NIVEA Soft for dry skin
Jojoba Oil
Vitamin E
Glycerin
Mineral Oil
DimethiconeAverage
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other moisturizers fit it 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
- Offers moderate moisturizing for your dry skin due to the presence of glycerin and jojoba seed oil, which hydrate and smooth texture. Petrolatum further supports emollient action, providing a protective barrier against moisture loss.
- This formula provides general skincare benefits, such as hydration, for dry or flaky skin.
- The product is safe for your dry skin, as it contains no prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
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
★4.6Overall rating based on 98.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is frequently praised for its lightweight, fast-absorbing formula that effectively hydrates and softens normal to dry skin on the face, hands, and body without a greasy feel. It is also noted for being versatile and affordable. Some users with sensitive or acne-prone skin report breakouts, and a moderate number of reviews mention dissatisfaction with recent formula changes, citing a less moisturizing, waxy, or tight finish. A low frequency of users dislike the lingering scent.
Highlights
Lightweight, absorbs fast Mostly Mentioned
- “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen.”
- “Once applied to my skin, it dried in under 2 minutes.”
- “It absorbs quickly and retains moisture all day without making my skin hot or tacky.”
- “Its lightweight, creamy texture absorbs quickly, leaving skin feeling soft and hydrated without a greasy residue.”
Softens and smooths Mostly Mentioned
- “Makes my face feel smooth and soft.”
- “My hands and body felt very soft and moisturized.”
- “Today I feel like my skin has never been so smooth and soft.”
- “Great for daily use, keep skin soft and smooth.”
Versatile multi-use Often Mentioned
- “Applying is easy, you can use on your face, hands, and body.”
- “I just use it at night, primarily on my feet, legs and hands. I do put a little on my face if it feels dry.”
- “I've used this on my face, hands and body. It's perfect.”
- “Great work desk companion to keep your hands from feeling dry... but also at home in your bathroom.”
Affordable, accessible Sometimes Noted
- “Best affordable vegan moisturizer.”
- “This one is very cheap compared to most moisturizers.”
- “For the price per ounce, you can't beat this quality.”
- “Financially affordable and work wonderfully for keeping skin soft.”
Causes acne Sometimes Noted
- “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while.”
- “I definitely wouldn't recommend this cream to anyone who is acne prone or prone to clogged pores.”
- “It caused me to break out and also didn't keep my oily skin at bay.”
- “I think this crème is too heavy to be continually used on my face.”
New formula disappointing Sometimes Noted
- “HATE NEW FORUMULA... Leaves my skin dryer and does not provide with the same amount of moisture.”
- “New formula is horrendous... changed an amazing formula to something I would rather throw in the bin.”
- “The recent modified one is not good at all.”
- “I actually came to the Nivea website hoping to find the original (non-vegan) formula, as I've seen many others share similar frustrations.”
Lingering scent Rarely Noted
- “Has a heavy, baby powder smell.”
- “I'm not a fan of the way Nivea Soft Moisturizing Crème smells... it resembles baby powder or an old lady smell.”
- “The smell doesn't dissipate either; it stays with you for a long time.”
- “Scent definitely lingers on the skin for a while.”
Waxy, tight finish Rarely Noted
- “After it absorbs it doesn't feel moisturized it feels like a thin layer of tight wax on your face.”
- “Leaves my skin dryer and does not provide with the same amount of moisture.”
- “New formula seems to give this mild burn feeling on the face.”
- “The new tub i bought is no longer the same nor does it feel the same and it does [not] make my foundation apply properly.”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, walmart.com, niveausa.com, kroger.com, moisturizers.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does NIVEA Soft work for dry skin?
NIVEA Soft works moderately well for dry skin, providing basic hydration and a protective barrier against moisture loss with ingredients like glycerin, jojoba oil, and petrolatum. Because dry skin often needs richer barrier support and intensive nourishment, moisturizers that rate higher for this skin type typically feature a richer blend of deeply soothing ingredients and moisture-retaining agents like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin, jojoba oil, and petrolatum help make this cream a good fit by hydrating dry skin, smoothing its texture, and locking in moisture. To fit dry skin even better, a moisturizer needs rich nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing agents that provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier.
What does Jojoba Oil do for dry skin?
Jojoba oil helps repair the skin barrier and lock in moisture to keep dry skin soft and smooth. It closely matches natural skin oils to boost hydration and calm irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2022
What does Vitamin E do for dry skin?
Vitamin E helps dry skin feel softer and smoother by increasing moisture, keeping hydration locked in, and improving overall skin barrier function. It may also calm redness and reduce roughness over time with regular use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022
Where does it go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
In a routine for dry skin, this moisturizer goes after cleansing and any hydrating toners in the morning, and after makeup removal, cleansing, and treatments in the evening. Daily use of a moisturizer like this helps hydrate dry skin and smooth its texture while protecting against moisture loss.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the retinol first and following it with this moisturizer to help keep your skin calm and hydrated. Using a moisturizer with retinol is unlikely to cause irritation and may help support your skin barrier against dryness. Dry skin typically benefits most from richer creams containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or squalane to lock in extra moisture.
How often should I use it?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine to keep dry skin hydrated and smooth. Regular daily application helps support the skin barrier and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Health Science Reports, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cream may cause acne for dry skin, as some reviewers complain about breakouts. A product for this skin needs richer hydrators and barrier-protecting ingredients that deeply lock in moisture without feeling heavy.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this moisturizer on your body and around your eyes because it contains no harsh ingredients that may cause irritation. For very dry skin, a product of this type needs extra rich hydrators and barrier-protecting ingredients to keep skin soft and smooth all day.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains 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, 2017Petrolatum-based skin protectants demonstrated protection against irritants and maceration while providing skin hydration, whereas dimethicone and zinc oxide products showed varying or limited performance across parameters among 18 healthy volunteers compared to positive and negative controls.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2005Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Topical application of jojoba wax reduced LPS-induced secretion of IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα by approximately 30% and increased the synthesis of pro-collagen III and hyaluronic acid compared to untreated skin in an ex-vivo human skin organ culture model.
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2024Topical jojoba oil application in male mice decreased exercise-induced pro-inflammatory gene expression (Il-1b and Il-6 in soleus, Il-1b in gastrocnemius) compared to untreated exercised mice.
Biomolecules, 2025Topical 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, 2024The 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, 2007
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat, Stearic Acid, Petrolatum, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Dimethicone, Jojoba Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lanolin Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
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
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