Super Serum is a hydrating and firming serum sold by cosmetic giant Olay. The brand claims that their product has "5 Luxury Serum Benefits In 1," referring to skin texture, tone, firmness, anti-wrinkle activity and hydration.
But does Olay Super Serum contain ingredients proven to enhance skin quality? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Is it overpriced compared to similar products? And is Olay Super Serum better or worse than other popular multi-action facial serums like Total Package Serum?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Olay Super Serum to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective for improving skin quality, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also compare the product to similar products on a per-ounce basis to give our take on whether it's overpriced, and compare Olay's formulation to other popular multi-action facial serums to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains anti-aging active ingredients
- Contains fragrance
- We do not currently recommend Olay Super Serum
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Olay Super Serum are shown below:
This serum does contain some research-backed active ingredients.
Glycerin is clinically shown to increase skin hydration.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that's been shown in clinical studies to have an anti-aging effect, as we discussed in our OneSkin reviews article.
Lactic acid increased skin firmness and smoothness when applied topically, in a clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of a compound called hyaluronic acid, which was described as possessing “remarkable anti-wrinkle...anti-aging, space-filling, and face rejuvenating properties” in a 2018 medical review.
Titanium dioxide is a "physical" sunscreen ingredient, which suggests that this serum may have UV-protective effects.
There is only one inactive ingredient in this formulation that we consider to be questionable from a health perspective.
Fragrance was described in a medical review published in the Medical Hypotheses journal as a “pervasive health risk.”
Overall, we consider Olay Super Serum likely to hydrate the skin, to have an anti-aging effect and to protect the skin from UV damage.
From an efficacy perspective, this is a high-quality formulation.
We don't currently recommend this product due to the use of fragrance.
Is Olay Super Serum Overpriced?
We compare prices of cosmetic products per-ounce to standardize and allow for a fair comparison.
Here's a price breakdown per-ounce of Olay Super Serum and other serums from major cosmetic retailers, at the time of updating this article:
Plexaderm Rapid Reduction Serum: $180
Naked & Thriving Renew Serum: $68
Olay Super Serum: $46.65
CeraVe Retinol Serum: $21.99
Olay's serum is relatively affordable for a major cosmetic retailer.
As often is the case, CeraVe overperforms on price.
Olay Super Serum vs. Popular Multi-Action Serums
Here's how Olay Super Serum compares to other popular serums that advertise multi-action effects (hydration, anti-aging, etc), in our opinion:
SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Ferulic acid is clinically shown to enhance skin hydration, and this product also contains two anti-aging ingredients.
Contains two inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy, but none as much as the fragrance in Olay's serum.
Winner: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic
Neutrogena Hydro Boost
Both versions of Neutrogena Hydro Boost line contain both hydrating and anti-aging active ingredients.
One version (the Gel-Creme version) is entirely free of unhealthy additives, giving this product the advantage in terms of healthiness.
Winner: Neutrogena Hydro Boost
Total Package Serum
Equivalent formulation to Olay from a potential efficacy standpoint.
Fragrance-free, which gives the brand the edge in terms of healthiness.
Winner: Total Package Serum
Our Clean Skincare Pick
MindBodyGreen Best Skin+ is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains orange extract which is clinically shown to increase skin moisturization, skin elasticity and skin radiance.
This supplement also contains astaxanthin which is clinically shown to cause "wrinkle formation reduction."
This supplement is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Olay Super Serum Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Contains active ingredient that's anti-aging
- Contains active ingredient that's hydrating
- Contains active ingredient that's UV-protecting
- Dye-free
- Relatively affordable
Cons:
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
- Contains fragrance
