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Estée Lauder vs NIVEA

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Estée Lauder and NIVEA are distinguished skincare brands that offer thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, serums, and cleansers. The American brand is beloved for its comprehensive collections incorporating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting dry sensitive skin and dry skin best, while the German brand is deeply loved for versatile sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with glycerin, suiting sensitive skin and oily skin best. Both houses feature standout products for specific concerns like acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, yet they differ in their primary ingredients and targeted skin types. Through these expert preparations, their active components improve stratum corneum hydration, barrier function, and moisture.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Estée Lauder and NIVEA products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Estée Lauder vs NIVEA products

People Say

Estée LauderNIVEA
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothness Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • Product Value and Longevity Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Best affordable vegan moisturizer. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “absolute steal for the price — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “A little goes a long way — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
  • Pleasant Scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “smells really nice — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “pleasant cucumber fragrance — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
  • Gentle Cleansing and Makeup Removal Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “removes all my makeup effortlessly — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “unclogs pores — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Versatile Multi-Purpose Use Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Use it on face, body, hands, and feet — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Applying is easy, you can use on your face, hands, and body. — NIVEA Soft”
  • High Price Point and Cost Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Fragrance and Scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Scent is too overpowering for sensitive noses — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Has a heavy, baby powder smell. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “smells like men's hairspray — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Sticky or Heavy Residue Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “tacky film — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Leaves a greasy film behind — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy Estée Lauder routine · A$330.00 · 83% fitBuy NIVEA routine · A$176.64 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy NIVEA routine · A$394.61 · 87% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$497.39 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy NIVEA routine · A$366.08 · 86% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$490.31 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which is better?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer an equal routine fit for all skin types on this page, including dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder tends to do better for deep hydration and gentle cleansing, while NIVEA often provides better product value and versatile multi-purpose use.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and NIVEA?

Estée Lauder products on this page provide deep hydration and gentle cleansing, while NIVEA offers versatile multi-use moisturizers and blemish-clearing serums at a lower price point. Both brands use glycerin, and Estée Lauder formulas also feature hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin hydration and anti-aging signs.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA are a High fit for dry skin on this page. Reviewers report that the products on this page provide deep hydration, while key ingredients like hyaluronic acid help improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, though Estée Lauder leans on key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin while featuring mostly fragrance-free products on the page. NIVEA provides versatile multi-use moisturizers that often deliver intense deep hydration, but the products on this page frequently include fragrance.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable, whereas high price point and cost is a commonly noted downside for Estée Lauder. Reviewers on the products on this page often point out NIVEA for product value and longevity.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Estée Lauder or NIVEA?

Estée Lauder has more fragrance-free products on this page, with 12 out of 14 items listing no fragrance compared to NIVEA's 3 out of 9.

How do Estée Lauder and NIVEA compare regarding deep hydration and moisture?

Estée Lauder does better than NIVEA regarding deep hydration and moisture based on the review themes on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient across the products on this page, helps improve skin hydration and moisture levels.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Which brand was founded earlier and in which country, Estée Lauder or NIVEA?

NIVEA was founded earlier in Germany in 1911, whereas Estée Lauder was founded in the United States in 1946.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for oily skin?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit for oily skin, but they differ in reviewer feedback and formulation. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder products on this page often help provide a lightweight feel, whereas NIVEA reviewers frequently mention greasy and oily residue. Key ingredients across the products for both brands include glycerin.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer sunscreens on this page that help protect various skin types, but Estée Lauder stands out with higher overall fit levels across dry, sensitive, and mature skin. NIVEA sunscreens like Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+ and UV Deep Protect & Care Gel also provide high fit levels for combination, oily, and acne-prone skin.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer high routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and its formulas help provide deep hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer products on this page that are a High fit for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder provides gentle and non-drying cleansers, while NIVEA features blemish-clearing serums.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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