Olay Retinol24 for dry skin
Dimethicone
GlycerinWarning
- LowDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A poor match for dry skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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
- Extremely low suitability for your dry skin as dimethicone and dimethiconol provide emollient action but lack sufficient humectants like hyaluronic acid to adequately address dryness.
- While retinol and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 offer moderate anti-aging benefits and glycerin provides hydration, the formula does not sufficiently target your dry or flaky skin concerns.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 5.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently report waking up to noticeably smoother and softer skin, with many praising the product's ability to hydrate without feeling heavy or greasy. While effective for brightening dullness and reducing fine lines over time, some users with sensitive skin experienced initial irritation or breakouts typical of retinol products.
Highlights
Smoother skin Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels baby soft”
- “woke up to smoother skin”
- “texture is silky smooth”
- “face feels like velvet”
Deep hydration Often Mentioned
- “very hydrating”
- “no dryness at all”
- “skin feels plump”
- “great moisture barrier”
Lightweight feel Often Mentioned
- “absorbs instantly”
- “no greasy residue”
- “lightweight formula”
- “doesn't feel heavy”
Brightening effect Sometimes Noted
- “skin looks brighter”
- “glowy in the morning”
- “helped with dullness”
- “complexion looks more even”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “love that it's fragrance-free”
- “no strong smell”
- “great for sensitive noses”
- “zero scent is a plus”
Initial breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “caused cystic acne”
- “broke me out bad”
- “skin started purging”
- “clogged my pores”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “hate the jar”
- “wish it was a pump”
- “unsanitary packaging”
- “exposed to air”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “burned my skin”
- “red and itchy”
- “stinging sensation”
- “too harsh for me”
Slow results Rarely Noted
- “didn't see a difference”
- “no change in wrinkles”
- “takes months to work”
- “expected faster results”
Unpleasant smell Rarely Noted
- “smells like plastic”
- “weird chemical smell”
- “scent is off-putting”
- “smells like glue”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, ulta.com, olay.com, amazon.com, goodhousekeeping.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why does Lovi advise against Olay Retinol24 for dry skin?
Lovi advises against this moisturizing treatment for your dry skin because it lacks sufficient moisture-holding ingredients like hyaluronic acid to properly handle dryness. To care for dry skin, a product of this type needs strong hydrating ingredients such as various forms of hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and nourishing extracts to deeply boost moisture retention and support the skin barrier.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for dry skin?
This cream is a poor fit for dry skin because dimethicone and dimethiconol provide a smoothing feel but lack enough moisture-attracting ingredients like hyaluronic acid to truly fix dryness. A good moisturizer for dry skin needs powerful moisture-binding ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and nourishing extracts to deeply hydrate and protect the skin barrier.
What does Water do for dry skin?
Drinking more water helps increase skin hydration and may reduce clinical signs of dryness and roughness, particularly for individuals with lower prior water consumption.
What does Dimethicone do for dry skin?
Dimethicone helps protect dry skin and keeps it smooth by forming a gentle, breathable layer on top. It is unlikely to lock in moisture on its own as well as heavy protectants like petrolatum, so dry skin often needs formulas that combine dimethicone with hydrating ingredients like glycerin.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2005Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine before your moisturizer, but it is a poor match for dry skin because it lacks enough deep hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid to soothe flaking. Dry skin needs a rich moisturizer packed with moisture-locking ingredients and humectants to truly stay soft and smooth.
Can I use this cream with vitamin C, and in what order?
This cream is a poor match for dry skin and may not provide enough hydration, leaving skin flaky. To properly care for dry skin, a product of this type needs rich moisturizers like ceramides and extra hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.
How often should I use it?
This product is a poor match for dry skin because it lacks enough water-attracting ingredients to properly address your dryness. A product for this skin needs rich hydrating ingredients and moisture-locking barriers to keep skin soft and smooth.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream may cause initial breakouts for some users. A product of this type needs rich hydrators like hyaluronic acid to adequately address dry skin.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This product may be too harsh for the delicate skin around the eyes and is generally not ideal for treating dry body skin because it lacks sufficient moisture-binding ingredients like hyaluronic acid. A product of this type needs rich hydrators and stronger moisture-locking ingredients to properly soften and smooth dry or flaky areas.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Petrolatum-based skin protectants demonstrated protection against irritants and maceration while providing skin hydration, whereas dimethicone and zinc oxide products showed varying or limited performance across parameters among 18 healthy volunteers compared to positive and negative controls.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2005Topical 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 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, 2017Wearing 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, 2024A 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, 2000Treatment 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, 2007A 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, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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