Trusted by millions of women around the world, Olay is the best selling anti aging skin care range in five continents. This multi-billion dollar brand produces hundreds of different beauty products, which can make it pretty daunting to choose a product to fit your specific needs. In order to help you out, below we’ll discuss the top 10 best Olay skin care products with a scientific lens, meaning we’ve evaluated the research that supports (or doesn’t support) the ingredients that you’ll find in these products. We’ll also share some Olay reviews so you can get a better idea of what customers really think about these products.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2021?
What Are The Top 10 Best Olay Skin Care Products?
Olay offers a wide variety of skin care products, including cleansers, toners, masks, mists, moisturizers, serums, treatments, and sun protection products. Since there’s way too many Olay skin care products to discuss in one review, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 10 best Olay skin care products.
Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream
- Anti-aging facial moisturizer
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, panthenol, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, and sodium hyaluronate
- Claimed to visibly diminish wrinkles and fine lines starting day 1
- Contains fragrance
- Contains three parabens as preservatives
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer
- Anti-aging nighttime facial moisturizer with retinol
- Claimed to deliver visible improvements in fine lines and wrinkles, smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, and pores
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, retinol, and retinyl propionate
- Fragrance-free, dye-free formula
- Jar packaging means the retinol will deteriorate over time due to exposure to air
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum
- Anti-aging nighttime facial serum with retinol
- Claimed to deliver visible improvements in fine lines and wrinkles, smoothness, brightness, firming, dark spots, and pores
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, retinol, and retinyl propionate
- Higher concentration of retinol than the Night Moisturizer
- Fragrance-free, dye-free formula
- Opaque plastic bottle with a dropper dispenser protects retinol from exposure to air
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Eye Cream
- Anti-aging nighttime eye cream with retinol
- Claimed to visibly firm, brighten, even skin tone, and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, retinol, retinyl propionate, and vitamin E
- Light, silky texture that absorbs quickly
- Fragrance-free, dye-free formula
- Jar packaging means the retinol will deteriorate over time due to exposure to air
Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer
- Lightweight anti-aging facial cream that absorbs quickly without leaving a sticky, greasy, or heavy feeling
- Key ingredients include palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, niacinamide, glycerin, and panthenol
- Claimed to help skin look and feel visibly firmer with less noticeable fine lines and wrinkles in two weeks
- Fragrance-free
- Recommended for normal, oily, or dry combination skin types
- Can be applied morning and night
Olay Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25
- Anti-aging daytime facial moisturizer with sunscreen
- The term “whip” in the name due to the inclusion of “Whip Technology”
- Whip Technology offers you a light formula that transforms from cream to liquid on contact for fast absorption and a breathable feel, resulting in a smooth, matte finish that leaves your skin feeling moisturized
- Includes chemical sunscreen ingredients to provide broad spectrum SPF 25 protection
- Additional key ingredients include niacinamide, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, and sodium hyaluronate
- Contains fragrance
Olay Total Effects Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 40
- Anti-aging daytime facial moisturizer with sunscreen
- Claimed to hydrate, replenish, brighten, and even the look of your skin, while also minimizing the look of your pores and visibly firming and smoothing your complexion
- Includes chemical sunscreen ingredients to provide broad spectrum SPF 40 protection
- Additional key ingredients include niacinamide, panthenol, and vitamins C and E
- Contains fragrance
Olay Total Effects 7 in One Face Moisturizer
- Oil-free, anti-aging facial moisturizer
- Claimed to provide your skin with seven benefits: it hydrates, replenishes, brightens, evens the look of tone, minimizes the look of pores, visibly firms and visibly smooths
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, panthenol, and vitamins C and E
- Contains fragrance
Olay Exfoliating & Moisturizing Body Wash
- Olay body wash that is claimed to gently massage away dead skin cells to reveal radiant, moisturized skin
- Key ingredients include sugar, cocoa butter, and niacinamide
- Rinses off clean without leaving an oily residue on the skin
- Contains fragrance
Olay Cleansing & Brightening Body Wash
- Olay body wash that produces a rich and creamy lather, leaving skin feeling soft and silky to the touch
- Key ingredients include petrolatum, niacinamide, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
- Contains a high amount of fragrance
What Are The Key Ingredients in Olay Skin Care Products?
Even though Olay produces hundreds of different skin care products, we’ve noticed that the formulations are nearly identical. Nearly all Olay moisturizers have the same key ingredients, which include niacinamide, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, glycerin, panthenol, and silicones. Let’s take a closer look at how these ingredients work, as well as the research that supports their use in skin care.
One ingredient that Olay loves to include in their formulations is niacinamide. Niacinamide is the amide form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that provides many benefits to the skin. For instance, a publication in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, states that niacinamide can repair the skin barrier and improve skin moisture, as well as reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, acne, and wrinkling. Niacinamide is also an antioxidant that helps the skin combat free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
Another key ingredient used throughout the collection of Olay skin care products is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, or what the brand calls an “amino peptide”. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a matrikine, a messenger peptide that regulates cell activities through cell signaling. For example, when the collagen protein is degraded, matrikines send signals to fibroblasts to produce new collagen.
Since matrikines have the ability to increase the production of collagen, elastin, and other macromolecules in the ECM, synthetic peptides like palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 have been created to mimic these effects. According to a publication in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 stimulates production of collagen types I and III and fibronectin. Thus, the inclusion of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in the Olay skin care products means you may notice an improvement in skin firmness after using these products.
You’ll also notice that Olay skin care products are formulated with high concentrations of humectants (like glycerin and panthenol) and silicones (like dimethicone). Humectants are beneficial skin care ingredients because their structure is composed of hydrophilic (water loving) groups, such as hydroxyl groups (OH) and/or amine groups (NH2). The OH and NH2 groups hydrogen bond with water, essentially “grabbing” it and holding it on the skin.
The inclusion of silicones in the Olay skin care products helps to give these products a silky smooth skin feel. Silicones also form a protective covering on the skin that provides both water-binding and water-resistant properties. Furthermore, the smooth, even base that is formed helps other beneficial ingredients traverse through it to the skin more easily as well as prevent contact with potentially irritating ingredients.
Where are Olay Skin Care Products Sold?
Olay skin care products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as third party ecommerce websites such as Amazon, eBay, Ulta, and more. You can also purchase Olay skin care products from drug stores like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, and more.
What is The Olay Return Policy?
The Olay return policy states, “You will be responsible for the shipping charges to return the item(s). To obtain your refund, the item must be returned to us, unopened and in its original packaging, with all accessories, within 30 days of the date upon which we provided the item to the carrier for shipment to you.”
Is Olay Cruelty Free?
Olay is not cruelty free. Olay is owned by Procter & Gamble, a company that tests on animals. Olay also sells its products in stores in mainland China where animal testing is required by law.
Olay Reviews
Olay reviews on the brand’s website are mostly very positive. One product that has an impressive amount of reviews is the Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream. After more than 23,000 customer reviews, this product has received an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars.
The positive Olay reviews for the Micro Sculpting Cream mention that this moisturizer really does help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles while keeping the skin moisturized and smooth.
For example, one review says, “I am in my 50’s and have been on a constant search for something that really works to diminish my fine and deeper wrinkles over the long term. After experimenting with numerous products, I have found that this cream really does work. The big test was when I switched to another brand for 6 months. New lines appeared. The texture of my skin became coarser. I switched back to Olay. I would say that within 2 weeks, my skin improved. Within 1 month, my skin was significantly improved. This cream always gets good reviews, for a good reason. It works! Superior moisturization as well. I use it with the serum at night. Definitely recommend it!”
However, there are quite a few negative reviews for Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream from customers who did not see the results they were hoping for after using this product for months. For example, one review says, “I have been an Olay user for years. I was sure that the Regenerist Micro Sculpting cream would live up to the standards of prior products. I have purchased a total of 12 jars(3 unused so far) and have seen NO improvement or change as promised. I do not expect miracles at my age (71) but do expect some small and positive changes. Not happening with this product.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that Olay skin care products are an okay option if you’re trying to build a skin care routine on a budget. With that being said, some products are better than others. We recommend avoiding the Olay skin care products that contain fragrance and parabens, as well as those that are packaged in jars.
Pros
- Beneficial ingredients like niacinamide, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, and sodium hyaluronate used throughout collection
- Relatively low cost
- Many positive Olay reviews
Cons
- Formulations lack innovation; the same few ingredients are used in nearly all of the brand’s products
- Some Olay products contain fragrance
- Some Olay products contain parabens
- Jar packaging may lead to degradation of delicate ingredients
What Are Some Alternatives to Olay Skin Care?
After reviewing the 10 best Olay skin care products, we’ve noticed that this brand does include some beneficial ingredients in their products, but they really lack innovation. If you’re looking for skin care products that include unique ingredients based on the latest research and cutting-edge technology, we recommend Formulyst.
One example is Formulyst’s Ultimate Youth Concentrate, which includes key ingredients such as Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and five unique peptides. EGF is a protein naturally found in cells called fibroblasts, which are responsible for producing collagen. It is thought that EGF signals to fibroblasts to produce more collagen, which leads to cell growth, proliferation, and wound healing. As we age, our ability to produce EGF decreases, resulting in the key signs that contribute to aging skin. Applying products that increase EGF production, such as the Formulyst Ultimate Youth Concentrate, may increase skin strength and integrity.
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that is effective and safe. Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the power of plants with cutting edge science. Not only is Carrot & Stick good for your skin, it is also good for the environment as the formulas skip harmful chemicals as well as the preservatives, emulsifiers and thickeners commonly found in skincare products.
References:
1.J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010 Feb; 3(2): 22–41
2.Int J Cosmet Sci 2011 Dec;33(6):483-90.
