A month ago I announced that I was on the hunt for a budget friendly, quality retinol to build into my skincare routine. I have struggled in the past with the high price tag of retinols and then on top of that I never had the best experience either. They either dried out my skin so bad, had a terrible odor, or just didn’t seem to show results. All of that being said, I was still determined to find something that worked for me and my skin. I’m nearing 30 and starting to notice facial lines that weren’t there even a year ago. Who knew you started physically showing your age at just 27 years old? Not me!

Over the past month I started trying out each of the Olay Retinol24 products consisting of a night serum, moisturizer and eye cream (all super affordable) into my night time regimen and I’m excited to review them for you! The best part about these products is that unlike other retinols, these products are blended with a retinyl propionate. Retinyl propionate are small vitamin A molecules that work their way deep into your skin in order to plump and smooth while also nourishing the skin on top of that which is why these products don’t dry out your skin like most retinols on the market do. In fact, I have seen no irritation whatsoever since using the products even when using them for consecutive nights. 

Another big reason to love these products is that they work for up to 24 hours (hence the name), slowly working their way deep into your skin over the course of a day’s time. This is unlike other retinols that send an immediate, powerful dose of retinol all at once which usually leads to irritation and dryness. And probably the absolute biggest reason to really love these products is the price tag. I certainly know that it is a struggle to find a retinol that doesn’t break the bank. Well look no further because each of these products can be found at drugstore prices!

My favorite product out of the bunch is the Olay Retinol24 Night Moisturizer which comes as no surprise since I have loved several Olay Moisturizers over the years. This one has a silky smooth consistency that immediately absorbs into your skin and does not leave you feeling sticky or greasy whatsoever. The eye cream has a thicker consistency and is packed with a punch. A little goes a long way so although it is in a smaller jar, you get a lot of bang for your buck! Lastly the serum is a great way to add a retinol into your regimen if you already have a moisturizer that you love. It comes with an application dropper that makes it easy to work into your hands before applying or apply directly to your face and then pat into the skin. Take note that you should not use all of the products together. You can use the eye cream and moisturizer or the eye cream and serum but not the moisturizer and serum together. 

My overall review is that these products are legit! If you have struggled in the past to find an affordable retinol option or have experienced irritation in the past, I would highly recommend every one of these products. Since I already have a few serums that I can’t live without, I plan on continuing to use the Olay Retinol24 Eye Cream and Olay Retinol24 Moisturizer as these are two areas my skin desperately needs a retinol savior. Since both the serum and moisturizer are applied to the entire face, I would choose whichever one you are lacking in your current skincare routine.

Lastly, I know it can be confusing whenever you start working new products into your skincare routine and you might be wondering how and when to apply the different products. When it comes to the order of application of nighttime skincare products, this is the order in which I apply mine: cleanser, toner, eye cream, oils, serum, and lastly moisturizer. The way you want to apply skincare products is going to be from thinnest consistency to the thickest. This way the thinner products can penetrate deep into the skin while the thicker products usually sit on top of the skin. For ex: if you put a moisturizer on before an oil, the oil will not be able to absorb into the skin since the moisturizer is blocking it from penetrating deep into your pores. After all, if you are spending the money on skincare products, might as well be applying them right 🙂

 *Thank you Olay for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts an opinions are my own.*