Anyone who has walked down the skin care aisle of a drug store is familiar with Olay. This multi-billion dollar brand produces hundreds of different beauty products, which can make it pretty daunting to choose a product to fit your specific needs. To help with this issue, below we are reviewing the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. This cream outperformed 10 competitors, even a prestige brand that costs $440, in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab’s clinical and blinded consumer studies. Keep reading below to learn more about the formulation behind the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and whether or not this product is right for you.

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What’s Inside Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream?

Here’s a closer look at the active ingredients commonly used in Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream. Niacinamide, peptides, and hyaluronic acid make up the core ingredients in this Olay moisturizer. These ingredients should all be part of your skincare routine.

Niacinamide
One ingredient that Olay loves to include in their formulations is niacinamide. Niacinamide is the amide form of vitamin B3 (niacin) that provides many benefits to the skin.

For instance, a publication in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, states that niacinamide can repair the skin barrier and improve skin moisture, as well as reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, excess sebum, and wrinkling.

Niacinamide is also an antioxidant that helps the skin combat free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.

We recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum because it combines niacinamide with seven plant-based neuropeptides and soothing, brightening botanicals to promote a youthful glow. 

Peptides
As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness. 

While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.

This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size. 

Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream contains palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, or what the brand calls an “amino peptide”.

Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a matrikine, a messenger peptide that regulates cell activities through cell signaling. For example, when the collagen protein is degraded, matrikines send signals to fibroblasts to produce new collagen.

Since matrikines have the ability to increase the production of collagen, elastin, and other macromolecules in the ECM, synthetic peptides like palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 have been created to mimic these effects.

If you’re looking for a peptide serum, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin. It also has skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.

Sodium Hyaluronate
The final key ingredient that we’d like to highlight in Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream is sodium hyaluronate, the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid. 

Once applied to the skin, sodium hyaluronate provides the same benefits of hyaluronic acid. Those benefits include improved skin hydration, as well as a more plump complexion with fewer lines and wrinkles.

What is it?

The Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is an anti-aging moisturizing formula that is said to penetrate deep into the skin’s surface in order to improve texture and elasticity. Olay claims that users will be able to see visible wrinkle results starting on day one, and that over time their formula will regenerate surface cells to help “take years off your skin age”.

Who is it for?

The Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is for those in need of a hydrating moisturizer that will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is ideal if your skin is lacking hydration as there are multiple ingredients in this cream that help the skin to retain moisture.

However, the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream may not be right for you if you are searching for a daytime moisturizer to wear underneath makeup. According to multiple reviews on the Olay website, this cream does not absorb well into the skin and makes it very difficult to apply foundation afterwards. It seems as though Olay’s claim that this formula “penetrates deep into the skin’s surface” may not be accurate.

Related: Best Wrinkle Creams

How to use

After cleansing, smooth Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream evenly over your entire face and neck morning and night.

Reviews

The Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream has received an impressive 23,344 reviews on the Olay website. Out of all these reviews, the Micro-Sculpting Cream averages 3.87 out of 5 stars. The majority of reviews confirm that this product does help to soften and moisturize skin. Those that love this cream notice how well it hydrates the skin. One review went as far to say that once it was applied “it was as if though my skin literally drank it.”

The negative reviews for this Olay product state that the cream can roll up when applied and it is difficult to apply foundation afterwards. Others note that the fragrance is very strong. Fortunately, Olay does make this exact formula in a fragrance free version for those that are bothered by strong smells.

In sum, the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is a hydrating moisturizer infused with ingredients that can help to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, this product may not be suitable for those that intend to apply foundation on top of the moisturizer.

What are Some Alternatives to Olay Regenerist Skincare?

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend this cream.