Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

Bottom line

Manufacturers market Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream as a firming cream that can reduce the appearance of sagging skin. Although most reviewers say results are minimal at best, the cream is loaded with lots of good-for-skin ingredients that have the potential to prevent further damage to skin. The only downfall is its jar packaging, which cannot keep the potent ingredients stable. Reviewers say Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum (*Est. $20 for 1.7 oz.) is a better option because it comes in stable packaging and contains many of the same beneficial ingredients. 

Performance

Powerful ingredients: Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream earns kudos from Allure and Health magazines for containing lots of good-for-skin ingredients, including amino-peptides that help firm sagging skin and strengthen the skin's moisture barrier and hyaluronic acid, which has a plumping effect on skin. Paula Begoun, skin care expert and author of "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me," is critical of the formula, however, and says it cannot live up to its promises of lifting sagging skin. She says, "Increasing hydration can make skin cells plump, but that doesn't restore volume to a face that is sagging due to the complex process of aging." Furthermore, she says the cream contains several state-of-the-art ingredients, but the jar packaging allows air and light in, which reduce their potency and stability.  

Users at Amazon.com and Drugstore.com have mixed opinions about Olay's efficacy. Some say that it makes a noticeable difference in the firmness of their skin, but others don't notice any difference at all. One woman says she used the formula on just one side of the face for two weeks, and there was "no difference between the left and right side." Another says, "I'm not sure this cream is any better than Regenerist Nightly Moisturizer … haven't noticed any real difference or improvement."

Feel and smell

Lightweight and creamy: Experts and users praise Micro-Sculpting Cream for its creamy but lightweight texture. It feels silky on the skin but has a noticeable fragrance that is offensive to some users at Drugstore.com and Amazon.com. Most say that the scent fades quickly, however. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream is also available in a fragrance-free formula.