Olay Smoothing Daily Facial Cleanser for dry skin
Retinol
Niacinamide
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 Peptide
Glycerin
Trehalose
Average
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ConcerningSafety
Works for dry skin; other cleansers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 hydration for your dry skin due to the presence of glycerin and petrolatum, which help attract and seal in moisture, but it lacks specialized ingredients to deeply address dryness, posing risks of insufficient benefit.
- The decyl glucoside and lauryl glucoside provide moderate cleansing, and panthenol vitamin b5 offers humectant action, which is beneficial for dry skin.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
- Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsThis cleanser is highly praised for its ability to hydrate and soften the skin, making it a favorite for those with dry, sensitive, or aging skin concerns. While it excels at daily cleansing and improving overall skin texture, some users find it less effective at removing heavy or waterproof makeup.
Highlights
Leaves skin soft Often Mentioned
- “My skin feels soft and moisturized after washing.”
- “Within 1 week, you'll reveal soft, smooth skin.”
- “Face is soft and smooth after every use.”
Non-drying formula Often Mentioned
- “Cleanses without leaving skin feeling tight or stripped.”
- “Removes dirt, oil, and impurities without drying skin out.”
- “Never taut or dry.”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “Did not irritate my sensitive skin.”
- “Great for sensitive skin or combination skin.”
- “Dermatologist tested formula make it approachable for most skin types.”
Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “Noticed an improvement in the clarity of my skin.”
- “Smooths rough patches and refines texture.”
- “My skin went from dull to brighter.”
Weak makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “Struggle with eye makeup.”
- “Heavier or waterproof formulas might require a dedicated remover.”
- “Not a powerhouse for heavy makeup removal.”
Minimal lather Rarely Noted
- “This is not a foaming, big lathering cleanser.”
- “It doesn't have much lather.”
- “There's absolutely zero lather with this.”
Polarizing scent Rarely Noted
- “If you don't like scents or are sensitive to scents you might want to think twice.”
- “The cleanser has a noticeable floral scent.”
Sources: lovi.care, olay.com, walmart.com, youtube.com, skinsort.com, thingtesting.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Olay Smoothing Daily Facial Cleanser work for dry skin?
Olay Smoothing Daily Facial Cleanser works moderately well for dry skin, offering some moisture with glycerin and petrolatum, but it may lack deep hydration. To care for dry skin properly, a cleanser needs ceramides and hyaluronic acid to deliver essential moisture and support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin, petrolatum, and panthenol vitamin B5 make this cleanser a decent fit for dry skin by attracting and sealing in moisture. However, dry skin needs products featuring essential ceramides, sodium hyaluronate, and hyaluronic acid for optimal hydration and protection.
What does Retinol do for dry skin?
Retinol is a poor fit for dry skin because it frequently causes scaling, stinging, and dryness. To care for dry skin properly, a product needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep the skin barrier calm and smooth.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Niacinamide do for dry skin?
Niacinamide helps dry skin by strengthening the skin barrier, increasing hydration, and reducing water loss. It supports ceramide production and helps keep the surface smooth and calm. This ingredient tends to be very well tolerated and is unlikely to irritate dry skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2004Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning routine as the first step, and in your evening routine right after your makeup remover. A complete routine for dry skin also needs a hydrating toner, a rich moisturizer, and sunscreen, along with a nourishing mask used weekly.
Can I use this cleanser with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser before vitamin C by washing your face with it first, rinsing thoroughly, and then applying your vitamin C serum to clean dry skin. This helps remove impurities while allowing the vitamin C to absorb properly, though dry skin needs a rich moisturizer afterward to prevent tightness.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily as part of your morning and evening routine, though it offers only moderate hydration for dry skin. A proper fit for dry skin typically needs richer moisturizing ingredients and barrier-supporting agents to deeply relieve dryness and prevent moisture loss.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, though it may not provide enough deep moisture on its own. A cleanser for dry skin needs extra rich hydrators and nourishing oils to thoroughly soften dry patches and prevent tightness.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should take care around the thin skin of your eyes because cleansers can sometimes be too strong there. For dry skin, a product of this type needs extra rich moisturizers and soothing ingredients to properly comfort and soften dry areas.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A 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, 2017A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical 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 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 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, 2005The 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, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Sodium trehalose sulfate decreased transepidermal water loss and increased stratum corneum water content in participants with low stratum corneum water content when applied for 4 weeks compared to placebo.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024Topical chloramphenicol-betamethasone combined with sodium hyaluronate/trehalose/carbomer gel compared to chloramphenicol-betamethasone alone reduced most subjective symptoms at 1 week but increased blurred vision at 4 weeks following strabismus surgery in 31 patients, with no significant differences in conjunctival inflammation between treatments.
Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2019Topical treatment with Thealoz Duo significantly improved dry eye disease symptoms, tear break-up time, and restored tear lipid layer functionality by reducing inflammatory response proteins in moderate to severe dry eye patients over 56 days.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025
Why other cleansers fit dry skin better
Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Trehalose, Petrolatum, Retinol, Niacinamide, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 Peptide, Panthenol Vitamin B5, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Mineral Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Steareth-21, Steareth-2, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium Edta, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, 1.2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol
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?
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