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Olay vs Elemis

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Olay and Elemis are two distinct skincare lines offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and eye products enriched with nourishing ingredients like glycerin. Olay is warmly loved for using niacinamide to suit sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best, while the British brand Elemis harnesses shea to suit mature skin and dry sensitive skin best. Ultimately, the two differ through their key ingredient profiles and target skin types, as niacinamide improves wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin aging, whereas shea butter reduces inflammation and relieves skin pruritus.

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Olay and Elemis products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Olay vs Elemis products

People Say

OlayElemis
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Luxurious and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Absorbs so quickly! — Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum”
    • “velvety soft skin — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tiny beads aren't harsh — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Fast Absorption and Radiance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “smells amazing — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Price Point Issues Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Strong or Unpleasant Fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Fragrance can be an irritant — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “floral scent — Olay Super Serum”
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “The smell is very strong... could not handle for long. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Packaging Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”

Olay vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Elemis routine · AED 2,268.50 · 82% fitBuy Olay routine · AED 586.47 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Olay vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Olay routine · AED 897.24 · 84% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,630.94 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Olay vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Olay routine · AED 877.60 · 83% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,644.88 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Olay or Elemis: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Olay is better suited for shoppers seeking fragrance-free, gentle formulas with better price points. Elemis products on this page often feature luxurious textures, though they come at a higher price point and frequently contain added fragrance.

What is the difference between Olay and Elemis?

Olay features fragrance-free options and competitive pricing, whereas Elemis focuses on luxury textures with higher price points. Both brands offer products on this page with High fit levels for most skin types.

Olay or Elemis for dry skin?

Elemis is a better fit for dry skin, where the routine on this page reaches a High fit level compared to Olay's Average fit. Elemis features hydrating moisturizers and luxurious textures that help address dryness effectively.

Olay or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Olay does better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas across the products on this page, while Elemis receives more mentions for its high price point.

Which is more affordable, Olay or Elemis?

Olay is more affordable than Elemis, as reviewers frequently note high price point issues for Elemis while Olay does better on price point.

Between Olay and Elemis, which brand offers more fragrance-free options?

Olay offers significantly more fragrance-free options, as 26 of its 27 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 4 of the 22 Elemis products.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Olay and Elemis compare?

Olay was founded in 1952 and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1985. In contrast, Elemis was established later in 1989 in the United Kingdom and is owned by the L'Occitane Group since 2019.

Which brand performs better for skin texture and smoothing based on review themes?

Olay performs better for skin texture and smoothing compared to Elemis based on review themes. The products on this page help improve texture and smoothness.

Olay or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Olay and Elemis offer products on this page that fit oily skin well. Olay provides many fragrance-free options with ingredients like niacinamide that help manage oil, while Elemis features lightweight choices reviewers note for absorbing quickly.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Olay or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both Olay and Elemis offer top-performing moisturizers, with Olay standing out for fragrance-free options and Elemis providing luxurious textures and a high fit for dry skin. Olay utilizes key ingredients like niacinamide and peptides to help improve skin texture and reduce pigmentation, whereas Elemis features rich formulations designed to deliver intensive hydration.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Olay or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Olay and Elemis both fit sensitive skin at a High level based on the products on this page. Olay may be a better choice for sensitive skin because the products on this page offer more fragrance-free and gentle formulas.

Olay or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both Olay and Elemis fit acne-prone skin well, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit level for this skin type. Olay may be the better choice if you prefer fragrance-free options, since 26 of its 27 products list no fragrance.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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