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Neutrogena vs NIVEA

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

Neutrogena and NIVEA are distinguished skincare brands known for offering nourishing moisturizers and protective sunscreens, with the American brand featuring glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, while the German brand incorporates hydrating glycerin. Both lines suit sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best, as their gentle formulations respect delicate cutaneous barriers. While Neutrogena favors specialized daily cleansers and refreshing toners alongside its core items, NIVEA focuses on targeted serums and reliable lotions to address various concerns.

Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

investor.kimberly-clark.comen.wikipedia.orginvestors.kenvue.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 Neutrogena and NIVEA products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Neutrogena vs NIVEA products

People Say

NeutrogenaNIVEA
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
  • Value and Versatility Rarely NotedMostly 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”
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “great price point — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Cleansing and Gentle Care Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “unclogs pores — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Classic Scent and Nostalgia Not 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”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared my complexion in 7 days — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “doesn't leave skin dry or stretched — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “reduces blackheads — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “hasn't caused a single breakout — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
  • Product Consistency and Residue Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves greasy film — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “Kept sliding off my face — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “not super gritty — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Skin Irritation and Breakouts Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “burns my eyes terribly — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
    • “balls up under foundation — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Scents and Fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Scent is so off-putting — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “has a weird plastic smell — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”

Neutrogena vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy NIVEA routine · $119.46 · 82% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $121.45 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Neutrogena vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy NIVEA routine · $297.86 · 88% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $263.48 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy NIVEA routine · $289.45 · 87% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $243.38 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or NIVEA: which is better?

Both brands are great, but Neutrogena is better for hydration and gentle cleansing, while NIVEA is better for value, versatility, and acne control. Neutrogena helps deliver deep moisture with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, and NIVEA is a strong option for oily skin with a High fit level.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

What is the difference between Neutrogena and NIVEA?

Neutrogena is better for hydration and gentle cleansing, while NIVEA is favored for value and blemish control. Both brands share an equal fit for most skin types, though NIVEA has a High routine fit for oily skin compared to Neutrogena's Average fit.

Neutrogena or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both Neutrogena and NIVEA achieve a high routine fit for dry skin with the products on this page. Neutrogena helps deliver deep hydration through formulas rich in hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin moisture.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Neutrogena or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena and NIVEA both offer strong options, but Neutrogena stands out for hydration and moisture while NIVEA is better for value and versatility. For dry skin, the products on this page help deliver deep hydration with ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

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

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or NIVEA?

NIVEA is known for value and versatility among the products on this page, while Neutrogena leans toward hydration and cleansing.

Which brand has more products without fragrance?

Neutrogena has more products on this page without fragrance, with 35 out of 39 options listing no added scent. In comparison, NIVEA has only 3 out of 9 products on this page that do not list fragrance.

Neutrogena or NIVEA for oily skin?

NIVEA is a better fit for oily skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Neutrogena's Average level. NIVEA's products on this page help provide blemish-clearing serums and intense deep hydration.

Neutrogena or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both Neutrogena and NIVEA offer sunscreens with high Lovi fit levels for various skin types, but Neutrogena's products on this page are mostly fragrance-free. Hyaluronic acid helps provide hydration and antioxidant benefits in sun care formulations.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and NIVEA are a High fit for sensitive skin on this page. Neutrogena helps offer deeply hydrating moisturizers that are fragrance-free in most of the products on this page.

Neutrogena or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

Both Neutrogena and NIVEA are a High fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers report that NIVEA offers blemish-clearing serums while Neutrogena provides acne-safe and gentle moisturizers.

Neutrogena or NIVEA for dry sensitive skin?

NIVEA achieves a High fit for dry sensitive skin, while Neutrogena reaches an Average fit on the products on this page.

Neutrogena or NIVEA for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and NIVEA offer high routine fit for mature skin. Neutrogena features retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation to improve naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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

How does it fit your skin?

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