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Estée Lauder vs Olay

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

Estée Lauder and Olay are American skincare brands beloved for their reliable collections of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers. Estée Lauder uses hyaluronic acid and glycerin to suit mature and sensitive skin, while the other brand relies on niacinamide and glycerin to suit sensitive and oily skin. They differ primarily in their specialized formulations, as the first brand offers standout options like the DayWear Moisturizer for dark spots, and Olay features treatments like the Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular Estée Lauder vs Olay products

People Say

Estée LauderOlay
  • Texture smoothing and improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing feel Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Radiant glow and brightening Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “skin looks brighter — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Gentle and non-drying cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “removes all my makeup effortlessly — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “tiny beads aren't harsh — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
  • Makeup compatibility and base Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't pill — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “layers flawlessly under foundation — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
  • High price and value concerns Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Bulky or poor packaging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Impossible to get out — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Fragrance can be an irritant — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “floral scent — Olay Super Serum”
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Olay routine · CA$156.85 · 82% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$386.99 · 76% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Olay routine · CA$298.41 · 83% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$510.40 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Olay routine · CA$250.43 · 82% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$424.49 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or Olay: which is better?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay achieve a High Lovi routine fit across all skin types, so neither brand is universally better than the other. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder helps provide deeper hydration and gentler cleansing, whereas Olay helps improve texture and radiance.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and Olay?

Estée Lauder provides deep hydration and gentle cleansers with a higher price point, while Olay offers fragrance-free options, faster absorption, and better texture smoothing. Both brands achieve high routine fit levels across all skin types.

Estée Lauder or Olay for dry skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer a High Lovi routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder helps provide deep hydration, while Olay helps deliver intense hydration with a lightweight feel.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

Estée Lauder or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Estée Lauder is considered better for gentle and non-drying cleansing, as reviewers frequently highlight this benefit for the products on this page. Olay also offers cleansing options, but Estée Lauder is specifically noted for superior gentle cleansing performance.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or Olay?

Olay is generally more affordable than Estée Lauder. Reviewers frequently mention high price point as a drawback for Estée Lauder, whereas Olay is noted for high price and value concerns less often.

Which brand offers more fragrance-free skincare products, Estée Lauder or Olay?

Olay offers more fragrance-free skincare products on this page, with 26 out of 27 products listing no fragrance, compared to 12 out of 14 for Estée Lauder.

How do Estée Lauder and Olay compare regarding deep hydration versus texture smoothing?

For deep hydration and moisture, reviewers note that Estée Lauder does better, while Olay is preferred for texture smoothing and improvement. Both brands achieve a High routine fit for all evaluated skin types.

Which brand is better for reducing skin dark spots, Estée Lauder or Olay?

Olay does better for reducing skin dark spots among the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and pigmentation transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Estée Lauder or Olay for oily skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer routines with a High routine fit for oily skin. Lovi rates the Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion with a Superior fit for oily acne-prone skin and a High fit for oily skin.

Estée Lauder or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, both Estée Lauder and Olay offer products on this page with an Average to Superior fit for mature and dry skin. Olay helps provide enhanced texture smoothing and brightening with ingredients like peptides and niacinamide, while Estée Lauder focuses on deep hydration using key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Estée Lauder or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Estée Lauder fits sensitive skin best by its brand-focused routines, while Olay also includes sensitive skin among its best-fit skin types.

Estée Lauder or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens, Estée Lauder's DayWear Moisturizer is rated as having a Superior fit for dry sensitive skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin, and a High fit for combination, acne-prone, skin with dark spots, oily, and oily acne-prone skin on this page. In comparison, Olay's sunscreen options on this page include Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15 and Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25, which may provide average to high fit levels depending on the skin type.

Estée Lauder or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features items like the Micro Essence Treatment Lotion with a Superior fit, while Olay offers options such as the Super Eyes Daily Eye Serum that also achieve a Superior fit for this skin type.

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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