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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 two popular skincare choices offering comprehensive moisturizers, serums, eye products, cleansers, and more. Estée Lauder is known for formulas featuring hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin that suit acne-prone skin and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the brand features nourishing niacinamide and glycerin, making its products ideal for sensitive skin and acne-prone skin. The primary difference lies in their specific ingredient strengths and ideal skin types, as both brands deliver targeted solutions for diverse complexions.

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 · $154.40 · 83% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · $271.00 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Olay routine · $296.19 · 84% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · $399.42 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Olay routine · $286.61 · 83% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · $503.90 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or Olay: which is better?

Both brands perform well, with Estée Lauder leading in deep hydration and gentle cleansing, while Olay excels in texture smoothing, radiant glow, and dry skin routine fit.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and Olay?

Estée Lauder offers better deep hydration and gentle cleansing among the products on this page, while Olay provides better texture smoothing, brightening, and a higher routine fit for dry skin. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain skin hydration, and niacinamide may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Estée Lauder or Olay for dry skin?

Olay fits dry skin better than Estée Lauder, as the routine fit for dry skin is High for Olay and Average for Estée Lauder. The products on this page for Olay include key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Estée Lauder provides gentler and non-drying cleansers compared to Olay, as reflected in the positive reviewer feedback on this page.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or Olay?

Olay is more affordable than Estée Lauder, as the products on this page for Estée Lauder frequently receive complaints about a high price point.

Estée Lauder or Olay: which brand has more fragrance-free options?

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

Estée Lauder or Olay: which is better for dark spots?

Olay is better for dark spots as the products on this page achieve a High Lovi fit for that concern, compared to Estée Lauder which reaches an Average fit. Niacinamide, a key ingredient featured across Olay products, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Estée Lauder or Olay: which has better options for mature skin?

Olay offers better options for mature skin on this page, achieving a High routine fit compared to Estee Lauders Average level. Olay provides superior results for texture smoothing and brightening, helping reduce the signs of aging with active ingredients like peptides and retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Estée Lauder or Olay for oily skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer a High routine fit for oily skin based on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture, while Olay incorporates ingredients like niacinamide to help control skin aging and pigmentation.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Antioxidants, 2021

Estée Lauder or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Olay delivers a High routine fit for dry skin with products like Regenerist Ultra Rich Hydrating Moisturizer, whereas Estée Lauder's routine fit for dry skin is Average.

Estée Lauder or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features gentle and non-drying cleansers alongside key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while Olay relies on soothing key ingredients such as niacinamide and aloe vera.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Estée Lauder or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreen options, Estée Lauder features the DayWear Moisturizer, which achieves a Superior fit level for dry sensitive skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin. Olay offers products on this page such as the Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15 and Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25, which may provide sun protection depending on your specific skin type.

Estée Lauder or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer routines that fit acne-prone skin well at a High level. Lovi finds that both brands include effective options for this skin type across the products on this page.

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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