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Battle of the collagen creams: Elemis ultra smart night genius vs Olay regenerist peptite 24 cream

Want to know which one helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and boost your skin’s elasticity? We find out

Sarah Finley
Friday 12 March 2021 08:42 EST
As we get older, collagen breaks down and deteriorates
As we get older, collagen breaks down and deteriorates (iStock photo/The Independent)

We all have natural collagen in our body – it’s the protein that’s responsible for healthy joints and the skin’s elasticity. But as we get older the natural component starts to break down and deteriorate, meaning skin is less likely to bounce back and will start to show signs of ageing.

Many beauty brands have jumped on this, convincing us they can restore our youthful looks with collagen-filled serums and creams that will help improve our sluggish collagen production. But do they really work and are they worth the price tag?

Read more: The winter skincare essentials for every skin type, according to experts

Elemis launched its ultra smart pro-collagen range in 2019 and has recently released its night genius cream. The cream’s natural ingredients, including brown algae, are said to boost your skin’s natural collagen supply, leaving you with a glow and the appearance of younger skin.

Meanwhile, Olay has also launched its regenerist collagen peptite range, which includes a hydrating moisturiser full of ingredients that forms its “collagen peptide” – namely palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 and niacinamide (vitamin B3) – two ingredients that are designed to help brighten your skin and increase cell turnover.

However, with a price tag of £195 the Elemis night genius cream is a massive investment, especially as Olay’s version is over five times cheaper.

We put the creams head-to-head to see if either of them delivers the holy grail of anti-ageing skincare promises.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

The verdict: Elemis ultra smart pro-collagen night genius vs Olay regenerist collagen peptite 24 cream

Elemis’s night cream wins hands down. Its luxurious silky application gave us an instant glow and after a couple of weeks we woke up with more hydrated and plumper looking skin. We loved applying it every night as its smell and consistency felt more like an enjoyable ritual than a chore.

From the jar that it’s presented in down to the ingredients used, Elemis has really taken its time to develop a cream that feels great to wear and gives us the results we want – younger, brighter and more hydrated skin.

It’s a massive investment though, and if like most of us, you don’t have the spare cash for a pot of face cream then Olay’s regenerist collagen peptide 24 also had some great results. It’s light cream, which hydrates the skin instantly, means you’ll wake up looking fresh with plumper skin.

For more skin care holy grails read our write up of the best hand creams to soothe dry, sanitised winter skin

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