🇮🇹Italy

NIVEA vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

NIVEA and Dr. Barbara Sturm are German skincare brands known for their gentle, dependable care. The legacy brand offers reliable sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with glycerin, suiting sensitive and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the newer brand is celebrated for its gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums built on scientifically advanced formulas, which suit sensitive, dry, and balanced skin. They differ primarily in their founding heritage and proprietary formulations, while both ultimately support the skin barrier and hydration.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular NIVEA vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

NIVEADr. Barbara Sturm
  • Softens and Smooths Skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “skin feels smooth — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “skin texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
    • “skin feels moisturized — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Drying Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Plumps Fine Lines Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
  • Glow and Radiance Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Extremely Expensive Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Greasy and Oily Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tacky finish — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”
  • Slow or Minimal Results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't see difference — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”

Questions and answers

NIVEA or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is generally gentler and better for a glow, whereas NIVEA softens skin effectively but can sometimes leave a greasy residue or cause breakouts.

What is the difference between NIVEA and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm does better at softening skin and being gentle, while NIVEA does better at softening and smoothing skin texture. Dr. Barbara Sturm is also noted for being extremely expensive.

NIVEA or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is gentler and more non-drying, while NIVEA offers deep hydration and moisture alongside versatile multi-use options like Creme, which Lovi rates as a High fit for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, NIVEA or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is noted as extremely expensive compared to NIVEA.

Which causes fewer breakouts, NIVEA or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is rated by reviewers as gentler and less drying, whereas NIVEA reviewers sometimes note that it causes breakouts and acne.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, NIVEA or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm has more fragrance-free products on this page, as every single one of its listed items contains no fragrance. In contrast, only three of NIVEA's nine products on this page list no fragrance.

When was each company founded and where are they from?

NIVEA was founded in 1911 in Germany, while Dr. Barbara Sturm was founded in 2014 in Germany.

What are the best-fitting skin types for NIVEA according to its brand-focused routines?

According to its brand-focused routines, NIVEA fits sensitive skin, mature skin, and oily skin best.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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