Olay is a retinol moisturizer. RoC is a retinol serum. Start with Olay if you're new; pick RoC if you want a dedicated treatment.
Olay Retinol 24 puts retinol and retinyl propionate into a silky, fragrance-free night cream with niacinamide, glycerin and peptides. It treats and moisturizes in one step, and it’s the gentler-feeling way in for first-timers and dry skin.
RoC Retinol Correxion capsules hold a waterless retinol serum with ceramide NP, one sealed dose per night. The retinol stays protected from air until you open it, and you choose the moisturizer that goes on top, which suits normal, combination and oily skin.
Which retinol is right for you?
Olay Retinol 24 Triple Collagen: retinol built into your night cream
Retinol night cream with niacinamide and peptides.
Olay’s cream pairs two vitamin A ingredients: retinol and retinyl propionate, a gentler retinyl ester. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) and glycerin sit alongside them, plus a three-peptide blend (palmitoyl dipeptide-7, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 and tripeptide-3) that Olay calls Triple Collagen Peptide. The peptides support smoother-looking skin; they don’t add collagen to your skin.
The base is water, dimethicone and glycerin, which gives it a silky, non-greasy finish that sinks in quickly. It’s fragrance-free, and it’s a full moisturizer, so it replaces your night cream instead of adding a step.
That makes it the friendlier option for first-time retinol users and for dry or normal skin. If you want a stronger, standalone retinol treatment, RoC is the better fit.
- Retinol plus gentler retinyl propionate in one cream
- Niacinamide, glycerin and three peptides hydrate and support the barrier
- Silky, non-greasy finish; fragrance-free
- One step: no separate moisturizer needed
- Jar is opened to air every night
- Silicone-heavy base may not suit you if you avoid silicones
- Less of a punch than a dedicated retinol serum
RoC Retinol Correxion capsules: a fresh dose of retinol every night
Waterless retinol serum sealed in single-night capsules.
RoC’s serum is waterless and short: cyclopentasiloxane and dimethiconol (silicones that give it a slip), ethylhexyl cocoate and soybean oil as emollients, then retinol, dimethylmethoxy chromanol (an antioxidant) and ceramide NP for barrier support. It’s fragrance-free and noncomedogenic.
Each biodegradable capsule holds one night’s dose. Retinol breaks down with air and light, so keeping each dose sealed until you twist it open is a real advantage over a jar you open every night. Thirty capsules last a month.
It’s a treatment, not a moisturizer. Smooth one capsule over your face and neck, then follow with your usual night cream. That makes it the better choice for oily and combination skin, which can pick a lighter moisturizer, and a worse one if you want a single step.
- Dedicated retinol serum with ceramide NP and an antioxidant
- Each capsule stays sealed from air and light until you open it
- Fragrance-free and noncomedogenic
- 30 capsules: one month of nightly use, easy to travel with
- Needs a moisturizer on top
- Silicone-and-oil base can feel slick
- Contains soybean oil
Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Cream two-pack: for restocking
Two 1.7 oz jars, 3.4 oz total.
Two 1.7-ounce jars of Olay’s Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Cream, 3.4 ounces in all. It shares the same core as the single jar: retinol and retinyl propionate with niacinamide and glycerin in a fragrance-free, silky cream. It carries the Regenerist name rather than the Triple Collagen label.
Buy it once you know Olay Retinol 24 suits your skin. If you’re trying retinol for the first time, start with one jar.
- Two 1.7-ounce jars, 3.4 ounces total
- Same retinol, retinyl propionate and niacinamide core as the single jar
- Fragrance-free
- Twice the commitment if the cream doesn’t suit you
- Sold under the older Regenerist name, so it isn’t labeled Triple Collagen
| One-step night cream Olay Retinol 24 Triple Collagen Night Cream | VS | Dedicated retinol serum RoC Retinol Correxion Single-Dose Night Serum Capsules |
|---|---|---|
Retinol + retinyl propionate | Retinoids |
Retinol |
Glycerin, niacinamide, three peptides | Supporting ingredients |
Ceramide NP, soybean oil, antioxidant (dimethylmethoxy chromanol) |
Water-based cream, silicone-silky | Base |
Waterless silicone and oil serum |
No, it is one | Need a moisturizer? |
Yes |
1.7 oz jar | Packaging |
30 sealed capsules |
| View | View |
Start slowly with either one
- Patch-test first
Try a little on your jawline for a few nights before using it on your whole face. Retinol irritation can take a day or two to show.
- Start every other night
Use it every other night for the first two to three weeks, then move to nightly if your skin stays comfortable.
- Apply to clean, dry skin
For Olay, a pea-sized amount covers your face. For RoC, twist open one capsule and smooth it over your face and neck. Don’t use more than one capsule a night.
- Moisturize after RoC
RoC is a serum, so follow it with a moisturizer. Olay is the moisturizer, so you can stop there unless your skin feels dry.
- Back off if your skin complains
Some dryness early on is normal. If you get stinging, redness or peeling that won’t settle, drop to two nights a week. If it still doesn’t calm down, stop and see a dermatologist.
Retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day, even when it’s cloudy, or the sun will undo the work your night cream or serum is doing.
- Buy the Olay two-pack only if you already know the cream suits your skin.
- Whichever you choose, start every other night and wear SPF 30 or higher every morning.
Choose Olay Retinol 24 if you’re new to retinol, have dry or normal skin, or want one step at night. It’s a silky, fragrance-free moisturizer with retinol, retinyl propionate, niacinamide and peptides, so it treats and hydrates at once and feels gentle.
Choose RoC Retinol Correxion capsules if you want a dedicated retinol serum. The waterless silicone-and-oil formula with ceramide NP goes under your own moisturizer, each capsule keeps the retinol sealed until you open it, and 30 capsules give you a month of nightly use. It suits normal, combination and oily skin, and anyone who travels.
