P&G Rolls Out Olay Professional Pro X

Enough’s enough. Procter & Gamble executives watched dermatologist-inspired brands cut into its Olay franchise for years. But now, the company is fighting back in a big way.

P&G will introduce Olay Professional Pro-X, which it bills as a professional skin care line for mass market. The line will begin rolling out just after Christmas, with a full rollout planned for January.

The pricey line, which includes a $62 starter kit, is unlike anything P&G has done before. One of the key ingredients is a proprietary pepetide called Pal-KT that promises to increase hydration and boost collagen and elastin. The products are packaged in bright red and white boxes.

The line inlcudes Age Repair lotion SPF 30, Hydra Firming Cream, Wrinkle Smoothing Cream, Deep Wrinkle Treatment, Discoloration Fighting Concentrate and Eye Restoration Complex.

“This has to be a logical move, with little or no risk to the Olay franchise. P&G will have been watching the Spa skincare trends around the world, as well as noting the increasing trade down taking place from prestige to upper-mass,” said Colin Hession, managing director of specialist cosmetics and toiletries consultants, Colin Hession Consulting. “And true to form, they’re sticking to their knitting and staying with mass. Good strategic stuff!”

The line was developed with the help of the Olay Professional Alliance for Skin Care Innovation, a group of 14 beauty experts that includes P&G employees and dermatologists with their own practices.