🇮🇪Ireland

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 beloved skincare brands offering thoughtful selections of moisturizers, serums, eye products, cleansers, and more. Estée Lauder relies on hydrating elements like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting mature skin and sensitive skin best, while Olay utilizes niacinamide and glycerin to suit mature skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, the brands differ through their distinct hero ingredients, as hyaluronic acid lengthens the effect of botulinum toxin, niacinamide improves wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin aging, and glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and barrier function.

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

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Estée Lauder vs Olay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or Olay: which is better?

Olay achieves a High routine fit for dry skin, whereas Estée Lauder reaches an Average fit. Olay utilizes key ingredients like niacinamide and peptides to help improve skin texture and reduce pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and Olay?

Olay offers a higher routine fit for dry skin and dark spots on this page, while Estée Lauder stands out for deep hydration and gentle cleansers. Both brands include key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to support skin health.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Olay for dry skin?

Olay is better suited for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Estée Lauder's Average rating. Additionally, Olay offers key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across its products to help boost hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Estée Lauder is better for cleansing, as the products on this page provide gentle and non-drying cleansers that fit sensitive skin well.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or Olay?

Olay is more affordable than Estée Lauder, as Estée Lauder's high price point is a mostly mentioned drawback while Olay's high price concerns are less prominent. Shoppers often find better value with Olay's extensive range of products on this page.

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

Olay has better options for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit on this page. Olay offers multiple top-rated products for mature skin, such as Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer, and Ultimate Eye Cream.

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

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

Olay has more fragrance-free products on this page, with twenty-six out of twenty-seven formulas listing no fragrance, compared to twelve out of fourteen for Estée Lauder.

Estée Lauder or Olay: which offers better deep hydration?

Estée Lauder does better for deep hydration and moisture compared to Olay. The products on this page help deliver intense moisture through key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Olay for oily skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay achieve a High Lovi fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands feature key ingredients like glycerin to help hydrate the skin without feeling heavy.

Estée Lauder or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay offer effective moisturizers, but Olay generally provides higher fit levels for dry skin, mature skin, and dark spots compared to Estée Lauder. Key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and peptides help deliver intense hydration and smooth texture across their moisturizer ranges.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005

Estée Lauder or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both brands fit sensitive skin well, but Olay achieves a High routine fit while Estée Lauder also reaches a High level. Estée Lauder features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture, and Olay utilizes ingredients such as niacinamide, which helps soothe the skin.

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

Estée Lauder or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

Estée Lauder offers DayWear Moisturizer, which has a Superior Lovi fit level for dry, dry sensitive, sensitive, and mature skin, and a High fit level for combination, acne-prone, skin with dark spots, oily, and oily acne-prone skin on this page. In comparison, Olay provides Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15 and Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25, which may provide sun protection but generally show lower or average fit levels across most skin types.

Estée Lauder or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Olay are great for acne-prone skin, with Lovi giving both brands a High fit level for this skin type. Olay offers more options with key ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic derivatives, while Estée Lauder focuses heavily on deep hydration and gentle cleansers to keep acne-prone skin balanced without drying it out.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play