In 1900, German doctor Oskar Troplowitz became the new owner of a pharmaceutical company called Beiersdorf, founded in 1882 by German pharmacist Carl Paul Beiersdorf.
In the same year he purchased the company, Troplowitz and his researchers developed a water-and-oil emulsifier as a skin cream, which went on to become Nivea – Latin for the cream’s ‘snow-white’ color).
Before the brand’s famous blue tins and jars came along, most skin products had been made of animal and vegetables fats that had a short shelf life and low aesthetic appeal. Nivea’s oil-and-water formula changed that.
“It was the first white cream that was stable,” said Nivea product development specialists Dr Volker Kallmayer.“That was a revolution back then.” The cream’s distinct scent includes essences of orange, bergamot, lavender, pink, lilac and a touch of musk.
Today the Nivea brand is sold in over 200 countries. UAE are the biggest consumers, followed by Poland and Germany, while France is in sixth position. Last year, 100 million of jars of Nivea creme were sold worldwide, including five million in France.
Nivea created a special 100th anniversary advertising campaign featuring the beautiful Umbrella pop star, Rihanna. The ‘100 Years of Skincare for Life’ campaign featuring the award-winning entertainer will be launched next month, the same month Rihanna undertakes her new world tour in support of her fifth studio album Loud.
For their centennial, Nivea states they “are partnering with another icon, global music sensation Rihanna,” and that “her voice will help us bring Nivea’s 100th anniversary celebration to fans all around the world.”