We Tried It: Olay Facial Cleansing Melts

We evaluated this innovative new product to see how it worked on different skin types. One formula impressed while another left some cheeks hanging out too dry.

By Shalwah Evans

October 31, 2024

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Writer Shalwah Evans washing face with Olay cleansing melts. — The tiny Olay Cleansing Melts pack a powerful punch on the lather front. All of the evaluators agreed that the lather was rich and plentiful.

Facial cleanser (also called face wash) is the foundation of any healthy skincare regimen. You can’t put your favorite sunscreen or glow drops on a dirty face.

The best face cleanser is one that makes your skin feel good and helps you reach your skincare goals. As you may know, not all face washes are created equal. In fact, they’re not even created in the same form. The best may come as a gel cleanser, a rich, latherable cream cleanser, or now, even a melt.

In this article

Olay Cleansing Melts: Six Evaluators and Their Skin Type Active Ingredients Ease of Use How Well They Cleanse Sustainability

Meet the Evaluators

Shalwah Evans

I’m a Consumer Reports freelance writer with expertise in beauty, especially skincare. I have acne-prone skin with hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and large pores that I work rigorously to clear and reduce. I used the hyaluronic acid melts in the morning and the retinol melts at night.

Tanya Christian

Tanya Christian is a senior multimedia content creator for CR. She has combination skin and used the Olay Cleansing Melts with retinol hoping that they would help address hyperpigmentation and reduce fine lines around her mouth.

Pang-Chieh Ho

Pang-Chieh Ho is a senior multimedia content creator for CR. She has oily, sensitive skin that’s easily irritated by harsh cleansers. She was looking for a gentle cleanser that could combat oiliness without burning or stinging, so she used the hyaluronic formula.

Angela Lashbrook

Angela Lashbrook is a senior multimedia content creator for CR. She describes her skin as “normal to dry” but somewhat sensitive. She also has keratosis pilaris on her cheeks, which can become inflamed when exposed to the wrong skincare products. She used the hyaluronic melts.

Brian Vines

Brian Vines is a deputy editor for CR. He has “normal to combination skin” and gets the occasional pimple. He has facial hair, which he shaves, and he wanted his skin to look less dull, more moisturized, and glowing. He tried the retinol formula for one week.

And there was one more evaluator, who isn’t pictured: Mary Beth Quirk, a managing editor for CR’s shopping program. She has mature skin that she considers relatively “normal” but notes that it gets dry in the winter and oily in the summer. She chose to use the hyaluronic acid melts because keeping her skin hydrated is a big priority.

What Are the Active Ingredients in Olay Facial Cleansing Melts?

While they each have different active ingredients, all three Olay Cleansing Melts formulas are claimed to cleanse, tone, and refresh the skin. According to Michelle Henry, MD, a dermatologist and founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan in New York City, hyaluronic acid is great for hydration, while vitamin C is an antioxidant you should reach for if you want to brighten your skin.

Corey L. Hartman, a dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Ala., adds that hyaluronic acid works to draw moisture from the environment into the deeper layers of the skin, and retinol can help with cellular turnover, exfoliation, uneven skin tone, and fine lines and wrinkles.

In a cleanser, an active ingredient is “more gentle than when you [use it] in a leave-on capacity,” Henry says.

Our team had a lot to look forward to.

Sometimes we use short contact therapy for people who are sensitive to stronger medications. It’s not as potent as if you had a leave-on, but you are still getting benefits in a more gentle way.

Michelle Henry, MD

A dermatologist and founder of Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan in New York City.

Are Olay Facial Cleansing Melts Easy to Use?

We all agreed that using the cleansing melts was pretty intuitive: You just put one in the palm of a hand, run a little water over it, rub your palms together, and watch it lather. Some evaluators were concerned that a gush of water from the sink would send the lightweight wafer down the drain, so turn on your faucet with caution.

The best way to activate the melt: I tried three different methods of applying water to the dry cleanser. First I put a little water in my hand, then added the cleanser and rubbed it together, but sometimes this resulted in the melt not fully dissolving. Then I tried putting the melt in my hand and trickling water onto it from my other hand, and this was typically successful. Finally, I ran a light stream of water from the faucet into the hand with the melt, and this method worked the best. The takeaway here: Follow the directions provided by the brand.

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Shalwah Evans

Shalwah Evans is a journalist with more than a decade of experience covering beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and culture. Her work has appeared in leading digital and print publications, including Essence magazine and essence.com, Travel + Leisure, PS, The Cut, Thrillist, Well+Good, and makeup.com. She's a self-proclaimed skincare fanatic and ingredients nerd. Formerly NCSF certified, she has also worked as a fitness operations manager, which she carries into her writing. She earned her Master of Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley.