Nivea is a brand that everyone knows exists, but because it's an affordable brand you would never expect that it has many patented ingredients and revolutionary technologies. Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 series is one of Nivea's series which you have to know because it contains Thiamidol - a tyrosinase inhibitor. This unique Nivea ingredient can be found in both Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum and Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50. Can Nivea's series help with pigmentation?
I have to admit I lied to you, even if Thiamidol is unique to Nivea, it's not like only Nivea can use it since the patent belongs to Beiersdorf. I know that Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie have Thiamidol-based products. Eucerin serum is very popular in Poland but hard to get since Eucerin doesn't have an official sale in Poland. Nivea is more affordable and its availability is better.
How to fight pigmentation?
Thiamidol is a tyrosinase inhibitor which makes it a great tool to treat pigmentation, especially melasma. Some people call it "an alternative to hydroquinone". Nivea is a European brand and in Europe hydroquinone is banned. It's good to add that hydroquinone has some side effects like exogenous ochronosis - google this one. There are some alternatives to hydroquinone like arbutin or tranexamic acid. I barely ever see brands and people using PIH and PIE differences. PIE - post-inflammatory erythema is a red or pink spot left after acne. PIH stands for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation - a brown spot on the skin. PIE and PIH need different treatments since PIE we treat like inflammation - we need calming ingredients, while PIH - tyrosinase inhibitors are a better option, still, both PIE and PIH share some similarities and some active ingredients work on both.
Instead of making a typical review, I treat this post as an introduction since my problem with skin is PIE, and I can't say how it's going to work on PIH. Nivea sent me two products to test Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum and Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50.
Why tyrosinase inhibitors?
What's even a tyrosinase inhibitor? Let's start from the beginning, I never tried to translate the melanogenesis process to English, and in a short but easy to understand way, but I hope everything will go well. Melanin is a pigment in our skin, you probably heard about eumelanin - a brown/black pigment and pheomelanin - a yellow/red pigment. Melanogenesis is a process in which melanin is created, but this process won't happen without tyrosine. It's a complicated process but tyrosine is the key here. Hyperpigmentation just like the name says means that there's too much pigment - too much melanin is produced, to decrease melanin production we need to block the key component - that's why we use melanin inhibitors like kojic acid or Thiamidol.
About Nivea
Is there anyone who doesn't know Nivea? But still, let's go back straight to 1882 when Paul Carl Beiersdorf on March 28 patented the medical coated plaster (called Guttaperchapflastermulle), but eight years later Oskar Troplowitz takes over the company. With help from Dr Isaac Lifschütz - a chemist, and Prof. Paul Gerson Unna - a dermatologist, Dr Oskar Troplowitz invents Eucerit - an emulsifier typical for Nivea products. Eucerin brand name came from the name of this emulsifier. In 1911 Nivea releases the most popular moisturizer you can ever hear of - Nivea Cream. My grandma to this day keeps all meaningful things to her in a huge Nivea metal box. The blue-white aesthetic is not a new thing, but it's not the first design of Nivea, this design got to use in 1925. During the IIWW the brand got through many challenges, but in 1950 Nivea and Beiersdorf started to regain popularity and work hard on new products like Nivea Ultra-Oil to protect the skin from the sun, Nivea Milk - a body lotion. Since then brand created lines such as Nivea Baby, Nivea Men and many innovative products. The brand had a great marketing strategy to focus on regular people in the older days, but in 2019 the brand got through some controversies related to marketing. It's nothing unusual, I feel like controversies around marketing are a normal thing because we live in times when an advertisement has to be focused on different elements and different groups of society. Let's change the topic for a while, do you know what does Nivea mean? Word 'Nix' means snow, but 'Niveus' means white like snow and it's not a racist slogan, but the texture of the cream is white like snow.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum - Packaging
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum comes in paper packaging. The bottle contains an airless pump and 30ml of formula.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum - Scent & Texture
Even if the bottle is white, Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum has creamy/delicate pink or peach shade. The scent is a bit intense and kinda weird.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum - Ingredients
Aqua, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Cocoglycerides, Distarch Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Tapioca Starch, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
Aqua hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes up the majority of the content of the product. Isopropyl Palmitate is a dry emollient, but it's also an ester that you get after mixing isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid. Cetearyl Isononanoate is just another emollient on the list. Dimethicone is a dry emollient. Some people might find clogging, but it keeps your skin moist and protect it from dehydration. It has a positive effect on the skin barrier by creating occlusion, and it helps with scars. It can also smooth your skin visually. It's also silicone that's why some people like to talk badly about Dimethicone just because of this fact, but there's no reason to be frightened. It gives your skin an occlusive film, but it doesn't suffocate your skin. We need occlusion to prevent water from TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss) - to keep the skin moist. It protects your hair from dehydration and weather, and it makes it easier to brush your hair. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in haircare. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Alcohol Denat is an immense topic in skincare. Alcohol can be good or bad for your skin, but sometimes the amount makes a poison. Alcohol, after all, is a prominent solvent. It makes active substances penetrate the skin deeper. This effect has its cost - the skin is getting a bit irritated. Some substances can be dissolved only in alcohol. This ingredient has antibacterial properties. It works as a preservative by preventing microorganisms from growth in the product. It has some awful sides too - it can dry your skin, mainly if we use it in large amounts. Sensitive skin is not a fan of this ingredient. Cocoglycerides are oily emollients and emulsifiers. This substance comes from coconut oil. It doesn't only nourish the skin, but it leaves a delicate film on the skin. Sadly, it might be not suitable for oily-prone and acne-prone skin types. Distarch Phosphate is an absorbent. Butylene Glycol is a common ingredient in products. It's not only a solvent. We use butylene glycol because it helps with the penetration of active ingredients, protects products from drying and moisturizes skin and hair. This ingredient can prevent hair loss and make your hair stronger. Methylpropanediol is a solvent with antimicrobial properties. It's a synthetic ingredient that works even with the most stubborn substances. Tapioca Starch absorbs oil but can work as a thickener. Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, ITR or Thiamidol is a rising star. The patent to this ingredient is in Beiersdorf's hands - right now only Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie can use it. It's a tyrosinase inhibitor, it's an ideal substance to fight melasma, PIH, freckles, and pigmentation changes related to age. Thiamidol is one of the best inhibitors of tyrosinase available. This ingredient should show the best effects after 12 weeks, and effects are more visible on lighter skin. Sodium Hyaluronate is a salt form of a popular Natural Moisturizing Factor - Hyaluronic Acid. Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of Vitamin E. It's an antioxidant with some moisturizing properties. It protects your skin from free radical damage. It supports UVB protection, but Vitamin E in the form of Tocopheryl Acetate is not as helpful as Tocopherol. Stearyl Alcohol is good alcohol, it works as an emollient. Cetyl Alcohol is good alcohol and while writing that I reminded myself of an old joke about two drunk men drinking methanol and one said to the other one - we should drink faster, it's getting dark here - obviously, it's dark humour, because you are not supposed to drink methanol, so in this case, ethanol is also good alcohol. Cetyl alcohol is an oily emollient and emulsifier. It locks the water in your skin and prevents dehydration. Glyceryl Stearate is an ester of Glycerin and Stearic Acid. It's an emollient and emulsifier, and you can find it in oil in water formulas. It's a superb ingredient, but in some solutions, Glyceryl Stearate is problematic for me since it feels like it clogs my skin, but just because I'm not a fan of it, it doesn't mean your skin won't like it. Every skin is different. Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate aka SAP is a stable form of Vitamin C which I love, it doesn't need low pH, it works with higher values than pH 3. This antioxidant helps me a lot with pigmentation - especially if you add niacinamide and use them both at the same time, even if this mix is not the best for sensitive skin. This form might also help with acne in small concentrations. Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an emulsifier, ideal for sensitive skin. Sodium Polyacrylate is an absorbent and thickener. It does complete work with water formulas. Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a carbomer's distant family. It works as a stabilizer and thickener. Trisodium EDTA is a chelating ingredient. Sodium Chloride is nothing else than well-known salt. In skincare, sodium chloride is a thickener. We also use it as an exfoliant. Sodium Hydroxide is a pH adjuster. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that we shouldn't be afraid of. There are strict norms for this substance in our beauty products. Benzyl Alcohol is a preservative. Parfum is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 - Packaging
The bottle of Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 comes with an airless pump and 40ml of formula.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 - Texture & Scent
The colour of Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 is similar to Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum but a bit darker. The scent is also very similar, but Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 contains Limonene.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 - Ingredients
Aqua, Homosalate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Alcohol Denat., Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Silica, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Tapioca Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Sodium Sulfate, Trisodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Parfum, CI 15985
Aqua hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes up the majority of the content of the product. Homosalate is a UVB sunscreen. It's not very stable, that's why usually we team it up with Avobenzone. Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane or Avobenzone it's one of the most commonly used sunscreen agents in skincare. It provides UVA1 and UVA2 protection. Avobenzone usually goes along with Octocrylene because the stability of this substance is poor. Ethylhexyl Salicylate or Octisalate protects your skin from UVB radiation. This sunscreen usually comes with other sun protecting ingredients to solubilize them. Ethylhexyl Triazone or Uvinul T 150 is one of the latest sunscreen agents available. It's a stable ingredient that protects your skin from UVB radiation. Similar to Tinosorb S, Uvinul T 150 is not allowed to use as a sunscreen agent in the US. Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate is a synthetic emollient, it leaves a delicate film on the skin. Alcohol Denat is an immense topic in skincare. Alcohol can be good or bad for your skin, but sometimes the amount makes a poison. Alcohol, after all, is a prominent solvent. It makes active substances penetrate the skin deeper. This effect has its cost - the skin is getting a bit irritated. Some substances can be dissolved only in alcohol. This ingredient has antibacterial properties. It works as a preservative by preventing microorganisms from growth in the product. It has some awful sides too - it can dry your skin, mainly if we use it in large amounts. Sensitive skin is not a fan of this ingredient. Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine is an ingredient that gained popularity lately. You might hear of it as Tinosorb S. It's a sunscreen agent that covers a larger range of UV radiation than other ingredients. Tinosorb S protects you from UVA and UVB radiation, which makes it an ideal sun protector. It's a stable ingredient so it doesn't need any additional substance, but you won't see it in the US. It's quite a new ingredient, but it is considered to be one of the safest sunscreen agents. Dimethicone is a dry emollient. Some people might find clogging, but it keeps your skin moist and protect it from dehydration. It has a positive effect on the skin barrier by creating occlusion, and it helps with scars. It can also smooth your skin visually. It's also silicone that's why some people like to talk badly about Dimethicone just because of this fact, but there's no reason to be frightened. It gives your skin an occlusive film, but it doesn't suffocate your skin. We need occlusion to prevent water from TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss) - to keep the skin moist. It protects your hair from dehydration and weather, and it makes it easier to brush your hair. Silica is a thickener with magical properties for acne-prone and oily skin. It absorbs sebum, but at the same time, it can reflect the light to make your skin look healthy. Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid or Ensulizole is UVB sunscreen. Tapioca Starch absorbs oil but can work as a thickener. Cetearyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. In the beauty industry, it's an emollient. Many people associate alcohol with something awful for the epidermis, but not every alcohol is nasty. Cetearyl alcohol leaves a moisturizing film on the skin to prevent your skin from transepidermal water loss (TEWL). We use Cetearyl alcohol to create an emulsion. Behenyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol, but also a good emulsifier and emollient. Methylpropanediol is a solvent with antimicrobial properties. It's a synthetic ingredient that works even with the most stubborn substances. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in haircare. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, ITR or Thiamidol is a rising star. The patent to this ingredient is in Beiersdorf's hands - right now only Nivea, Eucerin and La Prairie can use it. It's a tyrosinase inhibitor, it's an ideal substance to fight melasma, PIH, freckles, and pigmentation changes related to age. Thiamidol is one of the best inhibitors of tyrosinase available. This ingredient should show the best effects after 12 weeks, and effects are more visible on lighter skin. Sodium Hyaluronate is a salt form of a popular Natural Moisturizing Factor - Hyaluronic Acid. Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of Vitamin E. It's an antioxidant with some moisturizing properties. It protects your skin from free radical damage. It supports UVB protection, but Vitamin E in the form of Tocopheryl Acetate is not as helpful as Tocopherol. Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an emulsifier, ideal for sensitive skin. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative with subtle moisturizing and antimicrobial properties. Xanthan Gum is a thickener and stabilizer which you can find in food and skincare. Sodium Chloride is nothing else than well-known salt. In skincare, sodium chloride is a thickener. We also use it as an exfoliant. Carbomer is a thickener and stabilizer. You can often see it in gel formulas. Trisodium EDTA is a chelating ingredient. Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a carbomer's distant family. It works as a stabilizer and thickener. Sodium Hydroxide is a pH adjuster. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that we shouldn't be afraid of. There are strict norms for this substance in our beauty products. Benzyl Alcohol is a preservative. Limonene is a scent ingredient, and it makes the product smell like lemon or orange. Limonene can enhance penetration of other substances, but at the same time, it can irritate the skin. Parfum is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. CI 15985 or Yellow 6 is yellow/orange pigment.
My experience with Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum and Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50
I've decided to tell you about both products together since I don't imagine myself talking about them separately. This Nivea line got very popular in Poland even before it got released, and that's all because of Ania - a biotechnologist who released the ebook on pigmentation. I wanted to Thiamidol badly, after I read her book and research which I needed for my dermatology lectures - I made a presentation on skin pigmentation disorders and how to treat them in professional and home spaces (I'm pretty sure other students wanted to kill me for 60 pages long presentation and over 30 minutes of talking). Thiamidol is supposed to be stronger than kojic acid, arbutin or even hydroquinone. Yes, the queen on hyperpigmentation - hydroquinone is like a dream of many Europeans even if it has side effects. I don't want to scare you with some research so I'll skip other parts, but I'm sure you can find some websites where people will tell you how hydroquinone is bad but not mention that the research they share with you was done on mice and after all humans and mice are different. Anyway, when I saw Nivea coming with the Luminous 630 line I was happy and I knew my mom is going to steal this line from me because somehow she also heard how good it is. And this time it wasn't me leaving the products at home so she can try or me saying to her how good the ingredients in this formula are. Somehow the popularity of this line existed before it was even available in Poland.
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 effects should be available after just 4 weeks, but it's better to wait 12 weeks - around 3 months for full effect. I'll see if these two bottles will be enough for 3 months. I use Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum twice a day and Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 once a day. I do normally reapply sunscreens but usually, I go out after work (after 5 pm), but if I go out earlier than for reapplication I prefer to use cushion sunscreen. Right now I have to be careful with both since I had cryotherapy treatment near my eyebrow - I had one tiny thing to remove and it was easier to do it with cryotherapy than laser. Still, I need to treat it right and I'm a bit worried that even if right now I got a red dot in after cryotherapy, Thiamidol is not recommended for this spot until it gets better.
Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum has a delicate formula with an interesting scent - it's quite a hard scent, but the formula isn't a typical creamy formula, on the other hand, it's different from other serums I tried. It's a rich and moisturizing formula - I feel like you can use it without cream. At least for oily skin, it's moisturizing enough. If you have any fresh wounds - it will be painful to use it on fresh wounds. This formula feels moisturizing, and what I like about it - you can use this product during pregnancy. It's a great thing because some skin pigmentation disorders are typical during pregnancy and many substances like retinol or salicylic acid are banned during pregnancy. I know how my friends were annoyed that many formulas are not for them during pregnancy because of safety reasons and information like this one can change your mood a bit. Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 makes me happy since European SPF50 that works with my skin and doesn't cost over €25 is not common. I was surprised this SPF contains homosalate since the majority of sunscreens I see lately are based on Tinosorbs. My problem with this formula is only one - it shouldn't be used on the eye area, and when I search for sunscreen, I want to use it on my eyelids as well. I tried using it once and nope, it migrates on eyelids and it makes me cry after some time. Some people might be annoyed with a delicate shade of this cream - on my skin, it looks fine, but if you have darker skin with a warmer undertone, it might make your skin looks a bit grey or dull. On the other side, it makes my skin velvet in touch.
It's too early for me to share with you results - if it works on pigmentation or not, but I'll try to keep you updated on my Instagram account.
Where to get Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum and Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50
Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Face Serum costs around 90 PLN in Poland, 599Kč in the Czech Republic, 193,90kn in Croatia, 8000Ft in Hungary, 19,95€ in Germany, £29.99 in the UK. Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 Anti-Dark Spot Day Fluid SPF50 costs around 80 PLN in Poland, 549Kč in the Czech Republic, 177,90kn in Croatia, 7300Ft in Hungary, 19,95€ in Germany, £26.99 in the UK.
Overall, Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 is probably the best and most interesting Nivea line I tried in a while. It is a bit more expensive than other Nivea lines but you can find some good deals on it.
Have you ever tried Nivea Cellular Luminous 630 line?
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