Nivea Soft
Works for
1 of 1 advertised claim delivered
Moisturizing13 ingredients credited for this claimStrong support
“Our formula refreshes the skin with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil, which is quickly absorbed and works to moisturise your body, face and hands.”
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
glycerin, butylene glycol.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: cera microcristallina, dimethicone.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: paraffinum liquidum
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy7 strong irritants: Alcohol denat., Linalool + 5 more — patch-test recommendedHigh risk
Comedogenic2 ingredients rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale2 flagged
User reviews
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Glycerin~4.4–6.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinParaffinum liquidum~3.7–5.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Mineral oil. One of the most effective and well studied occlusive and emollient moisturizing ingredients. Helps reduce moisture loss in skin and repair skin barrier function
More about Paraffinum liquidumMyristyl alcohol~2.7–4.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps to stabilize the product formulation while softening the upper layer of the skin. Can be irritating
More about Myristyl alcoholButylene glycol~2–3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Butylene glycolAlcohol denat.~1.6–2.4%
- Irritation risk
- High
Produces temporary toning effect. Can help dissolve other ingredients or preserve products
More about Alcohol denat.Myristyl myristate~1.4–2.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
An emollient. Is not recommended for acne-prone skin as it can be comedogenic
More about Myristyl myristatePalmitic acid~1.3–1.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that is naturally present in skin and helps soften it
More about Palmitic acidGlyceryl stearate~1–1.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
More about Glyceryl stearateStearic acid~0.85–1.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient
More about Stearic acidCera microcristallina~0.55–1.25%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin, reduce water loss from its surface and create a thicker product consistency
More about Cera microcristallinaHydrogenated coco-glycerides~0.4–0.9%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together while creating a nice finish on the skin
More about Hydrogenated coco-glyceridesSimmondsia chinensis seed oil~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Softens the upper layer of skin and helps restore the healthy skin barrier. Has shown to help calm down inflammation in skin. It is a stable oil, meaning that it retains its properties even when exposed to air.
More about Simmondsia chinensis seed oilTocopheryl acetate~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
More about Tocopheryl acetateLanolin alcohol~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together. Can be irritating
More about Lanolin alcoholMyristic acid~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
Helps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenic
More about Myristic acidArachidic acid~0.35–0.8%
Oleic acid~0.15–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin. At the same time, it can weaken the skin's barrier enhancing penetration of other ingredients and increasing the risk of skin dryness
More about Oleic acidPolyglyceryl-2 caprate~0.15–0.6%
Dimethicone~0.15–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A silicone that helps to reduce water loss from the surface of the skin. Can temporarily "fill in" lines and wrinkles, absorb oil, and create a nice product finish
More about DimethiconeCarbomer~0.1–0.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps create a thicker or gel-like product texture. It is not a surfactant but can be used in gentle cleansing formulations
More about CarbomerSodium hydroxide~0.1–0.4%
Phenoxyethanol~0.1–0.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolLinalool~0.05–0.25%
Citronellol~0.05–0.25%
Alpha-isomethyl ionone~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- High
A fragrance. Potential allergen and can be irritating
More about Alpha-isomethyl iononeBenzyl alcohol~0.05–0.2%
- Irritation risk
- High
A preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritating
More about Benzyl alcoholLimonene~0.05–0.15%
- Irritation risk
- High
A common frangrance that can easily irritate skin, especially if exposed to air, light or heat
More about LimoneneBenzyl salicylate~0.01–0.1%
Parfum~0.01–0.05%
- Irritation risk
- High
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
More about ParfumIngredient list view
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum liquidum, Myristyl alcohol, Butylene glycol, Alcohol denat., Myristyl myristate, Palmitic acid, Glyceryl stearate, Stearic acid, Cera microcristallina, Hydrogenated coco-glycerides, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil, Tocopheryl acetate, Lanolin alcohol, Myristic acid, Arachidic acid, Oleic acid, Polyglyceryl-2 caprate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Sodium hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Citronellol, Alpha-isomethyl ionone, Benzyl alcohol, Limonene, Benzyl salicylate, Parfum
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| NiveaSoftYOUR PRODUCT | BIOTHERMBlue Therapy Night Cream | La Roche-PosayNutritic Intense Nutri-Reconstituting Cream | KoseCoenRich Q10 Brightening Tone Up Hand Cream | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 55% | 54% | 54% |
| Price | $1.69 | $47.47+$45.78 | $25.78+$24.09 | $11.40+$9.71 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 2 of 6 | 4 of 6 | 4 of 6 |
| Key difference | — | Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine | Niacinamide | Petrolatum |
| Irritancy | High | High | Medium | Low |
| Drying alcohol | Contains drying alcohol | Contains drying alcohol | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
Product summary
Based on the ingredients included, "Nivea - Soft" works well for moisturizing the skin. This moisturizer uses a good combo of humectants and emollients. These both types of ingredients are essentials for improving the skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy. Humectants in this product (glycerin and butylene glycol) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Paraffinum liquidum, cera microcristallina, dimethicone, myristyl myristate and glyceryl stearate in this product help decrease the water evoporation from the skin, so that it stays hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and take away the feeling of tightness and dryness.
This product contains ingredients that could be beneficial, but their concentrations are too low in this formulation: jojoba oilIrritation risk
This moisturizer contains a bunch of common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide any known benefit for the skin. It might not be the best choice if your skin is sensitive. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails for 9.97CA$ in Canada, for 18.39$ in the United States and for 1.87£ in the United Kingdom.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 10 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2A review on the extensive skin benefits of mineral oilncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3Cosmetic allergy from myristyl alcoholncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4
- 5Patch testing with myristyl alcoholresearchgate.net
- 6
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