Olay vs Clinique (The Definitive Guide)

We're positive you've seen Olay and Clinique on the shelves at your local beauty store before. But which is best? And which brand should you choose?

Come with us as we compare their best-sellers side-by-side to help you decide which is best for you and your skincare routine.

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Olay vs Clinique

While skincare and anti-aging fanatics know that having an effective moisturizer in your lineup is crucial, it’s just as important to have a quality eye cream.

Since the skin around our eyes is thinner and much more delicate than the rest of our face, this area tends to need a formula that’s thicker and more potent, formula-wise.

So, wouldn’t it be great to find a brand with an unbeatable moisturizer and eye cream duo? Well, we’ve chosen two for your consideration: Olay’s Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream and Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide 24 eye gel cream as well as Clinique’s Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator and All About Eyes eye cream.

Olay’s Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream aims to penetrate the skin’s surface for intense hydration and improved skin texture. Ingredients like Vitamin B3, hyaluronic acid, and Amino Peptides ultimately optimize surface cell renewal for drastic results in just 28 days. Further, Olay’s fragrance-free Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 is made with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptides to plump and smooth the skin around the eyes. The Regenerist moisturizer has a 3.9-star rating and a whopping 23,369 reviews, while the eye cream has earned 4.6 stars and 1,216 reviews.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge 100H is an oil-free formula that locks in hydration for up to 100 hours for a plumper, dewier appearance. This is thanks to aloe bio-ferment and hyaluronic acid, which aid in moisture retention for the skin’s surface. All About Eyes is a lightweight eye cream that corrects the appearance of crepe-y, puffy eyes with undereye circles. Its results can be attributed to components like mulberry root extract, caffeine, and green tea extract—to name a few. Clinique’s moisturizer has a 4.6-star rating with 2,340 reviews and the eye cream has the same rating with 2,482 reviews.

In terms of pricing, Olay’s moisturizer is $27.49 for a 1.7oz jar and the eye cream is $29.99 for 0.5oz. Clinique’s moisturizer is $44 for 1.7oz, while the eye cream is $37 for 0.5oz.

Takeaways: Olay is much cheaper, but Clinique has slightly better ratings. Ah, decisions, decisions. Perhaps delving into the business ethics for each will clear this up…

According to Ethical Elephant, Olay does not appear to be cruelty-free or 100% vegan. Evidently, they allow their products or ingredients to be tested on animals when required by law (including when selling in stores in mainland China). Their parent company, Proctor & Gamble, also does not explicitly say they are cruelty-free.

However, Olay claims to support the Humane Society’s #BeCrueltyFree campaign to ban animal testing by 2023. Moreover, their philanthropic efforts are quite impressive. They’ve committed $5 million to #TakeOnRace, which supports organizations fighting systemic bias and inequality. Regarding eco-friendly actions, they began experimenting with refillable packaging back in 2019 in the United Kingdom, but it appears this practice didn’t extend to the United States and it’s unclear if they’re still working towards refillables.

Clinique is not cruelty-free but may offer some vegan formulas. However, their sustainability initiatives and charity work are extensive. They and their parent company, Estee Lauder, are working towards having 100% of their secondary packaging be Forest Stewardship Council certified; having 75% of their packaging be recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled, or recoverable; and they’re increasing the amount of post-consumer recycled material in their packaging to 25% or more—all by 2025.

Moreover, they also fund a wind farm in Bulgaria, a clean water filter project in Cambodia, and a tree-planting initiative in Uruguay. Additionally, The Clinique Difference was created to offer support to women and girls seeking education in countries where it’s not advocated for, as well as organizations that aid in medical research, childcare, and offering corrective solutions to children with facial abnormalities.

It's unfortunate that both brands allow animal testing, but it appears Clinique’s philanthropic and sustainable efforts make them worth the extra money.