Nivea Soft Vs Nivea Cream, Which One Is Better?

We all know Nivea. The blue tin of thick Cream used by our grandmothers and mothers for ages.

Nivea is a super popular skincare brand from Germany. Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG owns the Nivea brand. On 28 March 1882, Paul Carl Beiersdorf founded the company.

Nivea is providing us moisturizers, lotions, lip balm, and the list goes on for a long time. They also have an extensive skincare line for men. Their product has been formulated more elegantly over time.

Today I will give a very detailed review of Nivea Cream and Nivea Soft Cream. I will also compare them by the ingredient list and my experience to know which one is better. I have written an in-depth review below-

Nivea Cream:

Nivea original cream is the most popular and widely known product of the NIVEA brand. The product description says-

• Dermatologically tested.
• It can be used on hand, body, and face.

Ingredients:

Every product’s ingredient list is critical. The first 3 or 4 ingredients of the list are what 90% of the product contains. Also, the more you are going through the list, the lower the percentage is. So if you buy an aloe vera gel and cannot find Aloe Barbadensis in the first 5/6 ingredients, that product is useless. So let’s check the original Nivea cream ingredients-

Water, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, Paraffin, Panthenol, Magnesium Sulfate, Decyl Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Aluminum Stearates, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

• Mineral Oil: It is used as an occlusive, the primary duty of a moisturizer. An occlusive helps to hinder Trans Epidermal Water Loss. TEWL means water evaporating from the skin. Mineral oil is also cheaper than other occlusives.

There are many controversies around mineral oil, as it is a by-product of crude oil. But cosmetic grade mineral products are well-refined. It has been used in skincare brands for more than 100 years.

• Petrolatum: Petrolatum is very effective occlusive. We can find petrolatum in petroleum jelly, like Vaseline. Petroleum makes the Cream heavier than others.
• Glycerin: Glycerin is a common humectant, another primary moisturizer ingredient. Humectant absorbs water from the environment and makes our skin plump.

But If there isn’t enough water in the environment (like dessert), glycerin will absorb water from the skin. This will make our face drier.

That’s why dermatologists suggest applying glycerin mixed with water.

• Other: Other ingredients, like-Microcrystalline Wax, Lanolin Alcohol, are viscosity controlling. These give the texture of the Cream.

Panthenol is the 8th ingredient on the list. It is also called pro-vitamin b5.pantheol moisturizes our skin.

My experience in Nivea Cream:

I used Nivea cream for one week. As my skin is oily, I thought it would make my skin greasy. But in reality, it left a very glowy finish on my face, which is shiny but not greasy.

For the first three days, It didn’t break me out. But on the 4th day, I saw a couple of pimples on my forehead. Those tiny pimples seem to go away on the 6th /7th day.

But my mother uses Nivea original all the time. She doesn’t have any wrinkles.

I also tried the Cream under makeup, and it gives a nice glow. Makeup sits very well on Nivea cream. It is ideal for hands and feet. Left my rough feet so smooth!

Would I use Nivea original cream regularly?

Actually, No. It is a great cream. It moisturizes well, but I would like to use this in winter only.

Pros:

• Alcohol-free
• Very moisturizing
• It has a good amount of occlusive.
• The best moisturizer for normal to dry Cream
• Cheap

Cons:

• It doesn’t spread well
• Hard consistency.
• No matte finish.
• No SPF.

Rating: 4/5

I don’t have any problem with the shiny effect. But I struggled hard spreading Nivea’s original Cream on my face.

Nivea Soft Moisturizing cream review:

Nivea Soft Moisturizing cream is a light version of Nivea’s original one. The product description says this Cream is-

• Dermatologically Tested.
• Enriched with Vitamin e and Jojoba oil
• It can be used on the face and body.
• Fast absorbing
• Nivea Gives fresh and soft skin.

Ingredients:

Before sharing my experience, let’s analyze the ingredients first-

Aqua, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Myristyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Stearic Acid, Myristyl Myristate, Cera Microcristallina, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lanolin Alcohol (Eucerit®), Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Dimethicone, Sodium Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Parfum

So, the first two ingredients are identical to the Nivea original. Let’s talk about the following ingredients. ( I did not count water as an ingredient, as every product has aqua as their first ingredient)

• Denatured Alcohol: So-called skin specialists on youtube forbade us to use denatured alcohol. They claim denatured alcohol dries out the skin and irritates us.

It is true in some contexts.

Those influencers are talking about a study. But scientists conducted the study in an “In-vitro” cell. Also, in that study, the concentration was more than 95%.

But skincare formulators use low concentrated alcohol. Denatured alcohol is volatile. This means it will evaporate once applied to the skin, thus making the product light in texture.

• Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil: Also known as jojoba oil. It stays on the stratum corneum layer of skin, making it a protective barrier.
• Tocopheryl Acetate: This is the esterified version of pure vitamin e.

My experience with Nivea Soft Light moisturizer:

For over three years, I am using this Cream. Nivea soft suits me very well. People with all skin types can use this Cream. It didn’t make my super oily skin greasy. It gives a nice glow and spreads quickly. Unlike Nivea’s original Cream, Nivea soft didn’t break me out.

I have also tested this product under makeup. It performs well and works as a primer.

Pros:

• Doesn’t clog pores.
• Lightweight texture
• It spreads and absorbs quickly.
• Relatively cheap compared to other products.

Cons:

• The packaging is not travel-friendly.

Rating: 4.8/5

The Verdict:

Nivea cream and Nivea soft Cream both are excellent moisturizers.

For people with rough skin, Nivea original could be a savior. Also, for dry hands and feet, I would recommend using Nivea cream.

Nivea soft is for all skin types. So people with oily and normal skin types, this is the best moisturizer available on the market.

Zeba Afia Tasnim

Hello! This is Zeba, a freelance content writer based in Bangladesh. I write content that connects with the audience. To hire, please mail at this address-

zebaafiatasnim@gmail.com