As we enter transitional seasons, it becomes increasingly harder to balance our skin.
On top of all the climate and weather changes we are also all suffering from quarantine skin imbalances as well.
What is Quarantine Skin?
Quarantine skin is a direct result of our quarantine diet and our emotional/mental well-being during this time of uncertainty.
Diets that consist mostly of snacks, processed carbs, fried foods, dalgona coffee, cheese, ice cream and pasta will result in an increase of oil production in skin as well as pimples and acne.
The emotional/mental well-being can cause dehydration, dry patches, dullness, and enlarged pores due to the added stress internally.
The only positive thing to come out of quarantine skin is the decrease in oxidation (freckles) and free radical damage overall since there is a significant decrease in sun exposure. (I live in NYC and not Miami — those that live in Miami may not see this difference)
One of my favorite ways to tackle skin stress is by utilizing a term that we are all very familiar with, ‘self care’. Why does this term serve so much importance during this time?
For the entire month of March I spent most of it worried about the COVID situation and consistently read the news on the hour, every hour. It created a great deal of stress and anxiety for me as I was running to and from my two jobs, workout classes, errands, and panic grocery buying.
During the first week of shelter-in-place my face broke out, my forehead, my chin, and along my cheekbones. And truth be told, my diet was not bad at all — it was mostly due to the stress, anxiety and frustration I was feeling during the time.
My moral of this excerpt is that despite the fact that we may be going through the motions with all of our feelings and trying to digest the situation before us — it’s still so important to manage what we can when it comes to our skin, diet, and hydration.
Let’s Begin: Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer $68
The Drunk Elephant Protini Moisturizer has been a running best-seller on a lot of skincare platforms and for very good reasons.
The Drunk Elephant skincare line was designed with tailoring skin concoctions in mind. A classic example of a Drunk Elephant skincare cocktail would be a mixture of a D.E. moisturizer with a D.E. treatment product and simultaneously applying it onto the skin without having to do it one step at a time.
Top 3 Highlighted Ingredients:
On the consumer level, this specific moisturizer focuses on 3 highlights of their intense ingredient listing.
Nine Signal Peptide Complex: creates plumper, firmer, and higher level of elasticity in the skin
Pygmy Waterlily Stem Cell Extract: similar to that of lotus root, this is the free radical eliminator, the antioxidant powerhouse in the product
Soybean Folic Acid Ferment Extract: by supplementing the skin with additional folic acid, it helps with protecting the skin from sagging as well as enhancing Vitamin A and B topically
But are the ingredients worthy of shout-outs?
Drunk Elephant describes their umbrella of peptides as the Nine Signal Peptide Complex. Could they be over-simplifying this terminology, especially when some of these are within the first third of their ingredient list?
Nine Signal Peptide Complex = Epidermal Growth Factors Formula?
Let’s break this down further:
All 9 peptides in this formula belong to a family called Epidermal Growth Factors (EGFs). EGFs are well known for their ability to send ‘cellular signals’ to stimulate cell growth, skin cell proliferation, and provide necessary healing. The prefix of the peptide is dictated by how long the chain of amino acids are, such as oligo (1-9), poly (10-50), or protein (50+).
sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-2, sh-Polypeptide-1, sh-Polypeptide-9, sh-Polypeptide-11, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
By applying these EGFs to the skin topically, it allows for bio-mimicking peptides to kick start skin cells in order to maintain a younger, firmer, and plumper complexion in the long run. For every decade that our skin encounters daily abuse, free radicals and environmental aggressors, the gears that normally help the skin bounce back loses their efficiency. So in order to make sure that the skin is consistently repairing itself, the implementation of EGFs for the skin is definitely a game changer.
EGFs were a huge topic when they were first originally released into the skincare market. The first generation of EGFs were indeed ‘human’ based stem cells, but since then there has been intense research done to develop EGFs without the need of a human byproduct. Most EGFs on the mass market are now bio-engineered from various botanical sources, therefore making the products cruelty-free and ingredients cleaner.
Next up: Protein Building
This moisturizer also has a whole group of unsung heroes in it.
There are a total of 10 different amino acids that are included in this formula:
Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, & Valine
Amino Acids are necessary components to help build proteins. So not only are there strong connecting peptides, there’s also a group of 10 amino acids in this formulation to help strengthen the protein building in skin cells.
Before 
After
Additional Hydrating Ingredients:
Although proteins, peptides, and amino acids are a highlight of the product — what are the juicy hydrating components of this product?
Sodium Hyaluronate: a smaller molecular version of hyaluronic acid is a well-known hero ingredient that helps to hold moisture in the skin’s natural reservoir for longer
Linoleic Acid: one of the building blocks for ceramides to create strong skin barriers making the skin more resilient
Acetyl Glutamine: similar to that of it’s hyaluronate derivative, this too conditions the skin to help hold hydration
Mild Exfoliation: Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Crosspolymer:
By incorporating a very light and mild exfoliation upon application can enhance the absorption of the moisturizer.
Final Thoughts:
I’m going to say it here, loud and clear – I emptied this baby, the Drunk Elephant Protini moisturizer is something I 100% will repurchase. It is the perfect consistency to use along with other hydrating products. This moisturizer is super light-weight, but performs equally as well as some of the richer texture alternatives. Protini is one of the best moisturizers in the market for transitional seasons, spring – summer, summer- fall. It is also an outstanding product for someone that is looking for extra plumpness and hydration without the grease and slick feel.
This product is also quite cost-effective, coming in at a $68 price tag and a 9 peptide complex so far up the list, I would consider this a bargain. There are other products out there that are also flaunting these 9+ peptide complexes that will easily come with a $150 label. In my opinion, if you’re out in the market looking for an anti-aging moisturizer that does not break the bank, this is a wonderful product to consider.
Link To Purchase: Drunk Elephants Protini Polypeptide Cream $68
Disclaimer: Please note that all images are my own and not intended for any copyright infringement. If you would like to use my images please just ask for permission. All images and links are affiliated, meaning that with every purchase it will generate a tiny commission for the referral. This post is not sponsored and not paid for, all opinions are my own and always will be.