Lube Me Up: Creme de la Mer versus Nivea

Men are said to age differently than women, and I suppose that may be true. Somewhat. I think the reality is that men are given a free pass on aging- women, especially their faces, must remain plump, taut, and dewy with the bloom of youth until they’re slotted into the crypt, while men can get as wrinkled and gnarled as a coastal Monterey Cypress and just become “distinguished.”

Well, I am fighting “distinguished” every step of the way.

For a long time Creme de la Mer was considered the gold standard of moisturizers. It supposedly contained some near-magical seaweed brew that could take that gnarled old tree back to sapling with only judicious application. I never used it because it was just too darned pricey, and (I told myself) I was far too young to need it. But last Christmas I received a gift card to Saks so I put it as a down payment on a jar.

I had also been told that Nivea was about nine-tenths as good as CdlM at about a hundredth of the price. But apparently it had to be the Nivea from Germany in the round metal tin. Since I could get that for nothing practically at e-tailers I figure I could use the Nivea as the default and the CdlM as emergency stuff.

So, is there a difference? Well, yes. Now I have been told that CdlM had long been purchased by one of the big companies and that the magic seaweed broth was no longer quite so magic and like Nivea it lists mineral oil and petrolatum (vaseline, basically) high up on the list of ingredients (CdlM lists it’s algae extract first.) I am not one of those people who automatically discount and discard an item because they contain them- I don’t think they’re absorbed into the bloodstream after all and just act as a barrier or sealant to allow your skin to replenish itself. That’s what I tell myself anyway.

How do they perform that function? Very well. I obviously use the Nivea far more often because of cost- on a blustery day when my skin gets wind-chapped (yes, even in SoCal) Nivea is excellent. If I have had too much sun the CdlM comes out, and yes, it works better. The Nivea is easier to put on- it’s a creamier consistency out of the tub, while the CdlM is a little more like paste. You use the included spatula thingy to take some out of the jar, apply it to your face and let it melt in a before rubbing it all over. Both can frankly be a bit much for my skin- on those days I will just use the moisturizer/SPF 12000 sunblock I have from La Roche Posay or Olay which I put on before going out into the sun.

Will I repurchase? The Nivea? Sure. That’s a no-brainer. It would even be more of one if I still lived where it got really cold, or snowed. The Creme de la Mer? Well, never say never. Certainly if funds were unlimited I would buy it in the 16oz ($2800) jar and apply it with a paint roller. As it is I could see another small jar in my future for those days when I am stupid and leave the top down longer than I should.

Of course if you have any dupes you would like to suggest, or have your own experiences with either, pleas share in the comments.

Nivea Cream (the “good” German stuff in the tin) can be had for under $20 for two 8oz tins. Creme de le Mer is available at various stores starting at $100 for o.5oz. I purchased my items.

Photos: My iPhone and Pexels

  • Meg says:

    Another LRP stan here. For windburn or that horrendous chapped nose one gets when one has a respiratory bug: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Mains (the hand cream one). I usually fight with those things for a good week before either will subside. This cures me overnight. Lots of glycerin, a little dimethicone, soaks in nicely, and I didn’t get a breakout or comedones from it, like I do from their baume/salve version of the cicaplast. For my normal night cream, DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture. It’s $38 but often gets knocked down to $28 on Amazon, the small jar lasts forever, and I somehow look a good 5 years younger after using it a month. My face LOVES it…and it usually hates everything.

  • Shiva-woman says:

    My dermatologist recommended Jurlique a few years ago, and it’s perfect for me, very moisturizing, soaks in, and keeps skin supple. Jurlique has a line for hands, face, body, etc., but what I use is the “Moisture Replenishing Day Cream” on my face and hands too. It’s not cheap, but it’s not La Mer, some happier place in between. It’s made in Australia, so I wait for good deals and shipping to US.

  • Musette says:

    welp! I used to spend Big Money on the Chanel Sublimage line until both of my dermatologists recommended Vanicream – and it’s working like a lima bean so far. I use it atop my papaya/carrot seed oil and it seems to be holding the skin up as well as can be expected.
    I do a bit of red light therapy but am now extremely careful – I burned the living daylights out of my face and poitrine by extended RLT … and RETINOL! Because lunatic.

  • Tara+Mc says:

    I have tried both Nivea in the tin and CDLM (sample only) and both were too heavy then but now my neck is needing some kind of rich, supportive structure. I have about a million more samples to get through. Has anyone tried red light therapy? Wondering if it’s a new gimmick or if the hype is real.

    • Tom says:

      I wonder that myself? Looks kind of sketchy to me, but what do I know?

    • alityke says:

      I’ve got the Beauty Pie light mask & used it regularly pre wedding. Didn’t cure my turkey wattle neck, nothing will bar slapping on the pounds.
      I do think alternating the light & bit c creams made my skin look as good as it could

  • Tom says:

    Another vote for LRP. I’ve not tried the Cicaplast. I’ll have to.

  • alityke says:

    Damp, cool & humid here in Yorkshire. That’s why it’s so green. With a mix of Anglo Saxon, Scandinavian & Irish heretage I’ve been lucky with my skin until my 50s. Then the scaffolding crumbled & I went from looking 35 to 85 in a day! Maybe a tiny exaggeration but certainly from 35 to 65 on my 50th. No cream, lotion or magic seaweed potion is going to wipe away that collapse. I’m a member of Beauty Pie & their ranges aimed at older skin suit me. I tried prescription tretinoin for 18 months to absolutely no effect. I’ve found any old Vit C does help & No7 Future Renew SPF 50 does dull down where my freckles have joined together. Taking marine collagen tablets & biotin have helped my stress induced hair loss.
    Only tweaks & surgery will really help but in reality I’m grateful for having a baby face for as long as I did

    • Tom says:

      I have the same thing. 100% British Isles according to 23 and Me. I still look about 10-15 years younger than what I am (or so I am told) but yeah, it would take surgery to take off that many years. Which I can’t afford and don’t want. Maybe it’s science’s revenge that plastic surgery (done well) just peels the years off a woman’s face but on men, no matter how well done, makes them look slightly.. delicate?

      • alityke says:

        Delicate lol!
        I think on men it’s changing the nose & brows that gives that delicacy.
        The surgeon who was married to Kyle on RHWOBH. His face is unbalanced with that retrousse nose

        • Tom says:

          Definitely. Men shouldn’t have that Michele Lee nose and surprised brows. They also seem to get aggressive with the eyebags removal. Not a good look.

          • alityke says:

            Just doing the bottom eye bags can look ok if not “tight”.
            It’s when anyone gets a full blepheroplasty that tightens the whole eye area they get that sneery Melania look

  • SpringPansy says:

    I haven’t tried CdLM (or Nivea) but if we are chatting generally on facial creams, then I have three go-to facial creams:

    I quite often use Origin’s Avocado Mask as a warm weather lightweight nighttime (or even morning) moisturizer. It smells incredible.

    I am also loving my new Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery cream. It’s got a lovely creamy texture, lots of non greasy moisture and it smells great, also.

    But for a bit less glamorous yet very hard working protection from the elements, may I recommend Dame Perfumery’s 5 x 5 facial cream? It absolutely saves me when in a dry climate or at high altitude. Also good any old time. It’s not fragranced but does have a sort of bandaid scent that goes away quickly.

  • March says:

    It is DRY AF here, as you know, and we’re too close to the sun and it’s windy … I have a collection of creams. My favorite for the face is the Ordinary rich cream with ceramides (not the other one). It’s expensive by their standards but cheap as chips compared to most things. It doesn’t smell, doesn’t break me out, and doesn’t aggravate the atopic dermatitis I’m prone to on my cheeks in winter. It is incredibly rich and I can’t imagine anyone with normal/oily skin liking it. For my hands I alternate between a Tree Hut (love that stuff, hat tip to you!) and giant tubes of Glysomed, I think it’s Canadian (purchased on AMZ.) Looking forward to spring.

    • Tom says:

      I would love to visit that area- I love the desert, low and high. (not sure I’d love living there though. I’m a wuss) Did I mention Tree Hut? My mind is a sieve..

  • carole says:

    Love this post, Tom, cause I’m in the same boat. I bought the Nivea in the tin this summer, cause it was so inexpensive. I do like it but I don’t think I could use it every day. I sometimes buy La Mer, if there’s an offer on, or if I’m working out in the cold for extended periods of time. I like the La Mer-it works with my skin. The AB cream-I like their hand cream but the face cream isn’t perfect for me.
    Funny thing is we sell automotive and industrial lubricants-I bet I could make something very very similar, for far less $$$$ 🙂

    • Tom says:

      Oh I am sure that the markup on these are astronomical, and you could get 98% of the same effect with Auto Carnuba wax and some essential oils..

  • rosarita says:

    I have tried the Nivea in the tin and it made me break out. Nothing like having old, dry skin that still breaks out occasionally. Nivea would be good for my dry hands and cuticles. I have a subscription to the Allure beauty box, a gift from my wonderful daughter, and it has had some very good moisturizers and serums that I have enjoyed using but of course I still have old, dry skin.

    • Tom says:

      I know that Nivea et al can make some skin, even dry ones, break out. I think it’s the petroleum based products. I just got a new thing that is based on, of all things, beef tallow and honey. So far I am liking it, although when I put it on in the AM my neighbors dogs want to lick it off my face..

  • cinnamon says:

    I do wonder about those really pricey creams — La Mer, Agustinius whateverhisnameis. I’ve tried Nivea in the past and it and I don’t get along. It’s interesting about skin and atmosphere. Incredibly damp here, and even in London. When I used to visit my father in Brooklyn in the summer I had to slather on cream several times a day as it was so much dryer. I’m currently using a French brand SVR which has a hyaluronic and vitamin C gel cream. My skin appears to really enjoy it. It’s not as pricey as LM but more expensive than Nivea.

    • Tom says:

      Good lord- Brooklyn in the summer is dryer than London? Ooof! I’d have to wring myself out like a wet towel..

      I’ll look for that SVR

  • Maya says:

    I love your descriptions of aging women and aging men. It’s so true. I do assume though that men were the ones who originally said that basically women get old and men get distinguished. 😉 lol.
    I haven’t used Nivea in years but I remember that I liked it. For that crazy price, $2800, Creme de le Mer better give all users skin that is “plump, taut, and dewy with the bloom of youth”.

  • Maggiecat says:

    I also like La Roche -Posay – the. tinted mineral sunscreen is a staple. My skin can’t tolerate chemical sunscreens or mineral oil, and its surprising to me how many high end products include the later. I tried samples of both La Mer and Augustinius Bader The Cream, and both were meh. Apparently cost doesn’t equal quality!

    • Tom says:

      La Roche is one I have been using for decades. They were the first with Anthelios (I think) and sunscreens that were effective that didn’t feel like spackle. Love them.

  • Tara C says:

    I get a great result from La Roche-Posay Cicaplast for winter time or after too much sun. For summer I just use their regular Lipikar lotion in the pump bottle and/or their sunscreen. Since I have rosacea I have to be careful what I use and LRP works for me.