A pioneer in men’s skin care: NIVEA MEN celebrates its 100th anniversary

• From a shaving cream to the global brand for men’s skin care
• Today, NIVEA MEN accounts for around 20% of total NIVEA sales
• To mark the anniversary: three-part limited edition for customers in Germany and the United Kingdom

Hamburg, June 2, 2022 – What started as a simple shaving cream in Hamburg in 1922 has developed into a global brand for men’s skin care products with sales of €1.1 billion in 2021. Today, with a range of more than 120 items, NIVEA MEN by Beiersdorf is one of the leading brands for men’s skin care products. NIVEA MEN makes a significant contribution of around 20% to total NIVEA sales and has ambitious plans for the future in the areas of sustainability, innovation and digitalization.

“The 100th anniversary of NIVEA MEN once again demonstrates the impressive history behind our brand icon NIVEA. As the inventor of modern skin care, we also did pioneering work in men’s skin care. We are looking forward to preserving this legacy and leading NIVEA MEN into an even more successful future,” says Grita Loebsack, Member of the Executive Board and President NIVEA.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a man’s skin care routine primarily consisted of one thing: shaving. So, a decade after the introduction of its best-selling NIVEA Creme, Beiersdorf had perfect timing in the 1920s when it launched NIVEA Shaving Creme, which was an innovation at the time. To make shaving even more comfortable, in 1930 a practical tube was introduced as the packaging for NIVEA shaving creams. In the years that followed, this NIVEA duo enjoyed wide popularity – already on five continents at that time. Due to the Second World War and the temporary loss of the NIVEA brand rights, little happened in terms of product variety on the men’s side of the bathroom cabinet.

At the end of the 1970s, market researchers increasingly shifted their focus towards men. Studies showed that a majority of men were not satisfied with the strongly alcoholic aftershaves because they caused skin irritation. Beiersdorf’s innovation was to bring the mild and nurturing care that all NIVEA products were already known for into an aftershave. The result was overwhelming: with its NIVEA After Shave Balm introduced in 1980, Beiersdorf created an entirely new category of products – nurturing aftershaves, which, to date, are the top-selling product among the more than 120 items in the NIVEA MEN range.

Since 1986, the logo NIVEA FOR MEN – which was then changed to NIVEA MEN in 2012 – has adorned plenty of best sellers. In 1993, for example, the sub-brand of NIVEA was the first label to introduce facial care products for men to the mass-market segment. And there is no shortage of pioneering spirit at NIVEA MEN today to keep leading the way in the market for men’s skin care products. To reach the male target group, for instance, NIVEA MEN sought the help of a well-known spokesman: soccer coach Jürgen Klopp. Additionally, NIVEA MEN is a partner of the English soccer champions FC Liverpool, the French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain, and the traditional Spanish club Real Madrid.

The product portfolio is also constantly being expanded with innovative products. One of the most recent developments is the NIVEA MEN Sensitive Pro series, which is vegan and 100% microplastic-free and which features hempseed oil and vitamin E. In addition, NIVEA MEN is the first manufacturer of skin care products to use a new ingredient made from recycled CO2 in its new Climate Care skin moisturizers. With the launch of the NIVEA MEN SENSITIVE PRO Menmalist series, NIVEA MEN is following the current trend toward minimalism. The series consists of three products: a gel cleanser for face and beard, a shaving cream, and a moisturizing cream. All three products are made up of just ten individually selected ingredients.

As part of the Beiersdorf C.A.R.E.+ business strategy, further investments in sustainability, innovations, and digitalization play a role in the ambitious plans of NIVEA MEN. In addition to the focus on sustainability and innovation in product development, increasingly addressing consumers via digital channels is an important driver of growth.

To celebrate its 100th anniversary, NIVEA has introduced a three-part limited retro edition to the markets in Germany and the United Kingdom: NIVEA MEN Creme, NIVEA MEN Shaving Creme, and NIVEA MEN After Shave Balm in packaging with a classic look. This is only available as long as supplies last.

Link to the “100 years of NIVEA MEN” limited retro edition:
https://www.nivea.de/produkte/maenner/100-jahre-retro-edition