Nivea revamps its range dedicated to oily skins and adds three new products.

Nivea Young was an attempt of Nivea to enter the oily skin market with a new approach : unlike Clearasil or Garnier Pure, the idea was to have a fun positionning to play oily skin problems down. The names of the product were presented with “!”, vegetables were drawn on packs, the usual blue color used for oily skin products was associated with orange …etc. All this indeed contributed to play down oily skin problems, but certainly lowered the percieved potential efficiency of the range, and clearly targeted young people.

Nivea wants now to come back to a more classical concept, reinforcing the percieved efficiency of the formula through a stricter packaging design and a clearer range name able to target more people : Young is announced to be replaced by Nivea Visage Pure Effect.

The new Nivea Visage Pure Effect range is made of 9 products, three of them being new products.

The formulas taken back from Young have keep the same composition, and are :

– Control Shine Mattifying Gel Cream

– Stay Clear Purifying Toner

– Clean Deeper Daily Wash Scrub

– Peel Soft Mild Scrub Cream

– Wash Off Effective Cleansing Gel

– Matt Beauty Mattifying Tinted Moisturiser

The three new formulas are :

– All-in-1 Extra Deep Cleansing

– Thermo Daily Deep Cleanser

-Anti-Spot Super Light Day Care

All-in-1 Extra Deep Cleansing

Formula Structure

O/W emulsion, emulsified with Glyceryl Stearate / Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, helped with Cetearyl Alcohol, thickened and stabilized with Xanthan Gum.

The oil phase is made of Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides and Dimethicone.

The aqueous phase contains Glycerin and Alcohol denaturated.

The formula contains an absorbing clay, Kaolin, and an exfoliating powder, Polyethylene.

Preservative System

The formula is protected against microbiological growth by Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben and Propylparaben, helped by Alcohol denaturated, and Trisodium EDTA.

Active Ingredients

– Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract.

Thermo Daily Deep Cleanser

Formula Structure

Mainly anhydrous (aqua is only at the ninth position in the ingredient list), this formula is made of glycols : PEG-8, Glycerin, PEG-150 and Propylene Glycol, that have the property to generate a brief heat when mixed with water. The formula contains surfactants that participate to the foaming power (MIPA-Laureth Sulfate) and to the rinsability (Laureth-4).

The formula contains 3 “hydrophilic” oils, i.e. oils PEGylated to be soluble in water : PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil and PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate.

To improve the viscosity of the formula, Silica Dimethyl Silylate has been added as a thickener.

The formula is recommended to be use as follow : “Wet your face with warm water then dry your hands. Squeeze the cleansing gel onto your fingertips and massage over your entire face for 20-30 seconds, avoiding the eye area. Rinse thoroughly.” As explained above, the glycols used in the formula have the property to generate heat when put into contact with water. That is why, in order to feel heat on face, it is recommended to wet face, then dry hands and after massage with finger tips the formula on wet face. In contact with water, it will generate heat. It is an interesting process, but quite inconvenient, since it must be applied with dry hands to avoid the formula to heat in the hands instead of on the face.

When looking at competitors, other technologies are used to generate heat, in a more convenient way, and generatie a more intense heat.

– Estée Lauder Idealist Micro-D Deep Thermal refinisher :

Calcium Chloride, Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone, Polysilicone-11, Polyethylene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isododecane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isononyl Isononoate, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20,Triethylhexanoin, Nephrite (Jade) Powder, Bambusa Arundiacea (Bamboo) Stem Extract, Lauryl PEG-15 Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Alumina, Fragrance, Butylparaben, Isobutylparabin, Isopropylparaben, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

– Estée Lauder Idealist Dual-Action Refinishing Treatment

Magnesium Sulfate, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isododecane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Polyethylene, Polysilicone-11, Phenyltrimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Triethylhexanoin, Salicylic Acid, Cucumus Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract) Bambusa Arundinacea (Bamboo) Stem Extract, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract/Extrait D’orge, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Urea, PEG-15/Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Nephrite Powder, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Lauryl Methacrylate/ Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Fragrance (Parfum), Caprylyl Glycol, Water/Aqua/Eau. Silica, Alumina, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

– Olay Regenerist Thermal Mini-Peel

PEG-4, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG/PPG-300/55 Copolymer, Polyethylene, Dioleoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carnosine, Glycolic Acid, Tocopherol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Cetyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Hexylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Iron Oxides, Red 33, Blue 1, Amino-Peptide

– Clean & Clear Daily Pore Warming Scrub

Zeolite, Sucrose, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, PEG-8, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Steareth-2, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Polysorbate-20, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Fragrance, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl p-Cresol, Titanium Dioxide

Idealist Micro-D is based on the exothermic dissolution of Calcium Chloride powder. Idealist Dual-Action are based on the exothermic dissolution of Magnesium Sulfate powder. Olay Regenerist Thermal Mini-Peel is based on the exothermic dissolution of Magnesium Sulfate powder and glycols. And Clean & Clear Daily Pore Warming Scrub is based on the heat of absorption of zeolite powder. These technologies are more convenient than glycols because these powder are coated in oily hydrophobic bases which protect the powders from direct contact with water : they generate heat only when contact with water happens with massaging. On the other side glycols generate heat at the first contact with water, that is why Nivea recommends to dry hand before applying the formula with hands onto face.

The Nivea Pure Effect Thermo Daily Deep Cleanser is thus a new technology in the Nivea range, but not as advanced and convenient as the one described above.

Preservative System

Due to the presence of a large amount of glycols in the formula, the water activity is certainly low enough to prevent microbiological growth. As a consequence, the formula is self-protected, without the need of preservatives.

Active Ingredients

– Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract

Anti-Spot Super Light Day Care

Formula Structure

Emulsified gel based on the association of several polymers : Lubrizol Pemulen (Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer), Sodium Carbomer and Cognis Cosmedia SP (Sodium Polyacrylate). Among these three polymers, Pemulen has intrinsic emulsifying properties, due to its hydrophobic C10-30 Alkyl groups. Sodium Carbomer and Cosmedia SP help to stabilize the oil droplets by thickening the formula.

The oil phase dispersed in the polymer network is made of Cyclomethicone, Dr. Straetmans Dermofeel BGC (Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate), Dimethiconol, and two UV filters : Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene and Benzyl Salicylate.

The aqueous phase contains Glycerin, Alcohol denaturated and Methylpropanediol.

The formula contains a starch powder – Distarch Phosphate – that contributes to mattify skin, and improve the penetration speed of the formula.

Preservative System

The formula is protected against microbiological growth by Phenoxyethanol, helped by Alcohol denaturated, Methylpropanediol and Trisodium EDTA.

Active Ingredients

– Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract

– UV filter system : Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene and Benzyl Salicylate

Active ingredients / Claims :

The main active ingredient of the three new formulas of the Pure Effect range is the “Active Magnolia Extract” (Magnolia Bark Extract’). It is claimed by Nivea to be “known for its antibacterial properties”, and indeed, articles (here and here) confirm this property, more specifically on P. Acnes, the bacteria involved in Acne.

More details about Nivea’s Magnolia extract are given in the following video. It is said to have been found in China, and has the property to reduce in vitro the amount of P. Acnes bacteria by 90% and the formation of free radicals implied in the inflammation process.

This video also gives the opportunity to discover some members of the Beiersdorf scientific team : Tina Hamann (Nivea Research Skin Care), Dr. Reto Peirano (Nivea Research Skin Care), Julia Heusel (Nivea Research Skin Care), Dr. Thorsten Schläger (Nivea Research Active Ingredients), Dr. Nils Peters (Nivea Research Skin Care), Esma Alanya (Nivea Visage Product Development), Charlotte Wille (Nivea Visage Product Development), Dr. Henrike Neuhoff (Nivea Visage Product Development).

General conclusion on the Nivea Pure Effect range :

The three new formulas detailed above bring some innovation in the new Nivea Pure Effect range made of previous Young formula appart from them : the All-in-1 cleanser is a technology of cleanser that can also be used as a mask, the Thermo Daily Deep Cleanser has the ability to generate heat when massaged onto wet skin, and the Anti-Spot Care is a surfactant-free emulsified gel well adapted to oily skin. This innovation was actually necessary to Nivea since it competes with other strong competitors in the Oily Skin markets. But the new product are not so innovative regarding technologies available on the market : Neutrogena/Clean & Clear and Garnier already have an “All-in-1” equivalent, a cleanser that can be used as well as a daily cleanser or as a mask. And Garnier has in its range a warming mask, while Neutrogena/Clean & Clear and Olay master a more convenient heating technology than Nivea.

Pure Effect is thus an attempt of Nivea to catch up its competitors in Mass Market, with similar yet a little bit less innovative technologies. However, as usual, the strenght of the Nivea brand will certainly help to counter-balance these weakness.

Ingredients

All-in-1 Extra Deep Cleansing

All-in-1 Extra Deep Cleansing

Anti-Spot Super Light Day Care