Olay and L’Oreal are two skincare giants that dominate store shelves. They also have products in hair care, cosmetics, and anti-aging. Which product is best for you?
Olay outperforms other brands in moisturizing, while L’Oreal makes high-quality cosmetics. If you are looking for body washes and lotions Olay is the better choice. If you are interested in cosmetics, hair care, or anti-aging products L’Oreal may be better. But let’s go into details, continue reading to learn all you need to know.
What are the Main Differences Between Olay and Loreal?
The main differences between Olay and L’Oreal are the products they offer. Olay focuses on body washes, moisturizers, and lotions. L’Oreal has a variety of hair care, cosmetics, and some skincare products. Both have long-standing and trusted reputations. Let’s look at each individually below:
Olay
Olay is the skincare line owned by Proctor and Gamble. Because its’ parent company already has a comprehensive hair care brand, Olay rarely enters that arena. Instead, it makes effective moisturizers, body washes, face creams, and other skin care.
What Products Does Olay Offer?
Olay offers a range of products, but their most successful is the Regenerist line. This line has a product in each category, and when used together claims to dramatically improve the overall appearance of skin. Most of Olay’s products are face creams, eye creams, and antiaging products.
Face Moisturizers 
The Olay Regenerist line has several face moisturizers, but the most popular is their formulation with Vitamin C and peptides. This product, called the Olay Regenerist 24 hr. Face Brightener, is a tub cream meant to be applied daily.
Eye Creams
Olay Eyes, Ultimate Eye Cream is a daily cream designed to improve the overall appearance of the skin around the eyes. It reduces puffiness, under eye bags, as well as helping to prevent crows’ feet.
Serums and Treatments
Olay’s Serums and Treatments tend to have similar functions to their creams, without the heavy formula. For instance, Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum shares many of the same properties of the Olay Regenerist Face Moisturizers, but instead comes in a lightweight gel format.
Skin and Face Cleansers, Washes, and Scrubs
Olay also has a significant face line, with the most prominent being the Regenerist products. This line has a facial cleanser which outperforms most competitors in gentle cleansing. You can also get the original facial cleanser from Olay the Age Defying Cleanser which moisturizers, cleans, and removes makeup.
Soaps, Body Wash, and Body Lotions
Olay is less widely known for its body washes and body lotions, but these products are no less effective than their other skincare products. Olay’s most popular body wash is the Fresh Outlast line, which claims to provide long lasting fresh scent. It comes in a variety of scents, and bottle sizes. Most notably is the inclusion of vitamin B3 along with more traditional moisturizers.
The highest rated body lotion from Olay is the Ultra Moisture In Shower Body Lotion.
L’Oreal Group
The L’Oreal Group is one of the largest cosmetics companies in the world, with 36 different brands under their umbrella. It was founded in 1909 by Eugène Schueller, a French Chemist. L’Oreal’s first products were hair dyes sold to Parisian Hair Salons, and hair dye still makes up a significant portion of their product base. However, their modern offerings go beyond simply hair dye.
What Products Does L’Oreal Offer?
Some of L’Oreal’s most popular brands include L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, NYX, Maybelline, and their professional brands like Luxe. Let’s talk about the top products from each.
L’Oreal Paris
L’Oreal Paris is the oldest brand in the L’Oreal Group, and it is also one of the most influential. Their tagline “because I’m worth it” appeals to millions of consumers every year. Among the most successful of their products are L’Oreal Revitalift, L’Oreal Collagen Face Moisturizer, L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara, L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation, and L’Oréal Paris Wonder Water. However, they also have many other products including shampoo, conditioner, and hair dye.
Garnier
Garnier’s products are more well known for their haircare, with a line of highly popular shampoos and conditioners. The line focuses on ecofriendly, vegan products. The most popular of these is the Garnier Fructis system. This formula is vegan and paraben free. They also have a highly successful line of hair styling products, which includes the Garnier Sleek and Shine Serum.
Other Popular Consumer L’Oreal Brands:
- NYX Professional Makeup
- Maybelline New York
- Stylenanda
- Dark & Lovely
- Essie
- Mixa
- Niely
- Magic Mask
In addition to all these consumer market brands, they also offer a range of professional grade products. Some of these brands include L’Oréal Professional Paris, Kérastase, Pureology, Luxe, and Pulp Riot
Comparison Questions:
Is Olay Regenerist or L’Oreal Revitalift Face Moisturizer Better?
Most reviews stand behind L’Oreal Revitalift over Olay Regenerist. However, this is mostly due to Olay’s longer usage time before seeing results. For a consistent daily skincare routine both brands may work for you – depending on your skin type. Olay’s products tend to be formulated for dry skin while L’Oreal has very good products for oily skin.
Does Olay or L’Oreal Have Better Serums?
L’Oreal and Olay both have very solid skincare serums. However, your mileage will vary depending on skin type. If your concern is dry skin, then try Olay. If you are concerned about aging or sun protection, try L’Oreal.
Does Olay or L’Oreal Have Better Eye Cream?
In my research I did not see a true eye cream from L’Oreal. They have several eye serums and eye rollers, but no traditional creams. For a traditional eye cream, I would go with Olay.
Who Provides More Product Options, Olay or L’Oreal?
Due to the sheer number of brands under their umbrella, L’Oreal has a massive range of products. Olay is a more focused brand, since their parent company Proctor and Gamble has a different haircare line. If you so desired, you could meet any and every beauty need for your entire lifetime without leaving the L’Oreal Group of products.
Is Olay or L’Oreal Better for Anti Aging?
Due to Olay’s focus on moisturizers and vitamin rich formulas, their products will be more successful at preventing aging over time. This is not to say that L’Oreal’s antiaging products are bad, they just tend to focus on immediate spot improvement rather than long term preventative measures.
Is Olay or L’Oreal More Affordable?
This will depend on which brand in the L’Oreal group you are comparing to Olay, but generally Olay is the cheaper option. It also outperforms many expensive skin care brands, so you know you’re getting the bang for your buck.
Do Olay or L’Oreal Products Last Longer?
Unfortunately, both brands have similar shelf life. It is very important to replace your cosmetics products often (especially wet products) to prevent the growth of damaging bacteria and fungus. The general rule of thumb is a couple months for wet products while dry products might last for a couple years. If used according to the directions, including expiration dates, you are much less likely to experience acne and eye infections while using facial products.
Are Both Cruelty Free?
Because both brands sell to countries like mainland China, where animal testing is mandated, neither is truly cruelty free. According to both, neither Olay or L’Oreal personally test on animals, nor do their suppliers. All animal testing is done by third parties with the company’s permission postproduction. Olay in particular claims to be fighting to get laws changed regarding mandatory animal testing, but how true this is, or whether it makes up for their participation is debatable.
Which is the More Environmentally Friendly Option?
Olay is generally not a terrible brand as far as the environment, but the L’Oreal group has brands that are better. Included in these is Garnier, whose whole mission is eco-friendly beauty products.
The Verdict – Who Has the Better Skin Care?
Despite both brands having very strong reputations for excellent skincare, I would typically choose Olay. It is more cost-effective and moisturizes among the best of any facial cremes on the market. L’Oreal’s skin products simply don’t compare, maybe because L’Oreal has its fingers in so many pies. I would say that L’Oreal has superior makeup products, and that they have better hair products simply because Olay doesn’t sell hair care.
Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.