NIVEA Creme for dry skin
Glycerin
Lanolin Alcohol
Mineral Oil
Panthenol
Microcrystalline Wax
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few moisturizers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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
- Highly suitable for your dry skin due to the humectant action of glycerin and panthenol, which provide excellent moisturization and barrier support.
- Lanolin alcohol eucerit further enhances nourishment, addressing your dry or flaky skin concerns with basic moisturization.
- The formula is safe for your dry skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing panthenol.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
- Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
- Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 12.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users consistently describe this product as a heavy-duty moisturizer that excels at healing extremely dry, flaky, and rough skin, particularly during harsh winter months. While widely praised for its ability to soften tough areas like elbows, knees, and hands, results on the face are mixed; many love the glow it provides, but those with acne-prone or oily skin frequently report clogged pores and breakouts.
Highlights
Intense deep hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight”
- “Relieves tightness and discomfort caused by dry skin”
- “Keeps me moisturized all winter long”
- “Heals cracked hands and rough elbows instantly”
Versatile multi-purpose use Often Mentioned
- “Use it on face, body, hands, and feet”
- “Great as a night cream and makeup primer”
- “A staple for the whole family”
- “Perfect for dry spots anywhere on the body”
Greasy/oily residue Often Mentioned
- “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away”
- “Takes forever to absorb into the skin”
- “Too oily to use during the day”
- “Leaves fingerprints on everything I touch”
Classic nostalgic scent Sometimes Noted
- “Smell brings me back to childhood”
- “Clean, fresh, and comforting scent”
- “Loves the signature Nivea fragrance”
- “Smells like clean laundry and comfort”
Unbeatable value Sometimes Noted
- “Works better than expensive luxury creams”
- “Affordable price for such high quality”
- “A little goes a long way, lasts months”
- “Best budget moisturizer on the market”
Causes breakouts (face) Sometimes Noted
- “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne”
- “Too heavy for my face, caused whiteheads”
- “Woke up with new pimples after one use”
- “Not safe for acne-prone skin types”
Thick/hard to spread Sometimes Noted
- “Consistency is like a thick paste or sunblock”
- “Have to drag it across skin to apply”
- “Needs to be warmed up in hands first”
- “Difficult to rub in completely”
Strong fragrance Rarely Noted
- “Scent is too overpowering for sensitive noses”
- “Wish they had an unscented version”
- “Fragrance irritated my sensitive skin”
- “Smell lingers too long”
Sources: lovi.care, influencer.com, walmart.com, hometesterclub.com, shespeaks.com, target.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes NIVEA Creme a great fit for dry skin?
NIVEA Creme is a great fit because glycerin and panthenol pull in moisture and support your skin barrier, while lanolin alcohol nourishes dry or flaky spots. The gentle formula is also safe and soothing for everyday use.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and panthenol make this cream a good fit because they draw moisture into your skin and support your skin barrier, while lanolin alcohol and mineral oil help lock that moisture in. These ingredients work together to deeply nourish dry or flaky skin without causing irritation.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Glycerin do for dry skin?
Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008
What does Lanolin Alcohol do for dry skin?
Lanolin alcohol helps dry skin by locking in moisture to keep it soft and smooth. Because it can occasionally cause irritation or allergic reactions in some people, it is unlikely to suit sensitive or easily irritated skin types.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cream goes toward the end of your morning and evening skincare routines, right before sunscreen in the morning and as the final step at night. Using a daily moisturizer helps improve skin hydration and barrier support for dry skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
Yes, you can use this cream alongside retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with this moisturizer. Using a barrier-supporting moisturizer helps keep dry skin calm and comfortable while you use retinol, reducing the likelihood of flaking and irritation.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. Regular daily application helps keep dry skin soft and smooth while supporting the skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin, though some users do report a greasy feel from its richer ingredients. Its safe formula avoids harsh irritants and focuses on keeping dry skin nourished and calm.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream safely around your eyes and on your body because its nourishing formula contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing panthenol. It helps keep thin and dry skin areas soft and comfortable.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (limonene, geraniol, linalool, and citronellol).
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Nanoemulsion-based lanolin derivatives increased skin hydration and oiliness without changing cutaneous pH values and proved non-toxic by causing no skin irritation.
Molecules, 2016A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025A 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, 2001Repeated 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, 2019Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 2020
Ingredients
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Microcristallina Cera, Glycerin, Lanolin Alcohol Eucerit, Paraffin, Panthenol, Magnesium Sulfate, Decyl Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Aluminum Stearates, Citric Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, Citronellol, Benzyl Benzoate, Cinnamyl Alcohol
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.