After its first step into making its skincare range “greener” with Nivea Pure & Natural range in 2011, Nivea comes today a second big step : Nivea Naturally Good skincare range.

This new range of skincare from Nivea is not so much about efficacy, but more an exercise made by Beiersdorf to demonstrate how to build a “natural” range “à la Nivea”, and answer the current need of consumers to use natural cosmetic products.

Nivea did not go into certified organic products, like L’Oreal did with Garnier Bio or La Provençale Bio. As explained by Nivea’s Luis Carbajal, R&D Development manager of Nivea Visage on the videos made for Nivea Naturally Good launch (Ingredients, Product Standards, Formula), Nivea chose to go with the ISO16128 standard. This standard defines the claim “Natural Origin” used on cosmetic products, as a formula made of ingredients which Carbons are coming from renewable resources for more than 50% of them. This explanation being not so consumer-friendly, Nivea rephrased it as “ingredients from nature and with more than 50% of their original molecular structure”… more understandable ?

This ISO 16128 is quite criticized by manufacturers of organic cosmetics, because creating confusion in the consumers’ mind on “naturality” of cosmetic products. On the other hand, it provides a global standard to refer to, undisputable, and a margin of progress to bring cosmetic products to more sustainable levels.

This being said, how Beiersdorf designed his new Nivea Naturally Good range ?

From a technical standpoint, all the emulsions of the line-up are based on the same emulsifying and stabilizing system : Cetearyl Alcohol / Glyceryl Stearate / Glyceryl Caprylate / Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate combined with Xanthan Gum. Oil phases contain many natural oils. The challenge that Nivea put to itself was probably to avoid phenoxyethanol and parabens as preservatives. They made the choice to work only with Sodium Benzoate as listed preservative, associated with “co-preservatives” (i.e. ingredients with antimicrobiological efficiency, but not in the positive list of UE Cosmetic Regulation) : Glyceryl Caprylate , Ethylhexylglycerin, Decylene Glycol, Levulinic Acid / Sodium Levulinate, p-Anisic Acid, and Alcohol Denat. All formulas also contain an organic ingredients (tea extract, aloe, camomile, argan oil).

Nivea achieved a great technical result on the formulas, developing high level of natural origin, getting rid of questionned preservatives. The communication remains simple, as always with Nivea.

There is however still some room for progress :

  • On Packaging : Nivea’s Luis Carbajal, R&D Development manager of Nivea Visage explains in one of the videos made for the Nivea Naturally Good launch that they chose full plastic pack “because the lifecycle was better than with glass”. OK, but than, what are the choices made on the plastic ? Any integration of post recycled plastic ? Or recyclable plastic ?
  • On formula : Carbajal also recognize in the Q&A that they have not yet included responsibly sourced / fair trade ingredients in the formulas, but Beiersdorf is working on it. Great to here from a company like Beiersdorf.

The range : cleansers and creams

The new Naturally Good line-up is made of 5 products :

  • Naturally Good Moisturizing Cleaning Milk
  • Naturally Good Refreshing Toner
  • Naturally Good Day Care Sensitive Skin
  • Naturally Good Radiance Day Cream
  • Naturally Good Regenerating Night Cream

Technology & Claims

Nivea Naturally Good Moisturizing Cleansing Milk

Oil in water emulsion, with Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate / Glyceryl Caprylate / Cetearyl Alcohol as surfactants and co-surfactants, stabilized with Xanthan Gum. The oil phase is made of canola oil (Brassica Campestris). The water phase contains Glycerin and Alcohol denat. The formula contains an extract of tea leafs (Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract). The formula contains a fragrance, with some allergens listed.

The formula is protected against microbiological growth with several ingredients :

On the French Nivea website, several details are given on the formula :

  • 99% of ingredient from natural origine, obviously based on the ISO16128 standard defining the “natural origin” claim (“ingredients from nature and with more than 50% of their original molecular structure”), and including the water from the formula
  • 1% of “non natural” ingredients, presented as being “necessary for the stability and safety of the formula”.
  • 1 organic ingredient, the extract from tea leaf.
  • precision and transparency on the exact list of ingredients from natural origin and the “non natural” ones in the formula.

Nivea Naturally Good Refreshing Toner

Aqueous solution containing a cleansing mild surfactant derived from sugar : Decyl Glucoside, and an humectant / moisturizing agent : Glycerin, and Alcohol denat. It also contains an extract of tea leafs (Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract). The formula contains a fragrance, with some allergens listed.

The formula is protected against microbiological growth with :

Here below the details given on the formula from the Nivea French website :

Nivea Naturally Good Day Care Sensitive Skin

Oil in water emulsion, with Cetearyl Alcohol / Glyceryl Stearate / Glyceryl Caprylate / Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate as emulsifying system, and Xanthan gum as polymeric stabilizer.

The oil phase is made of Almond oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil), Jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil), Dicaprylyl Ether, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sunflower Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil).

The water phase contains Glycerin (moisturizer), Alcohol denat., and an extract of Camomille.

The formula does not contain fragrance.

The formula is protected against microbiological growth by :

Here below the details given on the formula from the Nivea French website :

Nivea Naturally Good Radiance Day Cream

Oil in water emulsion, with Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Caprylate and Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, and Xanthan Gum as polymeric stabilizer.

The oil phase is made of Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil), Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil), Dicaprylyl Ether, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter), Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sunflower Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil).

The water phase contains Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., and Aloe extract (Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder).

The formula contains fragrance (and associated allergens).

The formula is protected against microbiological growth by :

Here below the details given on the formula from the Nivea French website :

Naturally Good Regenerating Night Cream

Oil in water emulsion with Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Caprylate and Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, and with Xanthan Gum as stabilizing polymer.

The oil phase contains Almond oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii Butter), Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil), Dicaprylyl Ether, Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil), Sunflower Oil (Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil).

The water phase contains Glycerin and Alcohol Denat.

The formula contains a fragrance (and associated allergens).

The formula is protected against microbiological growth with :

Here below the details given on the formula on the Nivea French website :

Nivea is adding in April 2021 a range of solid cleansers. More about this innovation here.

By A.B.

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