PRODUCT REVIEW
Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer
It is called Collagen Peptide 24 and contains no collagen. Collagen cannot get into skin anyway.
Key facts
Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer at a glance.
Niacinamide + palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
Key active
Cream
Texture
Everyday hydration; fine lines
Best for
$25–29
Approximate price
Fragrance free
Fragrance
1.7 oz
Size
$39.99
Price
Moisturizer
Type
What is it?
Top things to know about Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer
- Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer is a whipped, fragrance-free face cream in a jar, around $30. It is a daily moisturizer with two added ingredients, and despite the name it contains no collagen at all.
- Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is the third ingredient — high placement, and the best thing in the jar. Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, better known as Matrixyl, is the peptide. Glycerin pulls water into the surface; dimethicone gives the slip and soft-focus finish. Titanium dioxide, a white pigment, produces the instant brightening. It washes off.
This cream contains no collagen, and could not work if it did — the outer layer blocks molecules above roughly 500 daltons, and collagen is about 300,000. What you get is niacinamide, third on the list and well evidenced for barrier and pigment. Buy it for that. For wrinkles, use a retinoid.
— Dr. Schwarz
Skin fit
Is it right for your skin?
Normal Skin
A good plain daily moisturizer. Glycerin pulls water into the outer cells, dimethicone slows it evaporating, and the whipped texture disappears under sunscreen or makeup. It is fragrance-free, unusual in this line.
Hyperpigmentation
Niacinamide sits third in the formula. It interrupts the handover of pigment packets from pigment cells to the surface cells that carry them up — one of the better supported claims in skincare, and the strongest reason to buy this cream. Olay does not disclose the concentration, so expect slow, gradual change.
Sun Damage
Lines and rough texture come from collagen breaking down deeper in the skin, and this cream cannot rebuild that. Molecules above roughly 500 daltons do not cross the outer layer; collagen is about 300,000. The peptide it does contain is one of the better studied, but peptides are weakly evidenced next to retinoids.
Texture
What it feels like on skin.
Cream
It is a light whipped cream that spreads far and absorbs cleanly. It leaves a smooth, slightly matte finish that sunscreen and makeup sit on well. It is fragrance-free. Scoop it with clean hands, since it is a jar.
Alternatives
If this isn’t the right product for you
Cosrx Peptide Serum
Also led by niacinamide, fragrance-free, about $20 for 150 ml. Better value if niacinamide is why you are buying.
Naturium Multi-Peptide Moisturizer
About $20 for 1.7 oz, fragrance-free, and lighter. A fair swap if this cream feels too rich.
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
A nice fragrance-free cream, but $68 for 50 ml, and recalled in 2024 for bacterial contamination. The evidence is no better.
Ingredients · Interactive
What’s in it, and where each ingredient works.
Full ingredient list · 29 ingredients, in label order. Click one.
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
A fatty alcohol that softens skin and thickens the product. Despite the name, it is not drying.
Another fatty alcohol. It softens skin and gives the product body.
Binds minerals in the water so the preservative works better and the formula stays stable.
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
How to use it
How to use it.
How to apply it
- How muchA pea-sized amount for the face. Whipped, so it goes further than it looks.
What to expect
- What to expectSkin feels hydrated immediately. Niacinamide works on tone slowly, over months. The day-one brightening is titanium dioxide, a white pigment, and it washes off.
Questions
Common questions.
Does Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer contain collagen?
No — none of any kind, despite the name.
Would collagen work if Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer actually contained it?
No. Collagen is far too large to cross the outer layer.
What is the best ingredient in Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer?
Niacinamide, high on the list and well evidenced.
Is Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer fragrance-free?
Yes, unlike much of Olay's line.
What is the "instant brightening" in Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Moisturizer?
Titanium dioxide, a white pigment. It washes off.
References
Sources.
- 1. Niacinamide - Mechanisms of Action and Its Topical Use in Dermatology (https://karger.com/spp/article-abstract/27/6/311/295788/Niacinamide-Mechanisms-of-Action-and-Its-Topical) — Supports the claim that topical niacinamide has genuine evidence for barrier function (increases ceramide biosynthesis/epidermal permeability barrier), pigmentation (lightening via suppressed melanosome transfer) and oil control (sebostatic effect). Link
- 2. Double-blind, Randomized Trial on the Effectiveness of Acetylhexapeptide-3 Cream and Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 Cream for Crow's Feet (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36909866/) — Supports that palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 is a studied anti-aging peptide, showing better results than acetylhexapeptide-3 and placebo for crow's feet in a double-blind randomized trial. Link
- 3. Boosting Cosmeceutical Peptides: Coupling Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids to Pentapeptide-4 Originates New Leads with Antimicrobial and Collagenesis-Inducing Activities (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35950860/) — Confirms that the N-palmitoyl derivative of pentapeptide-4 (KTTKS) is the cosmeceutical ingredient known as Matrixyl and that it induces collagen synthesis. Link