Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser Review
BeautyBrief™
Brand
Drunk Elephant
Product
Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser
Claims check
You get an oil-rich makeup- and sunscreen-removal base with a clear oil-to-milk emulsifying system, while ethylhexyl palmitate is the main fit consideration if your skin is very clog-prone.
Shopper fit
- Dry
- Normal
- Combination
- Oily
Formula flags
- Comedogenic concerns
Shopper preferences
- Cruelty-Free
- Dermatologist-Tested
Key ingredients
| Ethylhexyl Palmitate | Helps dissolve makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and other oil-soluble residue. |
|---|---|
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | Adds slip and more makeup-dissolving emollience. |
| Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate | Helps the oil-rich balm emulsify with water and rinse away more cleanly. |
| Marula Oil | Adds conditioning emollience and supports the rich texture. |
| Tocopherol | Adds supporting conditioning value. |
Price tier
$$$ Premium
Value check
At the Premium tier, you are paying for the solid-balm format, clear emulsification, eye-area use, and a fragrance-free, essential-oil-free cleansing experience.
Where to buy
We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you. This does not affect our BeautyBrief.
Bottom line
If you want a fragrance-free solid balm for makeup and sunscreen removal, this gives you a well-structured Premium first cleanse. If your skin is very clog-prone, a lighter first-cleanse format may fit you better.
If you want a fragrance-free solid balm for makeup and sunscreen removal, Drunk Elephant Slaai™ gives you a well-structured Premium first cleanse. Its emollient-rich base is built to loosen oily residue, while polyglyceryl emulsifiers help the balm turn milky with water. You can also use it around the eye area.
What it claims
Drunk Elephant says Slaai melts dirt, makeup, and sunscreen, quickly transforms from oil to milk with water, and rinses cleanly. The current U.S. page says you can use it around the eye area and identifies the formula as free of essential oils, fragrance/dyes, solvent alcohols, silicones, and sulfate surfactants, as well as dermatologist-tested.[1]
Claims vs. formula
Ethylhexyl palmitate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, safflower oil, marula oil, cranberry seed oil, borage seed oil, baobab oil, watermelon seed oil, sweet almond oil, and other emollients give you the oil-rich phase that helps loosen makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and other oily residue.
Polyglyceryl-3 laurate, polyglyceryl-10 laurate, and polyglyceryl-2 caprate provide the emulsifying support. When you add water, they help the balm disperse so you can rinse away loosened residue more cleanly.
Glycerin appears at the end of the formula and adds minor humectant support, but it is not a strong reason for you to choose this balm.
Ethylhexyl palmitate remains a Comedogenic Concerns flag if your skin is very clog-prone, although one ingredient does not prove the finished rinse-off balm will clog your pores.
Ingredients that matter
Ethylhexyl palmitate: Helps loosen makeup, sunscreen, sebum, and other oil-soluble residue.
Caprylic/capric triglyceride: Adds slip and more makeup-dissolving emollience while you massage the balm over dry skin.
Polyglyceryl-3 laurate: Helps the oil-rich balm emulsify with water so you can rinse it away more cleanly.
Marula oil: Adds conditioning emollience and supports the rich texture you feel during cleansing.
Tocopherol: Adds supporting conditioning value within this rinse-off formula.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is a well-established emollient that gives formulas silky slip and softness. It has genuine comedogenic potential under concentrated human test conditions, but that does not mean every finished…
Read the IngredientBrief
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a common emollient and occlusive that adds softness, slip, and moisture support to skincare formulas. Its value depends on the complete product, not the ingredient name alone.
Read the IngredientBrief
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a family of antioxidant and conditioning ingredients used in moisturizers, oils, balms, and broader antioxidant systems. The exact form and finished formula matter more than the vitamin…
Read the IngredientBrief
Glycerin
Glycerin is a well-supported humectant that helps skin hold water and improve dryness. It is common and effective, so the complete formula matters more than a high percentage.
Read the IngredientBriefWhat to expect in the short term
You massage the solid balm over dry skin, where it melts and helps loosen makeup and sunscreen. Add water and it turns milky before you rinse.
If you prefer a fragrance-free, essential-oil-free cleansing step, the sensory profile is quieter than many cleansing balms.
What to expect over time
You are not buying a cumulative treatment here. The repeat-use value is having a consistent first cleanse for makeup, sunscreen, and oily residue.
At the Premium tier, you are mainly paying for the solid-balm format, clear emulsifying system, eye-area use, and fragrance-free, essential-oil-free experience.
Who it fits
This makes the most sense if your skin is dry, normal, combination, or oily and you want a fragrance-free balm for makeup or sunscreen removal.
If rich emollient balms repeatedly do not suit your very clog-prone skin, a lighter first-cleanse format may fit you better.
Compare before you buy
Choose Slaai when you want a fragrance-free, essential-oil-free solid balm built around makeup and sunscreen removal.
Choose a simpler cleansing oil or micellar water when the solid-balm format does not add enough value to your routine.
Final assessment
Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser gives you a well-structured Premium first cleanse if you value a fragrance-free, essential-oil-free solid balm that works around the eye area. If your skin is very clog-prone, ethylhexyl palmitate is the main tradeoff to weigh before you buy.
Where to buy
Choose a retailer to view current pricing and availability.
We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you. This does not affect our BeautyBrief.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
- Drunk Elephant. Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser. Current U.S. product page. Accessed October 2, 2026.
Source for current product identity, current price, makeup/sunscreen removal claims, oil-to-milk transformation, eye-area use, fragrance-free and essential-oil-free positioning, Dermatologist-Tested status, and directions.
- PETA. Drunk Elephant company listing. Accessed October 2, 2026.
Source for the controlled Cruelty-Free Shopper Preference.
