Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum Review

Lately my crows feet have been getting pretty intense. I don't have the ones on the sides of my eyes- they're underneath. It seemed like they showed up overnight, and while it could be due to a serious lack of sleep since having a baby, it could just be my age catching up with me.  I am 36 after all! I've been using sample tubes of Strivectin AR Eye Cream which is like, $80-something a tube so you would think that it would have helped me but it didn't do one single thing- so disappointing!  I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that if a super expensive eye cream wasn't helping me, nothing short of Botox or maybe a prescription retinoid would.  But a few weeks ago I was in Target and spotted this Olay Eye Lifting Serum.  I've been using their Night Resurfacing Elixir and really like it, plus this eye serum said that I would see results in 2 weeks.  Now I took that with a grain of salt, but I figured if for nothing else, it would be a good experiment! 

This has Niacinamide and Peptides and is supposed to not only soften wrinkles, but brighten the eye area as well. The box claims some results in two weeks with more noticeable results by the end of the tube.

This comes in a tube with a pointy tip and is easy to dispense the right amount of product.  I've been using this morning and night for the past 2.5 weeks to make sure I got the full benefit from it.

This is a serum, which means that I still use eye cream afterwards (I've been using Olay's Total Effects CC Eye Cream- I figured I'd keep in in the family!).  This isn't as liquidy as some serums, more like a light lotion consistency. 

Now the moment of truth...did it reduce my lines in 2 weeks? These photos are unretouched and I'm not wearing makeup or concealer. The only thing I did was put mascara on for the after pictures. I also smiled in every picture to make the wrinkles more prominent.  Ok, here we go!

Left Eye Before: 

Left Eye After:

Right Eye Before:

                  

                          Right Eye After:

                         

I am wowed by this serum! I thought my wrinkles had improved a little, but when I saw the pictures together I couldn't believe it! Not only are they a LOT less noticeable, but the darkness and pigmentation under my eyes is reduced and the whole area is brighter. 

I really recommend when trying a new skincare product to take before and after photos. Sometimes you think something isn't working but the proof is in the pictures! I tend to really focus in on problem areas so I didn't realize what a difference this made because when I smiled I still saw wrinkles. 

I can't wait to take pictures after a month and see what it looks like at that point! 

Have you tried any Olay eye products, including this one? What did you think?

To read more about this product, see reviews or to purchase, head over to Ulta.com below:

Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum

Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir Review

In the February 2014 issue of Allure magazine, Olay's Night Resurfacing Elixir made the editor's list of products to buy, plus it was featured in a story about alpha and beta hydroxy acid skin treatments.  I had seen this product many times at the drugstore, but always found the price tag to be a bit steep at close to $30.  At that price, I felt like I might as well just throw in a few more bucks and get a luxury product.

But the other day I was at CVS, $5 Extra Bucks burning a hole in my pocket, and I noticed that Olay now has trial sizes of their popular Regenerist line for right around $11.  When I added in my Extra Bucks, I got to take home the Night Resurfacing Elixir (.5 oz) for $6 and change!

For those of you who didn't read the Allure article, or are unfamiliar with glycolic acid, here's a quick rundown...

Of all the alpha hydroxy acids, Glycolic Acid, which is derived from sugar has the smallest molecule size so it penetrates the skin the deepest. It's also the most effective.  The next smallest molecule is lactic acid (from milk), and then fruit acids (from citrus).

This treatment contains between 8-10% Glycolic Acid.  It regenerates the skin and makes cells turn over faster.  Your skin is forever creating new cells, and they travel from the deepest layers up to the top where they shed off.  As we age the dead skin cells don't shed as quickly, and instead sit on top, causing your skin to look dull and have a rougher texture.  This layer also prevents your skincare products from penetrating very far.  So how long does it take your skin to shed it's dead cells?

Rate of cell turnover by age:

Babies- 14 Days

Teenagers- 21-28 Days

By 30's and 40's - 28-42 Days

50 and up- 42-84 Days

Olay's Night Resurfacing Elixir speeds up this process so your skin acts younger again.  One thing it won't do, however, is get rid of deep wrinkles- you still need an anti aging cream for that.  But this will help your anti-aging products work better by getting that barrier of dead skin out of the way and letting them penetrate further.

                                               

This comes in a pump bottle and the serum is thin, almost like water.  I didn't find it to be sticky and it absorbed quickly.

This is supposed to take the place of your night moisturizer, but I didn't find it particularly hydrating, so I use a night cream over it. 

I do recommend using this at night, since glycolic acid can make your skin sun-sensitive. It didn't irritate my skin at all, but I don't have sensitive skin.  This is supposed to be pretty gentle, but if you're sensitive, save your receipt in case you need to bring it back.  Also, don't use it every night at first, work up slowly.

After the first night, I woke up and when I looked in the mirror, I had forgotten that I used it the night before for a second and thought, "wow, my skin looks good today!"  Then I remembered.

I've been using it every night for a week and I have to say my skin is smoother, brighter and has that "glow" back that I had in my 20's.  I no longer think that $30 is too much to spend on this product.  I'll be purchasing the full size as soon as this one runs out!

Have you tried this yet?