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Olay vs Elemis

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

Olay and Elemis are two distinct skincare lines known for thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and eye treatments. Olay is beloved for using niacinamide and glycerin to suit mature and acne-prone skin, while Elemis is celebrated as a British brand using glycerin and shea to suit dry and mature skin best. Both offer targeted solutions for specific concerns, yet they differ because the former relies on niacinamide to address wrinkles and pigmentation, whereas the latter utilizes shea butter to reduce inflammation and relieve pruritus.

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Olay vs Elemis products

People Say

OlayElemis
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Luxurious and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Absorbs so quickly! — Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum”
    • “velvety soft skin — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tiny beads aren't harsh — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Fast Absorption and Radiance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “smells amazing — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Price Point Issues Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Strong or Unpleasant Fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Fragrance can be an irritant — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “floral scent — Olay Super Serum”
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “The smell is very strong... could not handle for long. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Packaging Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”

Olay vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Olay vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Olay vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Olay or Elemis: which is better?

Olay is better on this page for mature skin with a Superior fit, whereas Elemis offers a High fit. Both brands perform equally well for most other skin types, but Olay stands out with mostly fragrance-free products compared to Elemis.

What is the difference between Olay and Elemis?

Olay stands out for offering fragrance-free options across most of the products on this page, whereas Elemis includes fragrance in the majority of its formulations. Additionally, Olay achieves a Superior fit for mature skin, compared to Elemis which has a High fit for that skin type.

Olay or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Olay and Elemis fit dry skin well, offering high routine fit levels. The products on this page by Olay provide intense hydration and a lightweight feel, while Elemis products help deliver a radiant glow and smoother skin texture.

Olay or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both Olay and Elemis offer effective cleansers, with Olay standing out for its fragrance-free options across the products on this page. Reviewers note that Olay cleansers help improve skin texture, while Elemis cleansers are often associated with a radiant glow.

Which is more affordable, Olay or Elemis?

Olay is more affordable than Elemis, as high price point issues are frequently noted by reviewers for Elemis, whereas Olay scores better on price point issues among the products on this page.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, Olay or Elemis?

Olay offers many more fragrance-free options than Elemis, as 26 of its 27 products on this page list no fragrance while Elemis has only 4 fragrance-free products.

Olay or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Olay and Elemis offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Olay products on this page provide fragrance-free options and lightweight feels.

Olay or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Olay and Elemis both offer moisturizers with a High or Superior Lovi fit level for dry and mature skin types. Olay products on this page frequently feature niacinamide, which helps reduce pigmentation, whereas Elemis focuses on luxury textures and botanical extracts.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Olay or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Olay and Elemis have an equal High fit for sensitive skin, but Olay stands out for having mostly fragrance-free options across the products on this page.

Olay or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both Olay and Elemis offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. Olay may be the better choice if you prefer fragrance-free options, as almost all the products on this page list no added fragrance.

Olay or Elemis for mature skin?

Olay is better suited for mature skin, as Lovi rates its fit as Superior compared to High for Elemis. Reviewers also find that Olay does better for skin texture and smoothing.

Olay or Elemis for skin with dark spots?

Olay is a better fit for skin with dark spots because the products on this page achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for this skin type, compared to the High fit level of Elemis. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

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?

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