Fun fact: Olay is called Oil Of Olaz in Italy.
But the old lady images sticks all the way to the other side of the world. It’s a shame. Olay has some of the best moisturisers you can find at the drugstore.
Case in point: Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser.
What’s In Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturizer?
NIACINAMIDE
Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 that can do anything you want it to. Here are a few of its super powers:
- It hydrates skin: It’s more effective than petrolatum at preventing water loss
- It soothes skin: It alleviates the symptoms of rosacea and irritations
- It lightens skin: It reduces dark spots, blotchiness (redness) and sallowness (yellowing)
- It helps treat wrinkles: Preliminary research shows it can boost the production of skin-firming collagen
- It treats acne: Its effects are similar to those of 1% clindamycin gel
No matter your skin type or problems, it’s always a good idea to add Niacinamide to your skincare routine.
Related: The Complete Guide To Niacinamide: What It Is, What It Does, And How To Use It
ANTIOXIDANTS
Unlike most moisturisers at the drugstore, Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser has its fair share of antioxidants to help prevent premature aging. Here are the highlights:
- Green tea: A powerful antioxidant that protects skin from sun damage and soothes inflammation
- Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate: A stable Vitamin C derivative that fights free radicals and helps treat acne
- Vitamin E: It fights free radicals and hydrates skin.
Related: Is Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate The Best Vitamin C Derivative?
Texture
The texture is just right: not too lightweight and runny, but not thick and heavy either. It spreads easily and absorbs quickly into the skin.
Fragrance
Very subtle, clean scent that disappears quickly.
How To Use It
It’s the last step of your evening skincare routine. But you can use it in the morning, too.
Need help creating an anti-aging routine that really works? Sign up to the newsletter below to receive the “Anti-Aging Skincare Routine Cheatsheet” (it includes product recommendations, too!).
Performance & Personal Opinion
Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser is one of my fave night creams. It just works.
It does a wonderful job at moisturizing my skin, making it soft, smooth and a little bit brighter. It also makes my fine lines appear temporarily smaller.
When I wake up in the morning, my skin just looks better and healthier. It gives me that my skin-but-better look, if you know what I mean.
As for reducing age spots, I can’t vouch for that as I don’t have any – yet. But niacinamide has been scientifically proven to help with discolourations, so if your dark spots are new, this should help a little.
Are they old? You may want to add a more powerful skin-lightener, like arbutin or azelaic acid, to your skincare routine.
What I know for sure is that it doesn’t unsag skin and shrink pores. The big ones around my nose are still the same size.
Related: The Battle Of The Skin-Lighteners: What’s The Best Alternative To Hydroquinone?
Who Is This For?
Normal to dry skin.
Who Is This Not For?
Oily skin may find it a tad too rich.
Packaging
Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser comes in a light gold bottle with a pump applicator that dispenses just the right amount of product you need.
Does Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Reduces the appearance of wrinkles. | Yes. The key work here is “appearance”. It doesn’t promise to make wrinkles disappear. It only promises to make them look smaller. Any good moisturiser does this. |
| Moisturises. | Yes! |
| Evens skin tone. | Niacinamide can help fade away dark spots, especially if they’re new. |
| Refines look of pores. | There’s evidence Niaciamide can help with this, but this cream did nothing for my pores. |
| Smoothes the texture of the skin. | Yes. Again, any moisturizer does this. |
| Brightens. | Yes, niacinamide can reduce sallowness and brighten the complexion. |
| Helps to restore skin’s firmness. | Note it doesn’t promise to firm skin. It only promises to help (what?) firm skin. There’s nothing in here that can firm skin. |
| Exfoliates to enhance skin’s surface natural self-renewal process for healthier looking skin every morning. | There’s nothing here that can exfoliate skin. |
| Its non-greasy, fast absorbing formula will not clog the pores of the skin. | True. |
Price & Availability
$24.99/£14.99 at Feel Unique and Ulta
Do You Need It?
If you’re looking for an effective moisturiser that can moisturise, soothe, and prevent wrinkles without breaking the bank, Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser is definitely worth a try. It’s one of the best moisturisers at the drugstore.
Dupes & Alternatives
- CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($15.99)
- EltaMD PM Therapy Facial Moisturizer ($34.00)
Have you tried Olay Total Effects Night Firming Moisturiser? Share your experience in the comments below.
Ingredients
Aqua, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Laureth-7, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, C13-14 Alkane, 1.2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum, Benzyl Salicylate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 77891
Will try this after finished the Palmer brand night cream
Sherry, I’m sure you’ll like it. It’s the best night cream I have tried so far. 🙂
I’ll keep an eye out for this one since it’s affordable and performs fairly well though I won’t mind splurging for an amazing product.
Giorgia, is it okay to use body butters on the face? I’ve tried it with my cocoa butter from The Body Shop and I haven’t broken out.
Janessa, it is a wonderful cream and it just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a lot of money for skincare products as there are a lot which are effective and cheap. 🙂
I’m always weary of using Body Butters on the face because they are thick and I’m afraid they could cause breakouts, but if you tried it and didn’t get any adverse reaction at all, then I guess you can keep using it with no problems.
Okay, thanks! I haven’t been using them lately I was just curious and the body butter smelled soo good! Haha. I have several face creams to try now thanks to you. :]
Janessa, they all smell delicious indeed. And I hope you’ll like the face creams. 🙂
I’ll let you know, thanks! 😀
Wow I neverisopropyl ever knew isopropyl-palmitate breaks skin out – good to know! Now I know why I used to think this was the best Olay moisturizer they had. Btw, I have a question: would dimethicone, a silicone, also clog pores? I see this ingredient in a lot of facial moisturizers and even those which claim to be non-comodegenic…
Beauty Box, this is definitely one of the best moisturizers from Olay. And I’ve always found it weird that a lot of people malign ingredients that are perfectly fine and safe and not a word is said against Isopropyl Palmitate, which is very comedogenic and should be avoided by those with combination/oily/acne-prone skin.
Dimethicone, just like other silicones, is NOT comedogenic. However, it works by creating a protective barrier on the skin that traps moisture in, which is good because skin remains hydrated this way. However, if your skin is dirty or you use skincare products with comedogenic ingredients, then dimethicone will trap those in too and breakouts can occur. So, as long as you clean your face well and don’t use products with comedogenic ingredients such as Isopropyl Palmitate, you don’t have to worry about dimethicone breaking you out.
Thank you so much for answering my question! Your blog is def helping me read ingredients on beauty products.
You’re welcome and thanks. I’m glad that you find my blog helpful.
Thank you for a great review!! I got here browsing the net, and I sooo love your site!! I probably will spend all day here now 🙂
You mentioned that the US version of this cream is slightly different from the European one. What exactly are the differences, and which is the best in your opinion? I live in Europe, but might travel to the States soon and was wondering if it would be a good idea to buy some over there (but of course only if they are better for me =)
If you have any other tips about what to buy in the US, products that we don’t have in Europe or products that are better over there? I would be really happy if you would like to share some thoughts about that. Only if you have the time and want to 🙂
Thanks again for great reviews on a lot of products!!
Juliette
Juliette, hi! I’m glad you like my site and I hope to see you on here often. 🙂
I hope you will enjoy your trip to the US! As far as this cream is concerned, I prefer the EU version because it contains a slightly higher amounts of antioxidant. The difference is minimal though so you can purchase in the US if you find it costs less there than in Europe.
I’m not sure there are products that are better over there, but there are those that are cheaper. Although brands like MAC, Benefit, MUFE and Urban Decay are pricey in the US too, they still cost a lot less there than they do over here so if you want something from these brands, do stock up while you’re there. Also, check out Wet n Wild and Milani as they’ve come up with some great products lately.. Oh and visit Bath & Body Works.. They have bath, body and lip products in any scent you can think of..
If you have any further question, just ask. 🙂
In Belgium (Europ) is the price from this product 20 or 21 euro!
Marielle, ouch! That’s outrageous!
From what age would you recommend this creme? I am 27 and very interested in niaciamides because of the moisturizer properties.
Aigeni, I think now would be a good time to start. I started using niacinamide in my late 20s and I wish I had started earlier!
Thank you so much for answering. If I could ask one more question. I am new at reading ingredients and trying to understand what my skincare regime at this age should be and what ingredients should I look for? There is so much information out there and its so confusing. Is that a myth that if you start using anti aging creams too soon your skin will get used to it and later it wont work.?
Aigeni, you’re welcome. That’s just a myth. Antiaging creams can only prevent the signs of aging, so if you start using them only after wrinkles have already appeared, they won’t really do much at all.
The ingredients you should be looking for are niacinamide, antioxidants (can fight free radicals and prevent wrinkles), retinoids (the only ingredients proven to actually reduce wrinkles, but they work slowly) and glycolic acid (exfoliates skin).
Thx, just wanna let you know that I love your blog, cant stop reading it! 🙂
Aigeni, you’re welcome. And thank you. I’m so glad you like it. 🙂
I read many webs that said isopropyl isostearate is very comedogenic (level 5). Olay is the best moisturizer for me, it really works. But i have alot of blackheads because this moisturizer and i can’t find a better moisturizer with the same price. Im so confused.
Anna, I love Olay moisturizers but unfortunately they often contain comedogenic ingredients that can be problematic for oily or acne prone skin. Isopropyl Isostearate is one of them. Olay makes many moisturizers so if the brand works well for you, switch to one of those that don’t contain this ingredient, such as Complete All Day Moisturizer with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 or Total Effects Fragrance-Free Moisturizer With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15. Hope this helps.
I stopped using Olay because I saw more results with the Somaluxe Moisturizer in one week than I have seen in years of Olay. I am 44 and my skin has SOME wrinkles, and considerable discoloration from redness(no porcelian skin like when I was young). My skin is also extremely oily, prone to adult acne and I am beyond pale but otherwise think my skin has faired pretty I have become pretty skeptical of skin products and stuck with Olay.
After several days of using the Somaluxe Moisturizer – even the big crease between my eyes isn’t as deep, and the discoloration has lessened almost to the point I can go without foundation!
Loisk, thank you for sharing your experience. I didn’t know that cream and had to google it! I’m glad it is working so well for you, although I wish it didn’t come in a jar. I’m concerned that won’t keep the antioxidants stable and effective for long as they oxidize when exposed to light and air.
Hello.. i have to say that your review helps me to understand this product more.. i have been using this product for 5 days, together with the day cream and i have never been satisfied like this…its amazing.. specially here in Abu Dhabi where the weather can make your skin 5x more dry and damaged.. i have tried many creams that is suitable for my age, 24, and it never worked.. at all.. my skin was dry, ugly, uneven and the lines are starting to form..then i grabbed this product because it was on sale but i never expected its great results..
also your advice about the antioxidants are awesome.. i will do more research about it.. thanks!!!
Kei, glad you found my review and tips helpful. This really is an amazing cream, isn’t it? Too bad Olay is such an underrated brand.
it really is.. here in Abu Dhabi its always on sale but people are just passing by it because ladies here are used in going to salons for a treatment.. this product is much more good than the ones salon used.. now i dont have to use foundation because my skin looks better even in baby powder only..
I agree. I think Olay should revamp its image to shed the “old lady” vibe they emanate. Then maybe more people would try it and be amazed at what they’ve been missing out on.
i was also afraid to use it before because i thought its only for middle age ladies and not for my age but really, this is the best so far..
It’s for everyone, isn’t it? Yep, they do need to improve their marketing in that area.
I just got it today, can’t wait to see how it works for my skin 🙂
Let me know how it goes. 🙂