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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 established skincare brands from America and Germany, respectively. Estée Lauder is known for its moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers formulated with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting acne-prone and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the German brand is celebrated for its sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers crafted with glycerin, which suit sensitive skin and skin with dark spots. They differ primarily in their specific standout formulations and targeted skin concerns, though both rely heavily on glycerin to improve barrier function and hydration.

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

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which is better?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA are great brands, with NIVEA offering better routine fit for oily skin, combination skin, and skin with dark spots. Reviewers mention that the products on this page provide deep hydration and gentle cleansing for Estée Lauder, and blemish-clearing serums and versatile moisturizers for NIVEA.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and NIVEA?

When comparing the products on this page, Estée Lauder leans toward deep hydration and gentle cleansers, while NIVEA offers better product value and versatile multi-purpose use. For overall routines, NIVEA provides a High fit for oily and combination skin compared to Estée Lauder's Average fit, while both brands reach a High fit for dry, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer a High Lovi routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page for Estée Lauder feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers on this page, NIVEA offers versatile multi-use options with high value, while Estée Lauder features targeted luxury formulas with key ingredients like Hyaluronic acid and Glycerin. For dry skin specifically, the products on this page provide an equal routine fit level of High for both brands.

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

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable, while reviewers note that Estée Lauder has a high price point. Reviewers also mention product value and longevity as an advantage for NIVEA.

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 products listing no fragrance, compared to only 3 out of 9 products for NIVEA.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for oily skin?

For oily skin, NIVEA is a better choice because Lovi rates its routine as High, whereas Estée Lauder's routine is rated as Average. The products on this page from Estée Lauder also frequently face reviews mentioning a sticky or heavy residue.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens on this page, Estée Lauder features the DayWear Moisturizer, which achieves a Superior fit level for dry, dry sensitive, sensitive, and mature skin, and a High fit level for combination, acne-prone, skin with dark spots, oily, and oily acne-prone skin. NIVEA offers options like the MEN sunscreen and UV Deep Protect & Care Gel, with the latter providing High fit levels for combination, oily, and acne-prone skin.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA are great choices for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. NIVEA offers better product value and longevity, whereas Estée Lauder excels in gentle cleansing and makeup removal.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer great options for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for this skin type as High for both brands. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder provides gentle and non-drying cleansers, while NIVEA offers blemish-clearing serums.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, NIVEA provides a High routine fit on the products on this page, whereas Estée Lauder only reaches an Average fit. NIVEA offers specialized targeted options like the LUMINOUS630 ANTI-DARK SPOT SERUM that may help manage pigmentation concerns effectively.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for mature skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer a High Lovi routine fit for mature skin, meaning the products on this page are well suited for this skin type. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder provides deep hydration, while NIVEA offers versatile multi-use moisturizers.

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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