Olaz Total Effects 7-in-1 Instant Smoothing serum

I haven’t been using serum for a long time yet. In fact, till now I only used one other one that I liked and that was the second one I tried. That was the Vitamin E serum-in-oil by The Body Shop. As I knew that was running low, I went on the hunt for a different serum to try. I love the Olaz (Olay in the US and other places) Total Effects Moisturizing Cream for sensitive skin and so when I saw the line also includes a serum, I decided to give it a go.

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Instant Smoothing serum

The Olaz Total Effects Instant Smoothing Serum is part of the Total Effects line which is an anti-aging line aiming at improving 7 different skin qualities. Usually this serum costs €19.99 per bottle, but Olaz is on sale a lot and so there is no need to be paying full price for this if you don’t want to.

The serum comes in a pump bottle and is sold in a box. That is a good thing as it means it is clean and hygienic and you’ll know no one has opened the packaging in store. The bottle itself is not too special. It actually feels a little bit cheap. The pump doubles as a camp: twist it one way and the bottle opens, twist it another and the bottle closes. I am never too sure about how well this closes, but I have been using this for months and so far the scent and consistency have not changed.

Some information on the box. The promised result: young looking skin that feels smooth and soft. The product should be used underneath other skincare products as with other serums. It should be a transparent, milky solution that should contain concentrated ingredients, more so than a regular cream. It should help you skin to absorb the skincare you put on top.

The 7 promises of the Total Effects line:

1. Minimalizes fine lines
2. Smoother skin
3. Minimalizes pores
4. Hydrates
5. Gentle exfoliation
6. Radiant looking skin
7. Firming

I especially like this line as it is also one of the more hydrating lines. And since I am in my early 30s starting with anti-aging skincare is something that I had to start with sooner rather than later anyway. So this sounds like it could do something to benefit my skin. I use this under my nighttime skincare.

The list of ingredients is long and filled with mumbo-jumbo that I do not understand. Water and glycerin are at the top of the list as is Niaciamide: one of the active ingredients as stated by the website. Then there are a lot of silicones in there as well as perfume which is listed all the way at the bottom. Not necessarily an ingredient list I understand, but if it works and doesn’t give me any problems with my sensitive skin, I am all game.

‘The information on the bottle is pretty much repeats what is on the box. The bottle is completely opaque, which is a shame as you cannot easily see how much product you have left. I have now used this product for the past 3 – 4 months and so I would like to know how long this will still last me. But because I have been using it for quite some time now, I can easily tell you something about how this product works for me.

The product is indeed transparent, but rather than milky, I would describe it as a gel-like substance that feels nice and soft. You can easily feel the silicones in it and it is absorbed quickly by the skin. You have to work quickly as it disappears the minute you apply it. I use two pumps for my entire face, which is more than I am used to using in a serum.

When I first started using this I was afraid it would be a change for the worse compared to the The Body Shop one I used to use and I am surprised that it didn’t. The texture and quick absorbance made me think this wouldn’t be as effective, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. So far I haven’t noticed a drastic difference in my skin, but my skin still feels nourished and moisturized. I do feel it works less long than the serum-in-oil serum, as my skin definitely needs another round of moisturization come morning time. This stuff works just as well, it just works differently.

Overall, this is a serum that gets the job done, but no more than that. I would rather use another bottle of the TBS serum-in-oil as that would give me soft, moisturized skin until the morning. With that, I could still feel the effect come morning time, and with this I can’t. It is a very light and easy formula though and it definitely didn’t worsen my skin. My skin is still moisturized and feels good.

What serum do you use?