Honesty and Transparency

Our values are reflected in our Code of Conduct, our environmental and social commitments, and our stance on animal testing. They shine through in our passionate research for better, safer, and more sustainable formulas and ingredients. And they are the driving force behind our joint projects with all our partners.

Discover all the in-depth information and facts about NIVEA skincare and how we honor our responsibilities. Come share our values!

People around the world trust NIVEA products – and we do everything to keep that trust. Our philosophy can be summed up in two words: NIVEA cares. We care for the health and safety of your skin. That’s why every ingredient we select for our products must meet safety criteria that meet or exceed regulatory requirements. Our skincare formulas are composed to protect and enhance your skin’s natural functions. And our ambition is to include only the minimum number of ingredients required to serve this cause.

NIVEA also cares for and respects our planet. We continuously research better, more sustainable ways to formulate and produce our skincare and have done so for many decades. As one of the longest-standing skincare brands, we use our wealth of experience and expertise to promote sustainability in our industry. We do not carry out any animal tests on cosmetic products or their ingredients or instruct them - unless this is mandatory by law. Animal tests have been banned for cosmetic products in the EU since 2004 and for all ingredients of these products since 2013. Naturally, Beiersdorf sticks to this obligation and has long since actively avoided animal testing worldwide, whenever legally possible. We have been committed to the development and international acceptance of alternative testing methods for more than 35 years. Our determination to make animal testing unnecessary on a global scale is part of this commitment.

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NIVEA respects nature – from the natural functions of our skin to all the planet’s creatures. 

Already for many years now we actively invest in the development of alternative test methods to be able to validate the good tolerability and effectiveness of NIVEA products. We continue our drive for better alternatives that may replace animal testing globally.

One of the leaders in cosmetics research, NIVEA has a strong history of collaboration with more than 50 partners worldwide, investing in alternative, cruelty-free testing approaches for safe risk assessment. In the past 35 years, important advancements in the development of new alternative methods have already been achieved. Some of these methods gained international acceptance by the OECD – and the development of further methods are in the process. For example, Beiersdorf fosters the development of so-called “organ-on-a-chip” technologies. These systems integrate several human cell and tissue types and emulate the human biology at a small scale, extending the options to assess possible effects on the human body in vitro to ultimately ensure safe products. 

On the global scale, we work towards the acceptance of established alternative test methods everywhere. Some countries, including China, still require animal testing for certain cosmetic product categories. We aim to convince the Chinese authorities that these tests are unnecessary and can be replaced by alternatives without compromising consumer safety.

Before we agree to work with a supplier, they have to commit to our code of conduct. That’s the first step. We also have a screening, auditing and support system in place to help our suppliers meet our NIVEA standards and check that they do. This includes collaboration platforms that allow suppliers to share best practices and work with us to make our procurement more sustainable.