Nivea vs La Mer review: How does the £6 family favourite stack up against the £300 moisturiser?

First take

Despite having worked in the beauty industry for more than a decade, our tester had never tried La Mer’s moisturising cream before, often preferring to test and use products at a slightly lower price point. However, there’s no denying this cream screams luxury from the outset. The sturdy box – in that recognisable shade of green – combined with the chic glass jar and the applicator (which we would have expected to be made of metal rather than plastic) hidden at the bottom are world’s apart from Nivea’s basic blue tin.

The cream itself has a nostalgic, familiar scent that instantly took our tester back to watching her grandma apply skincare at her dressing table. The texture is thick but it does have a slightly whipped feel to it – which is as satisfying as it sounds – and a little really does go a long way, so, despite the price point, you can expect the pot to last a while.

Performance

Our tester found the best way to apply this formula was to either warm up a little bit of cream between her fingers before massaging it in, or dabbing it onto both cheeks, chin and forehead before rubbing it in from there. The former method is similar to the way the brand suggests applying as per this how-to video on YouTube.

One thing worth noting is that, at first, our tester was a little worried the cream wouldn’t absorb, as it’s thick and quite white when applied, if it isn’t warmed up slightly beforehand. However, even on the nights our tester didn’t work the cream between her fingers, it did mostly absorb into the face after a few minutes. It did occasionally leave a slightly greasy feeling in its wake, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it is reflective of the product’s occlusive properties, which help seal in moisture by creating a barrier on the skin.

The mornings after using La Mer’s moisturising cream, our tester found their skin felt nourished and hydrated, but not unlike how it feels when using other more affordable moisturisers. However, they have no doubt it is the sort of product that – thanks to the ‘miracle broth’ included – will have a cumulative effect and overtime it’ll work to help improve the overall health and appearance of skin.

First take

Before we go any further, we have to take into account that Nivea’s cream was never designed to be a high-end product. It was designed to be a simple and effective all-purpose moisturiser. Formulated with a blend of pathenol and glycerin, the brand says it works to intensely hydrate and soothe the skin.

Upon opening the blue tin, you’re greeted with a protective foil layer but once that’s peeled back, the cream has that same nostalgic scent while looking a little less whipped than La Mer’s offering.

Performance

As expected, Nivea’s cream is thick in texture and it is also quite white when first applied, but our tester found it seemed to absorb into their skin quite quickly. It didn’t leave much of a greasy residue behind, either, although there was a slight film on the skin – but, again, that is more down to its occlusive nature, so it is something to be expected.

The mornings after using this product, our tester found their skin felt soft and moisturised – much like how it looked and felt after using the La Mer cream.