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Avène vs Olay

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

Avène and Olay are two renowned skincare lines that offer distinct approaches to daily care. Avène is universally loved for its versatile moisturizers, reliable sunscreens, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers formulated with nourishing glycerin, while Olay is warmly loved for its targeted moisturizers, eye products, serums, and cleansers that thoughtfully pair niacinamide and glycerin. Both brands suit acne-prone skin best, though the French brand also suits oily acne-prone skin and the latter suits mature skin. They differ primarily in their heritage and key ingredient combinations, as the 1990 Fondation Pierre Fabre brand relies on glycerin to improve hydration and restore barrier function, whereas the other brand pairs niacinamide to improve wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin aging with glycerin for hydration and barrier support.

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Avène vs Olay products

People Say

AvèneOlay
  • Gentleness and Soothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
  • Texture and Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
  • Skin Smoothing and Anti-Aging Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
  • Brightening and Radiance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “skin looks brighter — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Removal Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “absorbs instantly — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “acts as primer — Olay Super Serum”
    • “concealer sits better — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “Remove a all of the makeup with ease. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Strong Fragrance and Scents Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “smell is too strong — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Fragrance can be an irritant — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “floral scent — Olay Super Serum”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Tube cracked on the side — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Cap leaks in bag — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “Good product bad packaging. — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
  • Product Ineffectiveness Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no difference — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “no difference after month — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “didn't work for me — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
    • “no difference — Olay Vitamin C Serum”

Avène vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Olay routine · £83.22 · 82% fitBuy Avène routine · £93.03 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Avène vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Avène routine · £170.97 · 86% fitBuy Olay routine · £195.17 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Avène vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Avène routine · £195.53 · 88% fitBuy Olay routine · £188.48 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Avène or Olay: which is better?

Olay is better for hydration, anti-aging, and texture, while Avène is better for gentleness and soothing. Both brands offer an equal routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot-prone skin, though Olay is superior for acne-prone skin and dry sensitive skin.

What is the difference between Avène and Olay?

Avene is generally better for gentleness and soothing, while Olay does better with texture, absorption, hydration, and anti-aging benefits. For dry sensitive skin, Olay has a High Lovi fit level compared to Avene's Average fit level.

Avène or Olay for dry skin?

Both Avène and Olay reach a High Lovi fit level for dry skin, offering strong hydration across their routines. Olay delivers intense hydration and smoothness through key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Avène focuses on gentle, soothing thermal water care.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Avène or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Avène does better for gentleness and soothing with its cleansers, while the products on this page for Olay offer more options like cleansing melts and scrubs. Reviewers frequently mention that Avène features gentle deep clean cleansers that help soothe irritation. Both brands have varied fit levels for cleansers depending on your skin type.

Which is more affordable, Avène or Olay?

Price point is a concern noted for Avène, while Olay is not highlighted for affordability issues on this page. Reviewers note the price point of Avène products.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Avène or Olay?

Olay has more fragrance-free products than Avène, with 26 out of 27 products on this page listing no fragrance. In comparison, Avène has 7 out of 15 products on this page with no fragrance.

Avène or Olay for oily skin?

Both Avène and Olay reach a High Lovi fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands offer suitable options like cleansers and lightweight moisturizers that help manage oil without heavy residue.

Avène or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Both Avène and Olay offer strong moisturizer options, with routine fit levels reaching High or Superior for both brands across various skin types. Olay tends to do better for intense hydration and anti-aging benefits, while Avène provides soothing care for sensitive skin.

Avène or Olay for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer a High routine fit on this page, but Avène does better for gentleness and soothing. Reviewers often note that Avène helps soothe irritation and features gentle, non-stripping sunscreens.

Avène or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens, Avène is the better choice on this page, as reviewers mostly mention its sunscreens as gentle and non-stripping. Olay features only one sunscreen option, the Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15, which has a low fit for most skin types.

Avène or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Olay is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior while Avène's is High.

Avène or Olay for mature skin?

Both Avène and Olay offer a High routine fit for mature skin. Olay does better for skin smoothing, anti-aging, and brightening on this page.

Avène or Olay for dry sensitive skin?

Olay is a better match for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates Olay's routine fit as High while Avène's routine fit is Average. Reviewers note that Olay products provide intense hydration and improved texture and smoothness.

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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