Recently, I’ve been professing my love for Nivea Soft. However, there are days when I want a little sun protection, and that’s one thing that Soft’s not giving me.
Enter Olay Complete Creme for Sensitive Skin.
I used to use the lotion, but didn’t find it moisturizing enough. This, though a little thick, is much more moisturizing than the lotion but not nearly as moisturizing as Nivea. I’ll break it down for y’all:
Texture: I personally prefer Olay Complete’s lotion form. It’s thinner, so it feels weightless and sinks right in. This is followed by my Nivea, which though thick, sinks in after five minutes or so to make my skin feel velvety smooth. Complete creme is a little stickier than the lotion, and a little heavier. I do really like it, just not as much as the others.
Scent: Both the Completes are blissfully scent-free, but Nivea has a scent that some may find offensive. It does fade, though!
Moisture: The lotion didn’t have nearly enough moisture for my dry skin, leaving me with a tight feeling and numerous dry patches. It used to be my holy grail, but my skin’s been much drier recently! The cream took away the tightness, but not the dry patches. And as you know – Nivea was my answer to my lack of moisture.
Cost: I’m not going to look into it, but I believe the creme is a little more expensive than the lotion, as you use less, it’s heavier, and the packaging costs more to produce. Nivea is about equal in price, and if I were to warrant a guess, I’d say that Olay Complete’s creme form was the most expensive of the three. They’re all quite cheap, though!
Packaging: Olay Complete creme comes only in the packaging you see here, which isn’t great. It’s unsanitary and awkward, as you have to “dig” for product. I do like the feel of the container, though – very luxe, solid, and high-end. But it’s not very functional, it’s not environmentally friendly, and it’s not small or light enough to comfortably travel with. Nivea’s awkwardly large tub that I have also comes in a smaller tub, and in tube form, which is great, and Complete lotion comes in a bottle. The bottles of Complete lotion and Nivea Soft are the winners for packaging, as they use the least packaging of the three and are the most hygenic.
With all that said, though, I do still love this cream. It’s the best I’ve found for sensitive skin that does contain SPF, and that makes it great for an everyday moisturizer.
So, here are the pros and cons of each:
Olay Complete – lotion: Not moisturizing enough for me, but would be great for someone with sensitive skin that is normal to oily. Contains SPF15, is scent-free, and feels like nothing on your face. Cheap, and the packaging is light.
Olay Complete – creme: Again, not moisturizing enough for me, but more moisturizing than the lotion. Good for normal skin, maybe if you’re just a tiny bit dry, but not if you have dry patches. Contains SPF15 and is scent free, but feels heavier on my face and comes only in tub form.
Nivea Soft: Wonderfully moisturizing! No more dry patches, or tightness. It sinks in after 5-10 min and makes my skin feel like heaven, though it is initially greasier in comparison. My skin is less oily using this than it is with Complete, perhaps because it’s not overcompensating for massive dryness. Though this comes in little tubs, big tubs, and tubes, it does lose out in sun protection – it has none.
I’m using Nivea Soft daily, but when I know it’ll be very sunny I use Complete creme instead. In the spring, I’ll be switching to Soft only at night, and Complete creme during the day. And in summer, I’ll switch the creme for the nice, light lotion! There you have it – three great products that suck at specific points in the year but I’m pretty confident that, when used in the right seasons, they’ll be perfect.
