This Nivea Creme tin is considered a monument of German design by the Goethe Institut. So it’s not surprising that I squealed, “Isn’t this cute?” when I saw it at the checkout counter of my local CVS. Perfect to pop into my bag and reapply throughout the day! Buying it made me feel ready to do battle with winter-dry hands. And it was only a dollar for 30 ml!
Hands and feet are hard to keep moisturized throughout the winter months. There very very few oil glands (not to mention an extra, tougher layer of skin not found anywhere else on the body), which means that a good hand cream is essential in cold, dry weather.
So, how did Nivea stand up to the North East’s recent Arctic blast? Not very well. It’s a mineral oil and petroleum-based cream (which I really don’t mind on my hands and feet, elsewhere not so much), and I found its absorption properties lacking. Certainly it sits on top of the skin to give a layer of protection (although I think you need to apply a lot to get just that). I did not feel an overwhelming difference between the one hand I applied it on and the one hand left bare–it still felt dry and flakey, just not as much.
There are rumors that the European formulation is far superior to the formulation made in Mexico, which is the formulation available in the US. With quick comparison of the ingredients, I did not find any overwhelming differences. The major ingredients are all the same, but the European formula omits several of the lesser ones. This could be because they are banned in the EU–they have stricter cosmetic chemical laws than we have in the US.
But that tin! It’s so damn charming! My plan is to replace the Nivea product with Clinque’s Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream. This unscented cream moisturizes like a dream, absorbs very well and is pretty long lasting (saves on the endless reapply throughout the day).
Unfortunately, I can’t find an ingredient list, and I received my batch in a super-secret I can’t tell you way that came without any packaging. Based on other reviews on the internet, the ingredients include cholesterol (bad for your heart, good for your skin!), chamomile (a fantastic skin soother) and murumuru butter (rich in Vitamin A, oleic and linoleic acids).
The Nivea tin was well worth the $1 simply to have a cute and portable way to carry the far superior Deep Comfort Hand and Cuticle Cream.
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Now that you mention it, that tin does have an iconic 1930’s German design look to it
Never quite viewed it in that light before!
One thing to be aware of with skincare products in tins – if you put the tin somewhere warm, like your car on a hot day, the product may melt and leak out of the tin. I found this out with one of those cute lip balms in a tin with a sliding lid, which because a greasy, icky mess all over the inside of my bag!
EE
http://www.educatedesthetician.com
Hey EE! Somehow this ended up in my spam cue! Sorry I missed this earlier. You bring up a GREAT point about the tins. Definitely leakage potential with the tins–but damn they are CUTE.
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