Drunk Elephant is a cosmetics brand that sells one of the most popular bronzers called “D-Bronzi.” The brand describes this product as “anti-pollution” and claims it can help users achieve a bronzy glow without any negative health consequences. 

But does D-Bronzi contain research-backed ingredients for improving skin quality? Can a bronzer really protect skin against pollution? What was our Product Tester's honest experience trying it for a month? And is this product better or worse than popular bronzers like Tint & Tighten?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in D-Bronzi to give our take on whether or not it’s likely to be effective for protecting against pollution, and whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also share a video from a popular skincare influencer with some dupe recommendations, feature our Product Tester's honest experience trying D-Bronzi for a month, and compare Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops to other popular bronzers to pick our winners.

Key takeaways:

• D-Bronzi should support skin barrier
• Contains two synthetic preservatives
• We don't currently recommend Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in D-Bronzi are shown below:

Sclerocarya birrea (marula) seed oil was shown in a 2015 clinical trial to moisturize and hydrate the skin, as well as to optimize skin barrier function.

Since the skin barrier protects against environmental toxins and irritants, this suggests that this ingredient may have an “anti-pollution” effect as the brand suggests.

Cocoa may have an antiwrinkle effect when applied topically, according to a clinical trial published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Camellia sinensis leaf extract is clinically shown to have “pronounced moisturizing effects” as we documented in our Jergens Natural Glow reviews article on another cosmetic product containing this ingredient.

Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, which was described in a 2018 medical review as a “skin-rejuvenating biomedicine” and shown to reduce wrinkles significantly.

Sodium hyaluronate has a lower molecular weight than hyaluronic acid, so it may penetrate deeper into skin and have an even more potent effect.

Ribes nigrum (black currant) seed oil was shown in a 2018 clinical trial to protect skin cells from UV damage.

Linoleic acid was shown to reduce acne by 25% after one month in a 1998 clinical trial.

While there are a number of potentially effective ingredients in D-Bronzi, there is also one additive we consider questionable.

Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative shown to be toxic to human cells in a 2020 clinical trial.

It’s worth noting that this was an in vitro (test tube) study, which is a weaker standard of evidence than a trial with human participants, but it’s still somewhat concerning in our opinion.

Sodium benzoate is another synthetic preservative.

Overall, we consider Drunk Elephant bronzer drops likely to be effective for reducing wrinkles, improving skin hydration, and helping repair the skin barrier. From an efficacy perspective, this is one of the most impressive cosmetic products we’ve reviewed.

We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of the two synthetic preservatives.

We Tested Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops

One of our product testers named Anna Chin tried Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops for a month.

Here's her before image:

The D-Bronzi drops are like vacation in a tiny bottle. The packaging is this cute little container with a squeeze top — super easy to control, but seriously, one drop is plenty unless you’re auditioning for the cast of Jersey Shore.

It blends in like skincare — no streaks, no tools, just your fingers. Lightweight, no weird smell, and gives that effortless “I woke up like this” and “I actually sleep”  glow.

Honestly, it barely smells like anything — which is kinda amazing. No fake coconut, no “I’m wearing self-tanner” scent, nothing weird or perfume-y.

The D-Bronzi drops mostly do what they promise. They give a nice, subtle glow that makes your skin look a little more alive — like you just got back from a weekend outdoors (without the actual outdoors part). But it’s not a dramatic bronzer, so if you’re expecting a deep tan or contour-level bronze, you might be a little underwhelmed.

It mixes easily with moisturizer and gives that “healthy skin” look, but it can lean a bit too dewy if you’ve got oily skin. On dry or dull skin, though? Chef’s kiss.

Overall: it delivers on glow and ease, just not a miracle worker. More “good skin day in a bottle” than full transformation.

Compared to traditional bronzers, this one’s way less intimidating. It doesn’t sit on top of your skin or look streaky — it just melts in and makes you look alive.

The surprise downside? It can get too glowy if I’m not careful. One time I overdid it and looked like I’d just run a marathon in full sunlight. So… less is definitely more here.

I didn’t get any breakouts, irritation, or weird reactions — which is kind of shocking because my skin can be dramatic sometimes. It feels super gentle and didn’t clog my pores at all.

Here's her image after using the product for 30 days:

Also, it’s not magic — it won’t turn you into a bronzed goddess overnight. Think of it more like a glow booster, not a fake tan or a contour in disguise. And because it’s kinda pricey, you’ll want to ration it like liquid gold (which, tbh, it kinda looks like).

Honestly, I’d give the D-Bronzi drops about a 7.5 out of 10. 

What’s the Best Dupe?

A YouTube creator named Cassandra Bankson has a video with nine different Drunk Elephant skincare dupes:

D-Bronzi vs. Popular Bronzers

Here's how D-Bronzi compares to other popular bronzers in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:

Tint & Tighten

One of the most popular combo sunscreen & skin protection brands, this is a (very slightly) healthier formulation.

Tint & Tighten contains phenoxyethanol, but not sodium benzoate, as we documented in our Tint and Tighten reviews article.

Winner: Tint & Tighten

Paula's Choice Super Antioxidant Serum

Highly potent formulation, with ingredients like ferulic acid which is clinically shown to improve the structural health of the skin.

Contains phenoxyethanol but no other ingredients we consider potentially unhealthy.

Winner: Paula's Choice Super Antioxidant Serum

The Ordinary Multi-Oxidant Radiance Serum

Contains a preservative combination with a negative synergistic effect in clinical trials.

Regardless of potential efficacy, we consider this formulation less healthy than Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops.

Winner: D-Bronzi

D-Bronzi Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Highly effective formulation
• One of the healthiest bronzer formulations we’ve reviewed
• May reduce wrinkles
• Should improve skin hydration
• May protect skin against UV damage
• Fragrance-free
• Free of artificial dyes
• Positive Amazon reviews

Cons:

• Doesn’t appear clinically tested
• Contains two synthetic preservatives
• Brand doesn’t respond to some serious customer complaints

Conclusion

Drunk Elephant’s bronzing drops should not only impart a skin tone that has aesthetic benefits, but is also likely to actually improve skin quality.

This product contains a number of research-backed, naturally-derived ingredients that are shown in medical studies to improve skin quality and help protect the skin against environmental pollution and irritants.

From the perspective of potency and potential effectiveness, this is the best bronzer formulation that we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health to date.

One of our Product Testers tried this product for a month and really liked it: she found that it was subtle but effective. 

We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of two synthetic preservative ingredients, but it doesn’t contain any ingredients like fragrance that we consider seriously unhealthy.

We consider D-Bronzi to be healthier than The Ordinary Multi-Oxidant Radiance Serum, but a less healthy option than Paula's Choice Super Antioxidant Serum and Tint & Tighten.