Nivea Creme Review

Hi all my dear readers! You know, I have never in my life experienced a proper snowfall. Living in a hot metro city like Delhi in a tropical country like India, what I have mostly experienced till date is unlimited rain, endless bouts of summer and very small but quite cold winters, for which I am always thankful 🙂 I only saw a few specks of snow in Nainital, a small hilly town, once.. But looking at the classic blue tin of Nivea Creme, somehow always makes me imagine snow. And you know what, the literal meaning of Nivea in Latin is ‘Snow’! Aptly named, must say..The stark bright white crème makes me feel really good..Makes me think of a warm cozy blanket, a mug of hot chocolate and makes me long for a snowfall in my city.

This tin used to be a staple in every household for years, but then softer and lighter creams entered the market, and this was lost somewhere. But this has remained one of my most favourite formulations ever.

Ingredients: Aqua, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cera Microcristallina, Glycerin, Lanolin Alcohol, Paraffin, Panthenol, Decyl Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Aluminum Stearate, Citric Acid, Magnesium Sulfate, Magnesium Stearate , Parfum ,Limonene , Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal , Linalool , Citronellol , Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol

Claims:

Packaging: I don’t need to tell you, everyone knows the tin! The cute bright blue tin comes in various sizes, with a foil sealing the contents. It has never given me any trouble while travelling, and you’ll always find a small version in my vanity.

My Experience: It was a couple of years back that, having run out of my usual face cream, I used this after ages. And I was hooked! It treated my dry, flaky skin like no other cream ever could! This cream has been compared in efficacy and formulation to Crème de la Mer, one of the most expensive skin creams around, so there must be something striking about this formula.

It contains Eucerit, or lanolin oil, which is basically an animal derived fat, but don’t go eeeugh, it is processed well 😀 And it is a godsend for people with dry skin (read: me 😀 )

Color, Texture and Feel: This cream is really a pure snow white in color, and that is the reason I associate it with snow. My Mom tells me that there was a similar cream in the market some 20 years back, known as ‘Afghan Snow’! The cream looks like heavy whipped cream in the tin, but much heavier in texture. It is a bit sticky, but I don’t mind, it is an elixir for my parchy skin.

Efficacy: I can write a few chapters on how good this cream has been to me. I use it throughout the year, only skipping it when humidity gets too high in our Indian Monsoons. It is my go-to cream at night for my face. If used in a larger quantity, it might leave a whitish cast on the skin, and also make it sticky, so oily skinned people, use it sparingly. I use it as a hand cream when nothing premium is available, and it works great. I use it on my feet and it works like a dream. Some people even use it on their lips. I love its scent, it seems quite soothing to me at the end of the day. I have also used it for facial massages, and it is gorgeous in that setting too. And yes, during travels, I always keep it handy. This is my all-purpose solution to dryness! And yes, it never breaks me out, so non-comedogenic too.

Rating: 10/5, I love it too much!

Price: 30 ml – Rs.40, 60 ml – Rs. 70, 100ml – Rs. 115, 200 ml – Rs. 190

Shelf Life: 30 months

Value for Money: Totally worth it

Pros and Cons:

PROs:

1. Very cheap, easily available throughout the globe
2. A gift of Nivea to dry skinned Homo sapiens like me
3. Cute scent
4. Travel friendly packs
5. An all-purpose cream, available in so many sizes, so you can keep one according to your needs in every setting
6. Great for massages and to get rid of dry patches on the skin

CONs:

1. Not very suitable for oily-skinned people
2. Contains preservatives like parabens, but I told you, I don’t mind them one bit, there is too much pollution and cigarette smoke that I already tolerate!
3. The pack is not very hygienic, but I can’t imagine a cream this thick being sold in tubes

Repurchase: Forever and ever! I always keep the biggest sized container of this at home, so I never run out 🙂

Final Verdict: I really feel this is a complete winter essential for everyone. For the men, I think keeping one of these in your bags can be a lifesaver in winters, as it can be your all-purpose cream. For me, it is my most beloved cream ever.

Do you love this cream as much as I do? Do drop in the comments!