Skincare expert tests €300 Creme de la Mer and €5 Nivea to see which is better
UNLESS you’re a scientist or spend hours doing research – it’s hard to know exactly what’s in our skincare products and whether they’re worth the money.
But one cosmetic chemist decided to put two popular moisturizers from very different price ranges to the test to see which one came out on top.
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Carly Musleh made a video in which a woman said she thought the expensive £300 Creme de la Mer face cream was basically the same as Nivea’s gentle moisturizer, which costs £5.
She said: “I swear to God I think Nivea is basically Creme de la Mer but in a different box.”
Carly did what she did best and took them both to the lab to be tested.
The cosmetic chemist first applied both products in small squares to her forearm and left them both on for 45 minutes to absorb into the skin.
She then used a moisture meter to test both patches and see which one really kept the skin hydrated.
“So the question is which cream works best?” she added.
And the results were shocking.
“In the hydration test, Creme de la Mer had a 23% increase, while Nivea Soft had a 95% increase (in hydration), she explained.
Carly noted that this could be due to the high water content in the Nivea cream.
The beauty expert also tested both products for transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is the measurement that represents the amount of water escaping from the stratum corneum per skin area – in simple terms this means how much water is lost through the skin.
The results showed that the more expensive cream reduced TEWL by 8%, while Nivea’s face cream reduced it by 15%.
Carly then put both creams under the microscope to see how the formulas compared on a molecular level.
The expert said both had a tightly packed matrix (which is a good sign that a product is stable and not likely to spoil).
As for ingredients, Carly said both had very similar ingredient lists, but Nivea had a higher water content.
I’m 63, the only thing I’ve ever used is Nivea, my skin is excellent.
The chic cream also contains algae – a great ingredient for soft skin, which Nivea does not.
Overall, she said the couple was definitely similar, but not exactly the same.
The clip was posted to her TikTok account @carlymusleh has since gone viral with over 4 million views and 163,000 likes.
People were quick to respond and many were enthusiastic about Nivea.
One person wrote: “I buy Nivea soft.”
Another commented: “I had a patient who was 70 years old and she almost wore her face in the blue Nivea top. She looked 30. I couldn’t believe it.”
“Nivea is excellent!! That’s all I’ve ever used and I’m 50. Forget the serums and fancy stuff,” wrote a third.
Meanwhile, a fourth said: “I’m 63, the only thing I’ve ever used is Nivea, my skin is excellent.”
“For the moneyCreme de la Mer isn’t worth the extra compared to Nivea,” claimed a fifth.
“Someone else asked: “Soooo…same or not.”
“Similar, not the same,” Carly said.
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