Clean products with a verified brand link | 36 | 26 |
| Categories screened | 12 | 9 |
| Sunscreens (filter type) | none in our data | Watermelon Glow Dew Shield SPF 30 (chemical filters, clean); Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm SPF 45 (chemical filters, clean) |
Range by category
| Category | Drunk Elephant clean / screened (fragrance-free) | Glow Recipe clean / screened (fragrance-free) |
|---|---|---|
| Body Lotion | 3 / 3 (2) | 1 / 1 (0) |
| Cleansers | 6 / 7 (5) | 3 / 3 (1) |
| Deodorant | 1 / 1 (1) | – |
| Face Creams | 5 / 6 (6) | 6 / 6 (2) |
| Face Makeup | 1 / 2 (2) | 0 / 1 (0) |
| Foundations | 0 / 1 (1) | – |
| Hair Care | 5 / 5 (3) | – |
| Hand Care | 1 / 1 (0) | – |
| Lip Care | 2 / 2 (2) | 0 / 2 (0) |
| Masks | 2 / 3 (3) | 1 / 1 (0) |
| Serums | 8 / 10 (10) | 8 / 9 (2) |
| Shampoo | 2 / 2 (1) | – |
| Sunscreen (Chemical Filters) | – | 2 / 2 (0) |
| Toners | – | 5 / 5 (3) |
Ingredient-list differences
Share of each brand's screened products whose INCI list contains the ingredient (ingredients present in at least 40% of either brand's products, largest differences first). This describes formulas; it is not a judgement of any ingredient.
| INCI ingredient | Drunk Elephant | Glow Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| sclerocarya birrea seed oil | 98% | 0% |
| fragrance (parfum) | 0% | 53% |
| 1,2-hexanediol | 2% | 50% |
| sodium hyaluronate | 21% | 67% |
| sodium pca | 49% | 3% |
| linoleic acid | 42% | 0% |
| sodium lactate | 42% | 3% |
| phenoxyethanol | 81% | 43% |
| butylene glycol | 23% | 60% |
| sodium benzoate | 44% | 7% |
| sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer | 42% | 10% |
| chlorphenesin | 40% | 10% |
Flagged ingredients
Drunk Elephant
- Titanium dioxide: 7 product(s) (B-Goldi Bright Illuminating Drops with 5% Niacinamide, Amino Rain Glasswater Serum, T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial AHA + BHA Mask, C-Tango Vitamin C Eye Cream, JuJu Exfoliating Bar, O-Bloos Rosi Glow Drops - Serum Blush with Vitamin F, Kamo Triple-Peptide Multi-Use Serum Foundation)
Glow Recipe
- Titanium dioxide: 4 product(s) (Glass Balm Lip Treatment, Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops, Vegan PDRN Tinted Soft Matte Lip Blur Balm, Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush)
Sources: IARC Monographs – List of Classifications; EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009; our methodology.
Clean picks where both brands compete
Up to 2 clean products per brand and category, ordered by our data score (see how guide scores work); the score measures data completeness, not performance.
Body Lotion
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Details
| # | Product | Brand | Fragrance-free | Score | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion | Drunk Elephant | ✓ | 9/9 | Amazon (brand store) |
| 2 | Sili Body Lotion | Drunk Elephant | ✓ | 9/9 | Amazon (brand store) |
| 3 | Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream | Glow Recipe | – | 8/9 | Amazon (brand store) |
Drunk ElephantT.L.C. Glycolic Body LotionBody Lotion✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →
Cleansers
Drunk ElephantBeste No. 9 Jelly CleanserCleansers✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →
Drunk ElephantSlaai Makeup-Melting Butter CleanserCleansers✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →Buy at Amazon (brand store) Buy at Drunk Elephant Ulta
Full ingredient check: Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser →
Face Creams
Drunk ElephantWonderwild Miracle ButterFace Creams✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →
Drunk ElephantLala Retro Nourishing Whipped Refillable MoisturizerFace Creams✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →Buy at Amazon (brand store) Buy at Drunk Elephant Ulta
Full ingredient check: Lala Retro Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer →
Masks
Drunk ElephantBouncy Brightfacial Brightening Mask with 10% Azelaic Acid + 1% Salicylic AcidMasks✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →
Serums
Drunk ElephantA-Gloei Marula + Retinol OilSerums✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →
Drunk ElephantB-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic AcidSerums✓ No watchlist ingredients foundSee ingredients →Buy at Amazon (brand store) Buy at Drunk Elephant Ulta
Full ingredient check: B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid →
Which to choose: facts mapped to needs
- If you want fragrance-free (by our INCI check): Drunk Elephant has 29 clean fragrance-free products in our data, Glow Recipe has 8.
- If you need deodorant, face makeup, hair care, hand care, lip care, shampoo: only Drunk Elephant has clean products in these categories in our data (1 deodorant, 1 face makeup, 5 hair care, 1 hand care, 2 lip care, 2 shampoo).
- If you need sunscreen (chemical filters), toners: only Glow Recipe has clean products in these categories in our data (2 sunscreen (chemical filters), 5 toners).
- If you want to buy from the brand's own product page: we have verified brand links for 36 clean Drunk Elephant and 26 clean Glow Recipe products.
- If you want to avoid every watchlist flag: 7 of 43 Drunk Elephant and 4 of 30 Glow Recipe products we screened are flagged; the flagged ones are listed above.
None of this is a verdict on performance; patch-test new products and ask a dermatologist about skin conditions.
Full brand pages: Drunk Elephant products: ingredient check · Glow Recipe products: ingredient check
Related
Hazard is not risk. An IARC classification says whether a substance can cause cancer under some conditions (e.g. titanium dioxide is classified for inhaled powder), not that a cosmetic containing it is harmful at normal use. EU restrictions set use limits. This page is informational, not medical advice; talk to a dermatologist about your own skin.