NIVEA Men Creme for combination skin
Glycerin
Mineral Oil
Dimethicone
Tocopheryl Acetate
Alcohol Denat
Low
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- RiskySafety
A weak match for combination skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your combination skin due to glycerin and dimethicone, which hydrate and smooth skin texture, but the occlusive nature of paraffinum liquidum and microcristallina cera poses moderate risks of worsening oiliness.
- While glycerin provides humectant action suitable for combination skin, the formula lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
How to apply
- Use this moisturizer in your AM and PM routine every day to control shine. Always pair with SPF in the morning.
- Apply this moisturizer after your cleanser and toner, right before your morning SPF.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin and avoid harsh rubbing. Let it ⏳absorb for a minute.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help it lock in moisture better. This keeps your combination skin balanced.
- Avoid the eye area when applying the moisturizer. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsUsers consistently praise this creme as a versatile, non-greasy solution for dry skin on the face, hands, and body, noting its ability to absorb rapidly without leaving a sticky residue. It is frequently cited as effective for soothing post-shave irritation and combating winter dryness, leaving skin matte and soft.
Highlights
Versatile application Mostly Mentioned
- “Great for face, body, and hands”
- “Use it after shaving”
- “One product for everything”
- “Perfect all-rounder for travel”
Effective hydration Often Mentioned
- “Heals dry hands quickly”
- “Keeps face soft all day”
- “Prevents winter flaking”
- “Leaves skin velvety smooth”
Fast absorption Often Mentioned
- “Soaks in fully within seconds”
- “No greasy overlay”
- “Absorbs quickly without residue”
- “Disappears into skin instantly”
Masculine scent Often Mentioned
- “Smells like fresh cologne”
- “Pleasant masculine-fresh scent”
- “Clean and subtle smell”
- “Nice manly fragrance”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “Scent is too overpowering”
- “Smells too much like perfume”
- “Fragrance lingers too long”
- “Clashes with my cologne”
Insufficient moisture Rarely Noted
- “Not rich enough for very dry skin”
- “Lighter than original Nivea”
- “Need to reapply frequently”
- “Feels too thin for winter”
Packaging design Rarely Noted
- “Tin dents very easily”
- “Lid hard to open with slippery hands”
- “Container is too small for body use”
- “Screw top can be finicky”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “Stung my sensitive skin”
- “Caused minor breakout”
- “Alcohol content dried me out”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, walmart.com, influenster.com, chemistwarehouse.com.au, hometesterclub.com, and more
Questions and answers
Why is NIVEA Men Creme a weak match for combination skin?
NIVEA Men Creme is a weak match for combination skin because, while ingredients like glycerin and dimethicone help smooth and hydrate, heavy ingredients like paraffinum liquidum and microcristallina cera may worsen oiliness in your shiny areas. A moisturizer for combination skin needs effective brightening and moisturizing ingredients to reduce oily shine without feeling heavy, along with soothing agents and antioxidants to maintain a balanced, healthy complexion.
Which ingredients make this cream a poor fit for combination skin?
This cream is a weak match for your combination skin because paraffinum liquidum and microcristallina cera may worsen oiliness, and the formula lacks sufficient oil-control ingredients. A moisturizer for combination skin needs effective brightening and moisturizing ingredients, soothing agents, and antioxidants to reduce shine and balance the skin.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Mineral Oil do for combination skin?
Mineral oil helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by locking in moisture and supporting the skin barrier. Because it sits on the surface without penetrating deeply, a product of this type for combination skin needs a lightweight texture and balancing ingredients to avoid feeling too heavy in oily areas while hydrating dry patches.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening routines after cleansers, toners, and treatments. While it hydrates and smooths skin, it may make your oily areas too slick and needs ingredients that help balance oil.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying your retinol treatment first, letting it absorb, and then following with this moisturizer. This may help keep your skin smooth, but because this product is a weak match for combination skin, a better option would be a lightweight, oil-controlling moisturizer with balancing ingredients.
How often should I use this cream?
This cream can be applied daily as part of your morning and evening routine, though it may risk worsening oiliness on combination skin. To properly suit combination skin, a moisturizer of this type needs lightweight hydrators combined with effective oil-control ingredients.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cream may worsen oiliness on combination skin because heavy ingredients like paraffinum liquidum and microcristallina cera trap moisture and can clog pores in oily areas. Combination skin needs lighter, oil-free hydration and ingredients that balance oil production without feeling heavy.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is suitable to use on the body and around the eyes, as its rich moisturizers help soften and smooth skin across different body areas. Because the skin around the eyes is much thinner than most other areas, you may want to apply it gently to avoid any heavy feeling. A moisturizer for this skin needs lightweight hydration and ingredients that balance oil while keeping dry patches smooth without clogging pores.
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (geraniol and parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Alcohol Denat, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Microcristallina Cera, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Carbomer, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Geraniol, Parfum
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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