Legs Look Okay With A Bit Of Gloss - Don't You Think? (Nivea Soft Intensive Moisturising Creme)

Member Name: Sexy Kay

Product:	Nivea Soft Intensive Moisturising Creme
Date:	23/07/02 (666 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap

Disadvantages: Heavy

"That's cheap."

"Yea, but it's for old biddies."

"It's good stuff, look at your gran's skin."

"Exactly!"

"Try it. It's just as good as that expensive gunge you pay out goodness knows what for, and look, it's only three quid. That's definitely cheap."

I was at the market in Hayes Football Club's car park, with my mum. Sometimes in life it's much easier to give in, so I ended up buying a tub of Nivea Soft. Who knows, perhaps it was her way of trying to tell me something!

It was actually a good deal - or it would have been if I really wanted to buy some. In most shops a 150ml size is about £3.50. At the market, under mum's persuasion, I bought a big 300ml tub for just £3. Double the size for less than the normal price, a bargain or what - mmmm?

When I got home I looked at the Nivea properly and read the lid: 'Crema idratante per una pelle piu morbida. Con olio di jojoba vitamina E'. So that was as clear as mud. It must have fallen off the back of a foreign lorry as opposed to a British one!

Since then, in my capacity as a conscientious Dooyoo investigator, I've compared it to 'one of ours', well one of my grans, and the ingredients are the same. According to the UK tub, Nivea Soft is an 'Intensive Moisturising Creme, for smooth and supple skin, with Jojoba oil and vitamin E'. Can't grumble at that I suppose. Oh yes, and it's 'for everyday use on face, hands and body.' So you can slap it on all over, if so inclined. Saves having lots of different tubs and bottles.

I tried offering the Nivea to my gran but she insisted, "No, you use it", and gave me a wrinkled grin. So I was stuck with it. I examined my skin closely when I got back to my flat. Looked okay to me, maybe I was just being paranoid.

You know, what puzzles me ab
out creams, or cremes as Nivea call them, is that you have no idea how much, in this case, Jojoba and vitamin E are contained in the moisturiser. Come to that you can't even find them, under their familiar names, in the ingredients listing. How can we be sure, therefore, that they are not just used in minimal proportions as a marketing ploy?

Anyway, the Jojoba oil is said by Nivea to 'nourish the skin' and, did you know? I have found out that it closely resembles sperm whale oil (spermaceti) in composition and contains a wax like substance suspended in alcohol. It seems that the cosmetics industry 'discovered' Jojoba in the 70's when the sperm whale became an endangered species. Up until then they used an oil based on the blubber of these lovely creatures in their products.

The Jojoba plant thrives in arid desert regions and can tolerate strong winds, fierce heat and prolonged drought. For centuries the plant was valued only by the Apache and Mohave Indian tribes for shining their hair. The oil comes from the nuts - no comment! Tests have shown that Jojoba can easily be absorbed. It has so called self adjusting qualities and is suitable for all types of skin. There we go.

Now for vitamin E. Nivea say it is used 'to protect its (the skins) natural moisture balance'. Seems feasible. From what I've read elsewhere the vitamin improves the absorption of substances and therefore gives the skin a better chance of absorbing moisture. There have also been claims made that E (the vitamin, that is) is useful for the treatment of burns, herpes and can also reduce the effects of scarring.

Okay, we won't argue that vitamin E and Jojoba are worthwhile 'headline' ingredients - agreed? Providing a sufficient amount is included, of course, to make them effective. I'm sure with Nivea this is the case, as they are a reputable company.

Let's do a test! I'll have
a shower, so shut your eyes while I get my kit off. I should also block your ears as I usually sing as I scrub ...

... okay, finished. I'm sparkling clean and ready for the Nivea.

Unscrew the lid, a quarter of a turn and it's off. Ahh foil over the top, pull this back and there is the white cream waiting to be used. A quick sniff. Oh dear, it's that typical Nivea smell! It's alright, but not something that appeals to me. I think it's about time that they updated their 'parfum', as they call it - or even leave it out.

Right, a finger full of the cream and I'll try some on my face and neck. It is quite 'soft', as the name suggests, and rubs in fairly easily though my face looks slightly shiny. For me it was a little too thick for facial use, I prefer something lighter. It does seem to have plumped up underneath my eyes, where I must admit I was looking a little tired - so a plus there.

Now you're not peeking are you? I want to do the rest of me ...

... as with my face the cream massages in reasonably easily and leaves a slight shiny look, which I don't really mind. Legs look okay with a bit of a gloss, don't you think? So, yes, that's all satisfactory, much more suitable for body use I think. Only trouble is: take a sniff. Smell it? It's that parfum and it does linger a bit. My skin feels alright though to the touch - smooth, but no improvement on other products I have used. Dove Silk, for example, though similar in appearance, left my skin so soft and silky that even my boyfriend noticed - which is saying something! I can't see Nivea Soft having the same effect, unfortunately. I also prefer 'Soul Owner' from Philosophy for my feet and there are dozens of more appealing face moisturisers - in my opinion

From what I can see though Nivea does moisturise well - which is a thing I'm obsessed about. I feel moisturisers
are essential to keep the skin in good condition. I plonk it on after every wash, bath or shower - time permitting. I can't see me switching brands to Nivea though.

By coincidence I was reading Anita Roddick's autobiography - she's the founder of Body Shop. She quite slams the cosmetics industry generally and writes, "All moisturiser creams work on the same principle of encouraging the skin to absorb moisture and retain it - no matter how much the jar costs". She reckons, in other words, that cheaper creams are often just as good as some of the extravagantly priced products. On that basis I guess Nivea does the trick, especially if on a budget - and you are near a market!

My conclusions? If you want a reasonably priced moisturiser to spread all over, and don't mind the smell, Nivea is fine. It's just not glamorous and has no illusions of grandeur ... but I guess that doesn't really matter. Often advertising and packaging can account for nearly half of the retail price. We pay for the dreams woven by the marketing people. With Nivea you get a plastic pot filled with cream - full stop.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Use Nivea and, as Philosophy products would say: 'Everything will soften except your integrity.'

Stay moist,
Kay

P.S. I didn't mean that bit about Nivea only being for old biddies - honest!

Summary: