Thanks for mentioning Nivea - such a stellar reminder that great skincare doesn't need to cost a fortune! I use rosehip oil topped with Nivea creme in winter at night, and it has to be the richest, best treatment ever. My skin is always calm and glowing with no sign of any dryness. Of course it looks like a mess going on and while it's on, don't answer the door - and I'd advise not turning on your pillow, but it's amazing how it's all sunk in by morning.
as i clicked on my favorites to read this, i was literally pulling open my desk drawer to reach for nivea. i find this better than my other favorite hand lotion - neutrogena norweigian formula hand creme.
it's true that as soon as i wash my hands it's gone - but oh how soft i keep my hands. the smaller container is just 99 cents and perfect for stocking your desk drawer at work!
My HG winter night cream is Aquaphor, I wonder how this would compare..
I haven't used Nivea since I was a teen either -- but for those who might not like it, I just tried something else. I had a couple of dry patches on my face and found a sample of Dermadoctor's KP Duty in my stash. Although it's not really designed for the face, I used a little bit anyways. The stuff is amazing -- in two days the dry patches on my face were completely gone. Now -- it's a LOT more expensive than Nivea. But it definitely works.
My mother swore by Nivea, and she kept a remarkable complextion into her mid eighties, lines, but no wrinkles. It is heavy, and therefore probably better for night use, as you pointed out. Thanks for bringing it up to our attention, it's time to rediscover the old tried and true ...
wait your using this on your face? i use nivea at night on my body but on the face? that just seems wrong. what is amazing for the face during the winter though is a diaper creme my mom has used for god knows how long and she has no wrinkles what so ever. literally people never believe she's over 60. the creme is called A+D and even i use it during the winter to eliminate the dryness. i always prime my skin first with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil then A+D. i know it sounds weird but it works, trust me. i'm 30 and my skin still looks the same as it did when i was 16!
For winter hand cream, I am addicted to using Nivea body's extra enriched lotion (says that it "helps severely dry skin heal itself with vit e") It is not for the faint of lotion hearts due to its silky consistency, but it is glorious for keyboard pouding hands like mine. Also makes my mani neater
two winters ago my skin was plagued with horrible dryness and blotching, and i found most normal creams just weren't working. for another inexpensive fix, i really recommend PONDS dry skin cream. it's thicker than most (tho not as thick and nivea) and it keeps my face hydrated calm! only draw back is that your skin will look oily when you first put it on and it takes awhile for your skin to absorb it. but its well worth it for the price you pay!!!
I carry a little blue tin of Nivea around in my purse at all times - there's nothing better.
i've already posted once about my bf's fear of non-absorbing hand lotions (like aquaphor, my favorite!) so i'm trying out vaseline's hand and cuticle care - it's light and absorbs quickly but so far it's very effective, even overnight.
the nivea seems heavy - wouldn't it cause break-outs?
I was also wondering about the breakouts. And I have combination skin...would Nivea make it greasier in places???
I thought lanolin and mineral oil were the worst for your skin? I know they usually cause breakouts with oily skins and I'd be afraid that it might even cause breakouts on my combo skin.
when I need a little more moisture I swear by bobbi brown's extra soothing balm or face oil and they have never caused breakouts.
The comments are so interesting that I nearly forgot what I wanted to say...
I'm not a Nivea fan. last winter I was in target and craved a soft, super rich body moisturizer. I picked Nivea's whipped something-or-other becaused it looked like just the thing I needed. The texture was, indeed, wonderful, but the cream has actually made my skin dry. Nivea went to trash and I was back to the body butters.
As for my face, I'm wary of something so heavy even when I need lots of moisturizing. I'm alternating between Mario Badescu's seaweed night cream and Lancome's Secret de Vie. The latter is the exact opposite of Nivea price range-wise, but being in the wrong end of my thirties it's becoming necessary.
Great posts, thanks-I got some nice tips. Here's mine: Vaseline CREAMY. It is in a 4.5 oz tube for $3.99. It is not the regular Vaseline, be sure and look for the word "creamy" on the tube. It is incredible. I use renova, glycolics, etc. and it is so great to use when my skin just wants a break for a few days when it is super-dry. I can't comment if it causes breakouts, except that I have had none and my skin is combo. After I put it on my face, I slather it on my knees, feet and chest. It is cheap, simple ingrediants and works really well. The friends of mine that have tried it love it, too.
For me using a moisturizing body wash is the first step to moisturizing. I like Alba Botanica because you can find it at drug stores and it is really nice. When I use a body moisturizer, I try to find one with Shea Butter because it has been used for years. As far as the face, I am not big on thick creams. I like clean feeling on my face. I use one with hyaluronic acid which hold in the skin's natural moisture.
In the winter my skin gets so dry that it can literally crack. Eucerin daily moisturizing cream is what the dermatologist recommended and has been a lifesaver. The Daily Cream version is not thick and pasty like the rest of their line - I use this on the body and have tried more things than I care to admit - this is the only thing that works. For my face I use Bobbi Brown Extra Balm and never break out and keeps me moisturized.
Every few years I rediscover Nivea--usually in the winter. I call it butt cream cause it's so thick that was about the only place I could put it. Great stuff tho, for dry winter skin.
