Nivea ushers century-old blue tin cream into clean beauty
Key takeaways
- Beiersdorf has updated its Nivea blue tin cream with a vegan formula made from 99% natural-origin ingredients, marking its first line extension in a century.
- The new product was developed over six years, focusing on preserving the cream’s familiar sensory experience while improving sustainability.
- The launch supports Beiersdorf’s Net Zero 2045 goal, featuring a biodegradable formula and recycled aluminum packaging.
Beiersdorf brand Nivea has extended its blue tin cream line for the first time in a century, now made with 99% natural-origin ingredients. The Nivea Creme Natural Touch launches this month in Germany with a vegan formula, responding to the growing consumer demand for ethically responsible skin care.
The company claims that it sold four Nivea Creme blue tins per second globally in 2024, and its formula remains a cornerstone for the brand’s portfolio. Still, the company says it must adapt to the changing consumer expectations as they increasingly seek products that combine proven performance with a focus on sustainability.
“Our goal was to create a more sustainable version of our iconic Nivea Creme that combines responsible care and proven quality while honoring the emotional connection that our consumers have with this product,” says Christian Haensch, Beiersdorf’s general manager for Germany and Switzerland.
“Nivea Creme Natural Touch is more than just a line extension; it reflects our commitment to innovation and responsibility as part of our Net Zero 2045 roadmap, showing how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.”
Consumers at center stage
The company says it created the new product with consumers at the forefront of its design. It is based on six years of research involving over 10,000 consumers and 2,100 prototypes and tests to arrive at the final formula.
“The greatest challenge was to preserve the familiar sensory experience while achieving our sustainability ambition,” says Lúcia Zanforlin Trede, Lab Manager Nivea Creme.
According to Beiersdorf, it sold four Nivea Creme blue tins per second globally in 2024.“The result is a vegan cream made with 99% natural-origin ingredients and enriched with 100% oils of natural origin — including sunflower, rapeseed, and shea — delivering quality, performance, and sensory experience that truly convinces.”
The new cream is a part of the company’s broader goal to create environmentally sustainable skin care. Beiersdorf claims its formula is 99.9% biodegradable, and the tin is made of 95% recycled aluminum, reducing the product’s overall environmental footprint.
The personal care industry is experiencing a growing demand for transparency, safety, and sustainability, which is driving skin care solutions toward clean beauty. Today’s consumers are more informed and selective, seeking ethically sourced ingredients that deliver results without harming the skin or the planet.
Sustainability has become a must rather than a plus. Consumers are demanding transparency in ingredients, packaging, and throughout the entire supply chain.
Personal Care Insights previously sat down with industry members to discuss how sustainable beauty has gone from a “do not harm” approach to a focus on restoring ecosystems.
“Today’s trending sustainable beauty solutions are characterized by a move toward measurable impact and transparent data, moving beyond simplistic ‘green’ claims,” Gaëlle Bathany, VP of global marketing and Sustainability Cosmetic Ingredients at Symrise, previously told us.
Beiersdorf states that the extended product line is part of the company’s commitment to reach Net Zero emissions by 2045, demonstrating that tradition and innovation can coexist.
