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Olay Retinol 24 Night Serum for combination skin

Olay Retinol 24 Night Serum

High

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for combination skin; a few serums fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 moderate anti-aging benefits for your combination skin, as retinol and retinyl propionate work to minimize fine lines and wrinkles without exacerbating oiliness.
  • Niacinamide provides additional skin-renewing effects, supporting overall skin health.
  • The formulation is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
  • Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
  • Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Users consistently praise this serum for its gentle, non-drying formula that leaves skin feeling silky and hydrated, making it an excellent choice for retinol beginners. While many report noticeably smoother texture and a brighter complexion, some users note that deep wrinkle reduction takes significant time and the product can pill if layered incorrectly.

Highlights

  • Gentle & non-irritating Mostly Mentioned
    • “virtually no irritation”
    • “no redness or peeling”
    • “great for sensitive skin”
  • Smoother skin texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft and smooth”
    • “improved skin texture”
    • “leaves face silky”
  • Hydrating formula Often Mentioned
    • “hydrates for 24 hours”
    • “non-drying”
    • “leaves skin plump”
  • Lightweight absorption Often Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly”
    • “lightweight texture”
    • “no sticky residue”
  • Brightening effect Sometimes Noted
    • “lovely glow”
    • “brighter complexion”
    • “woke up radiant”
  • Product pilling Sometimes Noted
    • “pilling really bad”
    • “rolls off in chunks”
    • “clumps under moisturizer”
  • Slow results Sometimes Noted
    • “no immediate results”
    • “hard to see drastic difference”
    • “takes months to work”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “dropper is unpredictable”
    • “hard to dispense”
    • “don't like the bottle”
  • Price point Rarely Noted
    • “price is steep”
    • “expensive for drugstore”
    • “wait for a sale”
  • Sticky residue Rarely Noted
    • “slightly sticky finish”
    • “felt a film”
    • “tacky after application”

Sources: lovi.care, chemistwarehouse.com.au, sayso.com.au, byrdie.com, walmart.com, target.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Olay Retinol 24 a great fit for combination skin?

Olay Retinol 24 Night Serum is a great fit for combination skin because retinol and retinyl propionate help smooth fine lines without making oily areas worse. Niacinamide and peptides also support overall skin health, and the formula is unlikely to cause irritation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?

Retinol and retinyl propionate make this serum a great fit by helping minimize fine lines without making your skin oily, while niacinamide supports overall skin health. It is also formulated safely without harsh ingredients, making it unlikely to cause irritation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010

What does Retinol do for combination skin?

Retinol helps smooth fine lines, even out skin tone, and improve firmness in combination skin. It works by encouraging faster skin renewal and boosting collagen, though it may occasionally cause mild dryness or scaling while your skin adjusts.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?

Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?

This serum goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, to keep things simple and safe around sun exposure. It is unlikely to irritate your combination skin and helps smooth out fine lines without making you oily.

Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?

You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying your vitamin C product in the morning and this retinol serum at night. This routine lets you get the smoothing benefits of both ingredients safely while keeping your skin calm.

How often should I use this serum?

Apply this treatment in the evening as part of your nighttime routine. It helps minimize fine lines and smooth texture on combination skin while being safe to use regularly.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?

This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on combination skin because its gentle formulation avoids harsh ingredients and heavy oils. You may experience mild initial purging as the retinol helps renew your skin cells, but it is formulated to smooth fine lines without making your skin feel oily.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).

What the research says

  • Topical 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, 2019
  • A cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate regimen significantly improved periorbital wrinkle appearance relative to a 0.02% tretinoin regimen at 8 weeks with comparable benefits at 24 weeks, while demonstrating significantly better tolerability in 196 women.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 2010
  • Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002
  • Topical 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, 2021
  • 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, 2017
  • Silicone 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, 2018
  • Topical stabilized retinol treatment induced HAS gene expression and increased hyaluronic acid production in human skin in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo compared to vehicle.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017
  • Topical 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, 2008
  • Topical 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, 2005
  • Topical 2% niacinamide significantly decreased sebum excretion rate in Japanese individuals and casual sebum levels in Caucasian individuals compared to placebo or baseline.

    Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006
  • A 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, 2017
  • The 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, 2020
  • Ten 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
  • Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.

    Military Medicine, 2024
  • A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.

    Skin Research and Technology, 2000
  • Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.

    Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007

Ingredients

Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Retinyl Propionate, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Retinol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Bht, Butylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-4, Laureth-7, Disodium Edta, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Peg-100 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Tin Oxide, C13-14 Alkane, Dmdm Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Benzyl Alcohol

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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How does it fit your skin?

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