I am doing this review in order to compare the German made Nivea to the Mexican made Nivea - sold in the USA. For this post I am going to refer to the Mexican made Nivea as American. Well anyway, some people say the German Nivea is better and others the American. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different and one person may take better to one creme over the other. I have been using both the German and American cremes for 2 months now and really wanted to put them on a little test. The reason I wanted to test them was because I felt I was being a bit bias, because of the ingredient difference.
So here is what I did:
1)Took pic of both cremes side by side.
2)Took pic of both cremes with the containers opened.
Result: both cremes look the same and are fairly scented.
3)Took pic of the back showing where the creme was made, so you can see it’s the real deal.
4)Smeared both cremes on my arm and looked for any differences (German on Left), (American on right side)
Result: texture looks the same, but I think the American creme felt a little softer.
5)I rubbed each creme separately in a circular motion for a total of 10 times each.
Result: the German creme still had a white cast and felt thick (L); the American one turned liquidy and felt silky/greasy (R).
6)I decided to follow the instructions for la mer creme (rubbed each creme vigorously in my hands). They were tested individually and between a hand wash.
Result: they both turned into liquid form, but the German one took a few seconds longer to do so.
7)Applied the German creme on one cheek and the American creme on the other.
Result: the German creme felt oiler than the American creme, but not for too long.
8)Smeared both cremes separately on my arm and simultaneously ran my arm under gushing cold water to see what would happen to the cremes.
Result: the American one started to fade of, but did not fade all the way (left side). The German creme stayed on my arm very well (right side). They both felt real sticky afterwards.
“Sorry I should have kept the cremes on the same side at all times to avoid confusion”
Based on the tests and my personal experience with this cremes. I have conclude that the cremes work very similar, except for the amount of time it takes them to sink into the skin. The German Nivea does not contain mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone or methylisothiazolinone. I would think the lack of mineral oil keeps the creme thicker. Thats just my opinion. I must say that I prefer the German cream, because it lacks the ingredients mentioned above. However, the American creme sinks much nicer and faster than the German one. In the end they both do what they are suppose too, it all falls down to your skin type and preference. I have included the ingredients of both cremes, for those who want to compare them.
German Nivea ingredients:
Aqua, paraffinum liquidum, cera microcristallina, glycerin, lanolin alcohol (eucerit)
paraffin, panthenol, decyl oleate, octyldodecanol, aluminum stearates, citric acid, magnesium sulfate, magnesium stearate, parfum, limonene, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, linalool, citronellol, benzyl benzoate, cinnamyl alcohol.
American Nivea Ingredients:
water, mineral oil, petrolatum, glycerin, microcrystalline wax, lanolin alcohol, paraffin, panthenol, magnesium sulfate, decyl oleate, octyldodecanol, aluminium stearates, fragrance, citric acid, magnesium stearate, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone.
thank you so much for doing this research!! I have been using Nivea since 1966 in Japan and it was made in Germany in the tin. I loved it. But I cannot find the tin and German made Nivea in the USA. Do you know how to order the original one?? Once again thank you for your reseach. Bobbie
Hi Bobbie,
You can get the German made Nivea in a tin at Smallflower.com. I purchased my first Nivea tin from smallflower, before finding a German store that carries it locally. Here’s the link: http://www.smallflower.com/nivea/nivea.html
I bought my Nivea Germany at the dollar store in Canada for $9 for a monster size tin!
Hi Teri,
You paid $9 at the dollar store? Actually, I thinkI heard somewhere that they were going to charge more than a dollar on certain items at dollar stores. That’s a good deal. I think the giant one I bought here locally was around $8 I cant remember. Nice find!
actually the german version does contain mineral oil. It is listed in the ingredients list as paraffinum liquidum. That being said the german version is wonderful for the face.
Thanks mimi,
I looked up paraffinum liquidum and it has so many names under it. I did find mineral oil as one of them after a few searches. It is wonderful on the face and body too
Yep mimi, when I looked at the ingredients there is virtually no difference. The ones at the end are probably in such small quantity that no one would really notice much difference. Bobbie thank you so much for doing this comparison. I feel pretty confident buying the mexico Nivea now knowing what the real differences are
Great Post I love this site… Thanks
That was a great post…I love this site…Thanks
Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I have used Nivea for over 30 years with perfect results and now all of a sudden I am having allergic reactions to it! I had noticed recently that it was coming from Mexico, but wasn’t aware the formula had changed!!! I’m going to get some German Nivea! Thank you!
Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I have used Nivea for over 30 years with perfect results and now all of a sudden I am having allergic reactions to it! I had noticed recently that it was coming from Mexico, but wasn’t aware the formula had changed!!! I’m going to get some German Nivea! Thank you!;. All the best!!
Can you tell me where I can find the Nivea cream (from Germany) in Québec, Canada???
Sorry Martine, I do not know where you can get it in Canada. I’ll let you know if I find out where.
Hi everyone,
there is a shop on Ebay called “Original German Goodies” (found it on Google). I’m from Germany so that’s why I haven’t tested this one, but maybe that’s what you need
Hey, this is an awesome post. I really think you should do more like this, I’ll be sure to visit your blog again to see your new stuff. Thanks.
Oye I have been using Nivea for years and I LOVE it, lo uso a diario! You know with the humidity down here, it’s nice to keep my face hydrated! Gracias por la comparacion!
Hi Gena, Yea, Nivea is a pretty awesome.
Hey, thanks a lot for posting this, you have a lot of great content here. I really like your blog. Later!
Hey, I really enjoy coming to read your blog. Thanks a lot for posting, this one is very informative. Keep up the great work!