Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer for acne-prone skin
Retinol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Niacinamide
Glycerin
PeptidesHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best moisturizers for acne-prone skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 high suitability for your combination skin, as niacinamide helps regulate oil production and sodium hyaluronate provides essential hydration to combat dryness.
- Retinol and niacinamide work synergistically to support skin renewal and reduce inflammation, offering moderate benefits for your acne and blemishes.
- The formula is safe for your acne-prone skin, containing no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 11.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently praise this moisturizer for its ability to make skin feel noticeably smoother, softer, and brighter overnight without the irritation often associated with retinol. Many appreciate the fragrance-free, non-greasy formula that absorbs quickly, though a subset of users experienced breakouts or found the jar packaging unhygienic.
Highlights
Smoother, softer skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Skin feels like silk”
- “woke up with baby soft skin”
- “texture is much smoother”
- “face feels velvety”
Gentle & fragrance-free Often Mentioned
- “No irritation at all”
- “great for beginners”
- “love that it's unscented”
- “didn't burn my sensitive skin”
Lightweight & non-greasy Often Mentioned
- “Sinks straight into skin”
- “no greasy pillow”
- “lightweight feel”
- “absorbs beautifully”
Visible brightening Sometimes Noted
- “Skin looks brighter”
- “gave me a radiant glow”
- “complexion looks more even”
- “woke up glowing”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “Broke me out in cystic acne”
- “caused tiny bumps”
- “woke up with pimples”
- “skin reacted badly”
Lack of results Rarely Noted
- “No difference in lines”
- “didn't help dark spots”
- “just a regular moisturizer”
- “expected more results”
Packaging concerns Rarely Noted
- “Hate dipping fingers in”
- “jar is unhygienic”
- “pump would be better”
- “product exposed to air”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “Smells like plastic”
- “weird chemical scent”
- “smells like the jar”
- “unpleasant base odor”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, target.com, goodhousekeeping.com, youtube.com, marieclaire.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer is a great fit because niacinamide helps balance oil while sodium hyaluronate keeps dry areas hydrated. Retinol and niacinamide also work together to support skin renewal and calm blemishes, and the formula is safe without harsh ingredients that might cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because niacinamide helps balance your oil and sodium hyaluronate brings in lightweight hydration. Retinol and niacinamide work together to calm inflammation and clear blemishes while keeping your skin safe from harsh irritation.
What does Retinol do for acne-prone skin?
Retinol helps acne-prone skin by speeding up cell turnover and clearing pores to reduce breakouts. It regulates skin growth and fights inflammation, though it may cause some mild peeling or stinging when you first start using it.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2022The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after your cleansing toner and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening keeps things simple and provides extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this cream with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this cream with vitamin C by applying your vitamin C in the morning and saving this retinol treatment for your evening routine. This approach helps you avoid overloading your skin while still getting the brightening and renewing benefits of both ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream is designed for your evening routine, where it works overnight as a treatment. You can use it daily since the formula is safe for your acne-prone skin and contains no harsh ingredients that may cause irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts since it has a safe formula with no harsh ingredients that could cause irritation. Retinol may cause some mild initial purging as it helps renew the skin, but reviewers rarely report breakouts.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is safe to use around the eyes and on the body, as its gentle ingredients are unlikely to cause irritation on thinner skin. While the formula provides great hydration and renewal benefits, you should test a small area first to ensure your skin tolerates it well.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and cetearyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical 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 application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical 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, 2005A 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, 2017The 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, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Retinol, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Dimethiconol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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
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