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- Olay began as Oil of Olay in South Africa in 1952 and has belonged to Procter & Gamble since 1985.
- Niacinamide runs through the range; a 2005 P&G split-face study found 5% niacinamide improved lines, spots, redness and yellowing over 12 weeks.
- Retinol24 Night Serum is a gentle, fragrance-free retinoid for dry skin ($39.99 on olay.com in October 2026); Regenerist is the peptide moisturizer line.
- Pick fragrance-free versions where they exist, skip SPF 15 as your only sunscreen and add actives one at a time.
Olay is Procter & Gamble's mass-market anti-aging skincare brand, started as Oil of Olay in South Africa in 1952 and owned by P&G since 1985. Its formulas lean heavily on niacinamide, which P&G scientists have studied for decades. The best place to start is the line that matches your main goal: Retinol24 for fine lines and texture, Regenerist for a peptide moisturizer, or the Vitamin C line for dullness.
Before you buy, you can scan a jar's barcode or label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check the formula against your skin type. It's handy with Olay, because many products come in both fragrance-free and fragranced versions. Pori reads ingredients; it doesn't diagnose skin conditions.
This guide covers who makes Olay, why niacinamide shows up in so many of its products, how Retinol24, Regenerist and Vitamin C differ, and what to skip. We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin. Where we give a price, we name the retailer and the date we checked it.
Who owns Olay?
Procter & Gamble owns Olay. Graham Wulff, a chemist from Durban who had worked for Unilever, created Oil of Olay in South Africa in 1952. Richardson Merrell, later Richardson-Vicks, bought the business in 1970, and P&G acquired Richardson-Vicks in 1985. In 1999 P&G shortened the name to Olay in most countries; German-speaking markets and Italy kept the name Oil of Olaz for a time.
Olay is now P&G's main skincare brand. Its US store sells face moisturizers, serums, eye creams, cleansers and sunscreen moisturizers, plus a large body wash range. It also runs the free Olay Skin Advisor selfie tool; our Olay Skin Advisor review explains how far to trust its skin-age number.
Why is niacinamide in so many Olay products?
Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is the thread that runs through Olay's range. Olay's own science page says it helps strengthen the skin barrier, even out tone and smooth texture over time. Much of the published research on topical niacinamide came from P&G's labs. In one 2005 study by P&G researchers, 50 women applied a 5% niacinamide product to one half of the face and a plain base to the other, twice a day for 12 weeks. The niacinamide side showed fewer fine lines, fewer dark spots, less red blotchiness and less yellowing, plus better elasticity.
That's a company-funded study, but it was double-blind and published in a peer-reviewed journal. In practice niacinamide is one of the gentler actives. It pairs well with retinoids and works in most skin types. Our guide to niacinamide benefits covers the evidence.
If you want niacinamide without a full Olay routine, a single-ingredient serum works too. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% suits oily skin, Neutrogena's Stubborn Texture serum is another drugstore option, and CeraVe PM Lotion carries niacinamide in a fragrance-free moisturizer.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The cheapest proven way to calm shine and blur pore appearance.
Suits: Oily, Combination, Normal skin
Stubborn Texture Niacinamide Serum
Serum with niacinamide and glycerin. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive skin
PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Light night lotion that hydrates without feeding shine.
Suits: Normal, Combination, Oily skin
From Pori's catalogue. Amazon links carry our Associates tag: Pori earns from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. No brand pays to be listed. Photos: Open Beauty Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
What are Olay's main product lines?
- Retinol24: night products with a retinoid blend. The US range includes the Night Smoothing Serum, the Night Moisturizer and an eye cream. Olay UK also sells a Retinol24 MAX serum.
- Regenerist: Olay's peptide line. Olay's science page lists the Micro-Sculpting Cream and Serum, the Collagen Peptide 24 serum and the Retinol24 Night Moisturizer under it. The Micro-Sculpting Cream and the Whip moisturizer each come in a fragrance-free version and an original version.
- Vitamin C: a brightening serum, a Vitamin C Max serum, lightweight moisturizers and an eye cream.
- Niacinamide and everyday basics: a Niacinamide Hydrating Cream, a Clarifying Daily Facial Cleanser with Niacinamide, the Complete and Total Effects moisturizers, and Super Serum, a multi-ingredient serum.
Is Olay Retinol24 good?
For dry skin and early fine lines, it's a reasonable, gentle first retinoid. The Retinol24 Night Smoothing Serum pairs a "Retinoid Complex" of retinol and retinyl propionate with niacinamide and a peptide. Olay says it's fragrance-free and dye-free and suits normal, sensitive, dry and oily skin. It lists retinol and retinyl propionate right after water, dimethicone and glycerin, but Olay doesn't disclose the percentage.
Olay reports that 96% of women in a two-week usage study found Retinol24 enjoyable to use. The 107 participants had self-reported mild to moderate sensitive skin. That measures comfort. It says nothing about wrinkles. The serum listed at $39.99 on olay.com when we checked in October 2026, more than most drugstore retinol serums.
Use it like any retinoid: every other night at first, a pea-sized amount, and sunscreen every morning. Our guides to retinol for beginners and peeling from retinol cover the first weeks. If the price is a stretch, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and The INKEY List Starter Retinol Serum are cheaper fragrance-free starters, compared in our best retinol serum for beginners guide.
Regenerist Retinol24 Night Serum
Overnight retinol with the moisture cushion built in.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Combination skin
Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Buffered retinol aimed at post-acne marks and rough texture.
Suits: Oily, Combination, Normal skin
Starter retinol serum
Evening serum with retinal, hydroxypinacolone retinoate and glycerin. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination skin
From Pori's catalogue. Amazon links carry our Associates tag: Pori earns from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. No brand pays to be listed. Photos: Open Beauty Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Which Olay Regenerist product should I buy?
Regenerist is Olay's peptide-based moisturizer line, and its best-known product is the Micro-Sculpting Cream. Olay sells it in an original version, a fragrance-free version and an SPF 30 version. The Regenerist Whip is a second cream in the line, also sold fragrance-free and in an SPF 25 version.
The bigger choice is scent. Pick the fragrance-free version of either cream if your skin is sensitive or you plan to pair it with a retinoid. Between the two creams, go by the texture you like; testers in drugstores help. For daytime, the SPF versions save a step only if you apply a full layer. Our peptides in skincare guide explains what peptides can and can't do.
Regenerist creams aren't in our catalogue. Similar fragrance-free options with peptides or niacinamide include CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which combines peptides, niacinamide and ceramides, and The INKEY List Vitamin B, C and E Moisturizer. Both come from other brands.
Skin Renewing Night Cream
Moisturizer with niacinamide, ceramides and shea butter. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Combination, Sensitive skin
Vitamin B, C and E moisturizer
Moisturizer with niacinamide, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and panthenol. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive skin
From Pori's catalogue. Amazon links carry our Associates tag: Pori earns from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. No brand pays to be listed. Photos: Open Beauty Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Is Olay Vitamin C serum worth it?
It's a mild brightening option for people who want vitamin C inside a multi-ingredient serum. In the UK, Olay's Super Serum with Vitamin C lists niacinamide, vitamin C, a collagen peptide, vitamin E and an AHA as its key ingredients, but Olay doesn't name the vitamin C form or percentage on that page. The US store sells a Vitamin C Brightening Serum and a Vitamin C Max version.
If your main goal is fading dark spots, read the ingredient list for the vitamin C form. Pure ascorbic acid has the most evidence but is less stable; derivatives are gentler and usually weaker. Our vitamin C serum guide and how to fade dark spots explain the trade-offs.
Does Olay make a good sunscreen?
Olay sells several daily moisturizers with SPF, including Complete, Total Effects, Super Cream SPF 30 (also fragrance-free) and a Regenerist cream with SPF 30. Its Complete Invisible Facial Primer + Sunscreen SPF 35 uses avobenzone 3%, homosalate 10%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 10% in a silicone base. It's not water-resistant, so use something else for swimming or sweating. Our Supergoop Unseen review compares it in detail.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher. That makes the lower SPF 15 versions of Complete and Total Effects a weak choice for daily use. If you want a fragrance-free SPF 30 moisturizer with niacinamide, CeraVe AM and La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair UV are common picks.
AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
SPF 30 sunscreen with niacinamide, homosalate and octinoxate. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive skin
Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV SPF 30
SPF 30 sunscreen with niacinamide, avobenzone and homosalate. Fragrance-free.
Suits: Normal, Dry, Oily, Combination, Sensitive skin
From Pori's catalogue. Amazon links carry our Associates tag: Pori earns from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. No brand pays to be listed. Photos: Open Beauty Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
What should I skip from Olay?
- The fragranced version when a fragrance-free one exists. Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, the Whip and Super Cream SPF 30 all come fragrance-free. Choose that version if your skin reacts easily.
- SPF 15 moisturizers as your only sunscreen. Go for SPF 30 or higher.
- Stacking every active at once. Retinol24 at night, a vitamin C serum with AHA in the morning and a retinol cleanser can be too much. Add one product at a time; our guide to introducing new products shows how.
- Retinol cleansers as a retinoid step. A wash-off product spends seconds on your skin. Put the retinoid in a leave-on serum or cream.
- Paying full price. Olay products are discounted often at drugstores and online, so compare before you buy.
Is Olay good for sensitive skin?
Parts of it are. Niacinamide is usually well tolerated, and Olay offers fragrance-free versions of its best-known creams and its Retinol24 serum. The risk comes from fragrance in the original versions and from retinoids and acids. Patch test anything with retinol or AHA, start slowly, and see a dermatologist if you have rosacea, eczema or persistent irritation. For more choices, browse our serums and moisturizers catalogue or the skincare routine for your 40s.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Olay?
Procter & Gamble. Graham Wulff created Oil of Olay in South Africa in 1952. Richardson-Vicks owned it from 1970, P&G bought Richardson-Vicks in 1985, and the brand became Olay in most countries in 1999.
Is Olay Retinol24 fragrance-free?
The Retinol24 Night Smoothing Serum is labeled fragrance-free and dye-free on olay.com. Olay doesn't disclose its retinoid percentage.
Does Olay use niacinamide?
Yes. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) appears across Olay's moisturizers and serums. P&G researchers published a 2005 split-face study in which 5% niacinamide improved fine lines, spots, redness and yellowing over 12 weeks.
What is the difference between Olay Regenerist and Retinol24?
Regenerist is Olay's peptide moisturizer line, such as the Micro-Sculpting Cream. Retinol24 is its night line with a retinol and retinyl propionate blend, aimed at fine lines and texture.
Is Olay good for sensitive skin?
Its fragrance-free versions are a reasonable choice for many people with sensitive skin. Patch test retinol and acid products first, and avoid the fragranced originals if you react easily.
Is Olay sunscreen good enough for daily use?
Choose an Olay moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, such as Super Cream SPF 30. The AAD recommends at least SPF 30, so the SPF 15 versions are not enough on their own.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Olay (history, citing Procter & Gamble's company history)
- Olay: Proven Science
- Olay: Retinol24 Night Smoothing Serum (product page)
- Olay: Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, Fragrance-Free
- Olay: Vitamin C Brightening Serum
- Olay UK: Super Serum with Vitamin C
- Olay UK: Regenerist Retinol24 MAX Night Serum
- Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. Niacinamide: a B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatol Surg, 2005 (PubMed)
- American Academy of Dermatology: Retinoid or retinol?
- American Academy of Dermatology: How to select a sunscreen
Pori is a wellness and skincare education app, not a medical device. This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. For anything that worries you, see a dermatologist.
