Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum for mature skin

Ascorbic Acid
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Niacinamide
Lactic Acid
Glycerin
High
- SuperiorNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for mature skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. 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
- Excellent suitability for your normal skin is provided by Glycerin and Panthenol for humectant action and Niacinamide for barrier repair and anti-inflammatory action.
- The serum offers excellent brightening and smoothing texture due to the presence of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Lactic Acid, which even skin tone and improve skin texture.
- It also addresses wrinkles and fine lines effectively through Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, supporting collagen production and antioxidant protection.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your normal skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing ingredients like Niacinamide and Panthenol.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week, and work up to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply this serum after your toner and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- You can apply the serum on dry skin for the best results against fine lines.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the sensitive eye area.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 1.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dull, dry, or uneven skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to visibly brighten the complexion and smooth skin texture. Many report hydrated and glowing skin within weeks, though results for fading deep dark spots and hyperpigmentation are mixed and often require consistent long-term use.
Highlights
Lightweight & non-greasy Mostly Mentioned
- “absorbs quickly”
- “no sticky residue”
- “works under makeup”
- “silky texture”
Brightens complexion Often Mentioned
- “skin looks brighter”
- “healthy glow”
- “radiant look”
- “less dullness”
Pleasant scent Often Mentioned
- “smells like citrus”
- “refreshing scent”
- “light orange smell”
- “yummy fragrance”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “no irritation”
- “good for sensitive skin”
- “didn't break me out”
- “gentle vitamin C”
Hydrating Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels soft”
- “moisturizing”
- “plumps fine lines”
- “dewy finish”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “perfume is strong”
- “smells like hand soap”
- “scent lingers”
- “irritating fragrance”
Not cruelty-free Rarely Noted
- “tests on animals”
- “not cruelty-free”
- “wish it was vegan”
Packaging/value Rarely Noted
- “bottle runs out fast”
- “pump issues”
- “expensive for size”
- “hard to see amount left”
Slow results Rarely Noted
- “no difference yet”
- “dark spots didn't fade”
- “took months to work”
- “average results”
Sticky texture Rarely Noted
- “leaves sticky film”
- “tacky finish”
- “feels heavy”
- “slightly gooey”
Sources: lovi.care, walmart.com, ulta.com, olay.com, skinsort.com, youtube.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Olay Vitamin C + Peptide 24 Brightening Serum a great fit for mature skin?
This serum is a great fit because Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, and Lactic Acid help smooth texture, brighten your complexion, and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It also keeps your skin feeling soft and calm with Glycerin, Panthenol, and Niacinamide, which help lock in moisture and soothe the skin.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for mature skin?
This serum is a great fit for mature skin because Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Niacinamide, and Lactic Acid help brighten the skin, smooth out texture, and reduce wrinkles. It also includes Glycerin and Panthenol, which draw in moisture to keep the skin soft.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Vitamin C do for mature skin?
Vitamin C helps mature skin by smoothing out wrinkles, brightening dark spots, and boosting firmness. It works by encouraging collagen production to keep skin looking youthful and radiant.
What does Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 do for mature skin?
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 helps smooth out fine lines and wrinkles on mature skin. Using it regularly supports firmness by helping boost collagen production.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This serum goes in your evening routine as a treatment step after cleansing and toning, and before your moisturizer. Using it at night helps avoid sun sensitivity while delivering active ingredients like vitamin C and peptides to smooth texture and address fine lines.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying this treatment first and following with your retinol product, or by using this serum in the morning and your retinol at night. Using them together helps smooth texture and soften fine lines, though combining potent ingredients may occasionally cause mild dryness or irritation depending on your skin type.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
How often should I use this serum?
This serum fits your mature skin very well and is used in the evening routine, starting once a week to see how your skin feels before possibly using it more often. It helps smooth texture, brighten tone, and soften fine lines safely with antioxidants and peptides.
Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because it is free of heavy, pore-clogging ingredients. It may cause mild purging when you first start using it due to the lactic acid helping to renew skin cells.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide (pal-KTTKS) provided significant improvement versus placebo control in the reduction of wrinkles and fine lines in Caucasian female subjects.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2005Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Topical application of 5% vitamin C cream significantly improved global clinical scores, increased skin microrelief density, and induced elastic tissue repair in photoaged skin compared to excipient control in healthy female volunteers.
Experimental Dermatology, 2003Ascorbic acid 2-glucoside gel significantly reduced gingival melanin pigmentation after 4 weeks compared to placebo in 73 subjects with symmetric pigmentation.
Journal of Periodontology, 2009Topical application of VC-IP cream twice daily for 8 weeks reduces periorbital wrinkles in female subjects compared to a placebo cream.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Topical 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, 2005Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A 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, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Trehalose, Peg-11 Methyl Ether Dimethicone, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Benzoate
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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