History of Nivea

NIVEA is a large global skin- and body-care brand, owned by German company Beiersdorf. The company began in 1911 when Beiersdorf developed a water-in-oil emulsifier as a skin cream with Eucerit, the first stable emulsion of its kind. The company’s owner, Oskar Troplowitz, named it NIVEA, from the Latin word nivius (meaning snow-white).

During the 1930s, Beiersdorf began producing products such as suntan lotions, shaving creams, shampoo and facial toners. The trademark “NIVEA” was expropriated in many countries following WWII. Beiersdorf completed buying back the confiscated trademark rights in 1997.

Internationalisation during the 1980s propelled the NIVEA brand to a wider global market.