Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Facial Serum for sensitive skin
Retinol
Niacinamide
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Glycerin
Retinyl Propionate
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate benefits for your redness and irritation due to niacinamide and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, which provide supportive hydration and soothing effects for your sensitive skin.
- The presence of retinol and retinyl propionate offers excellent wrinkle reduction and skin smoothing for your normal skin type, promoting cell turnover and collagen synthesis.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly praised for delivering significant anti-aging results like firmer skin and reduced fine lines, with a notable absence of typical retinol irritation. Its lightweight, hydrating, and fragrance-free formula is well-suited for sensitive skin, effectively improving texture and evening out skin tone over time.
Highlights
Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels like silk”
- “woke up to soft skin”
- “texture is much smoother”
- “bumps are gone”
- “face feels baby soft”
Gentle and non-irritating Often Mentioned
- “no redness or peeling”
- “great for sensitive skin”
- “zero irritation”
- “gentlest retinol I've used”
- “didn't dry me out”
Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often Mentioned
- “absorbs almost instantly”
- “not greasy at all”
- “lightweight milky texture”
- “sinks right in”
- “doesn't feel heavy”
Brightens and evens tone Sometimes Noted
- “faded my dark spots”
- “complexion looks brighter”
- “helped with acne scars”
- “skin tone is more even”
- “glowy morning skin”
Hydrating and plumping Sometimes Noted
- “skin looks plumped”
- “very moisturizing”
- “hydrates well overnight”
- “no need for extra cream”
- “woke up glowing”
Poor dropper design Sometimes Noted
- “dropper is clunky”
- “hard to get product out”
- “button mechanism fails”
- “bottle design is frustrating”
- “dispenses inconsistently”
Slow visible results Sometimes Noted
- “took months to see difference”
- “no immediate miracle”
- “slow progress on deep wrinkles”
- “needs consistent use”
- “hard to tell difference at first”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused minor purging”
- “broke me out initially”
- “small whiteheads appeared”
- “clogged my pores”
- “reaction on chin”
Pilling or residue Rarely Noted
- “leaves a white film”
- “pills under moisturizer”
- “feels slightly sticky”
- “residue on pillow”
- “doesn't layer well”
Texture preference Rarely Noted
- “prefer the cream version”
- “too watery for me”
- “wanted something thicker”
- “runs off hand easily”
- “cream feels more luxurious”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, byrdie.com, youtube.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Olay Retinol 24 work for sensitive skin?
Olay Retinol 24 works for sensitive skin as an average fit, offering moderate soothing and hydration alongside effective wrinkle reduction without harsh ingredients. Sensitive skin needs a treatment that combines gentle calming components with rich soothing agents and strong antioxidants to calm redness and irritation safely while keeping skin smooth.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 make this serum a fit for sensitive skin by offering supportive hydration and soothing effects for redness and irritation. A product of this type needs effective ingredients that provide excellent skincare benefits for redness and irritation, while posing no risk of irritation.
What does Retinol do for sensitive skin?
Retinol is generally too harsh for sensitive skin and may cause stinging, scaling, and irritation. A product for this skin needs gentle ingredients that smooth and calm without causing redness.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Toxicology Letters, 2003
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide and peptides to keep sensitive skin calm while smoothing the surface.
Can I use it with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside vitamin C by applying your vitamin C in the morning and this serum at night. Because both ingredients are potent, separating them into different times of the day helps minimize the risk of skin irritation.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, applying it once a week at first and carefully working up to more often if your skin handles it well. This serum helps smooth your skin, but sensitive skin of this type needs calming ingredients and extra hydration to keep redness and irritation down.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts for sensitive skin since it lacks harsh ingredients, though a few reviewers do mention minor breakouts. A product for this skin needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide and peptides to keep redness and irritation calm.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Topical 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Over-the-counter retinol products provided only weak evidence for a mild ameliorating effect on fine facial skin wrinkle lines in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials, and major methodological flaws call the validity of positive results into question.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2021A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010A novel triple-active cosmetic formulation containing 4-hexylresorcinol, retinyl propionate, and niacinamide improved the visual appearance of photoageing similarly to 0.02% tretinoin and reversed a consensus gene signature associated with ageing in female adults while causing less skin irritation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Retinol, Retinyl Propionate, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Titanium Dioxide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dmdm Hydantoin, Mica, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium Edta, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.