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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

Buy NIVEA routine · £65.81 · 82% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £132.10 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy NIVEA routine · £161.96 · 87% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £242.09 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Estée Lauder vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy NIVEA routine · £150.97 · 87% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £204.59 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration while NIVEA offers better product value on this page.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and NIVEA?

Estée Lauder and NIVEA differ mainly in price and formulation focus, with Estée Lauder ranking better for deep hydration and gentle cleansing among the products on this page, while NIVEA offers better product value and versatile multi-purpose moisturizers. Both brands feature glycerin across their products, while Estée Lauder additionally includes hyaluronic acid.

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

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for dry skin?

NIVEA offers a High routine fit for dry skin on this page, while Estée Lauder has an Average routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page help provide intense deep hydration.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

For moisturizers on this page, Estée Lauder better provides deep hydration and moisture, while NIVEA offers more versatile multi-use options.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or NIVEA?

NIVEA is more affordable than Estée Lauder, as the products on this page for Estée Lauder frequently receive reviewer feedback about a high price point. NIVEA offers better product value and longevity according to the page reviews.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which brand has more fragrance-free products?

Estée Lauder has more fragrance-free products than NIVEA among the products on this page, with 12 out of 14 listing no fragrance compared to NIVEA's 3 out of 9.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which is better for deep hydration and moisture?

Estée Lauder does better for deep hydration and moisture compared to NIVEA. The products on this page for Estée Lauder help deliver deep hydration, backed by the benefits of topical hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which brand offers better versatile multi-purpose use?

NIVEA offers better versatile multi-purpose use compared to Est3 Lauder, according to reviewer feedback on this page. NIVEA products are frequently noted for their versatile multi-use moisturizers.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for oily skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer a High Lovi fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Estée Lauder stands out for deep hydration and gentle cleansers, while NIVEA provides versatile multi-use moisturizers and blemish-clearing serums.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer sunscreens on this page that achieve a High fit level for oily, combination, acne-prone, and dark-spot-prone skin types. Estée Lauder's DayWear Moisturizer achieves a Superior fit for dry sensitive, dry, sensitive, and mature skin, whereas NIVEA's sunscreens reach a lower fit for dry or dry sensitive skin.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer high routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Estée Lauder provides gentle and non-drying cleansers with a higher proportion of fragrance-free products, while NIVEA offers versatile multi-use moisturizers.

Estée Lauder or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and NIVEA offer high routine fit levels for acne-prone skin based on the products on this page. Estée Lauder features gentle and non-drying cleansers alongside key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps with skin quality. NIVEA provides blemish-clearing serums and deep hydration, though reviewers sometimes note that it may cause breakouts and acne.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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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