Review: Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Serum

Peptides are really having a moment in the skin care world, and although they’re hardly a new discovery, it seems like most mainstream brands have really honed in on creating products and ranges that cater to the masses of consumers who are suddenly all about peptides. There are so many great science minds across the beauty space who do a stellar job of explaining peptides in all their intricate details, but the super short version is that peptides are made up of amino acids, and they are the fundamentals of proteins in the skin. Peptides are naturally occurring in the skin, and they make up many different protein structures, one of which is Collagen. Collagen itself has many functions, but aesthetically we have Collagen to thank for giving skin its bounce. As we age (which is a privilege, but it’s okay to still want your skin to look as best as it can!) the amount of Collagen in your skin begins to decrease, so by including peptides in your skincare routine, you can actually stimulate extra Collagen production than the amount that your skin could naturally create by itself, which is where products like Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Serum come in.

What Makes It Special:
So now that we know what peptides do and why we might want to include them in our skincare routine let’s take a closer look at what the Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Serum is promising us. It’s specifically aiming to give you the bouncy and plump appearance of ‘morning skin’ all throughout the day.

Why I Like It:
I’ve been using this serum for just over 6 weeks, and at first, I only used it at night but once I read the claims (‘morning skin’ bounce all through the day) I twigged that this is designed to be used morning and evening and so I started using it twice a day. I definitely find that this has a plumping effect on my skin. When I use it overnight, I wake up to a bouncy face that appears full and ‘well rested’ – aka. the good kind of puffy and full. The product is easy to use, it has a screw-top lid with a push-button dispenser in the top, and I find one pipette full is the perfect amount for my face. It feels quick to absorb, leaves a soft finish to the skin and there’s zero stickiness or tacky residue left behind so you can go straight in with your next steps. Also, there is no fragrance included, but it does contain Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Panthenol (Vitamin B5) which have a whole list of skin-boosting benefits including reducing redness, strengthening your skin barrier and helping skin to retain moisture.

Interestingly, the peptide in this designated ‘Peptide Serum’ is Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, which is actually used in quite a few of Olay’s other products too, albeit, at a lower concentration. I haven’t tried much from the brand yet, but I’d be curious to see how the results of their non-peptide specific range compare to the products that are labelled as the ‘Peptide’ collection.

What I Don’t Like About It:
For me (dehydrated, combo skin) this isn’t hydrating enough to be a ‘one and done’ serum. I still need to use a specific hydrating serum, or a really hydration-heavy moisturiser (Murad Intense Recovery or Rodial Velvet Cream) afterwards. Although this plumps my skin overnight and I wake up to a more bouncy complexion, it doesn’t perform in quite the same way during the day when applied of a morning. For me, this really is an evening product only because that’s where I see the benefit.

Application:
Apply the opaque serum after cleansing and toning, then follow-up with other serums/moisturiser.

Product Claims:
Instantly plumps, visibly firms and smoothens fine lines – not instantly, but with overnight use.

Ingredients:
WATER, DIMETHICONE, NIACINAMIDE, GLYCERIN, PANTHENOL, PALMITOYL PENTAPEPTIDE-4, TREMELLA FUCIFORMIS SPOROCARP EXTRACT, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, LAURETH-4, POLYSORBATE 20, LAURETH-7, DISODIUM EDTA, POLYACRYLAMIDE, DIMETHICONE CROSSPOLYMER, PHENOXYETHANOL.

Available From:
Woolworths
Coles
Priceline
Chemist Warehouse

Details:
30ml – $59.99
Don’t pay full price for Olay. There’s almost always a 40% – 50% off promo on somewhere, just shop around.

Repurchase:
I would. In my mind, Olay Collagen Peptide 24 Serum is an overnight product, because it just doesn’t perform in the same way for me during the day, but that’s not to say it doesn’t have a place – it’s place is just in the evening routine. I do have my eye on a couple of other peptide serums right now (which really seem like *the* thing that every brand is pushing) that I want to test out first, but I’d definitely circle back to this if the others don’t impress me as much. If you’re after a serum that is going to boost bounce and plumpness with overnight use, this one is definitely worth a try.