Summer is great in many ways but it is not so great for the hair or the skin, especially if we do not protect it well. A product that cannot be missing from your summer makeup bag beyond sunscreen is after sun. Although we have discovered that there are people who are using the classic Nivea cream for this purpose, they even keep it in the refrigerator to soothe the skin after a day at the beach. And regarding this use, the experts are already speaking out, because the Nivea cream in the blue can may be great, but it is not the cream that we should use to calm the skin after sun exposure.
It is true that storing creams in the refrigerator can be beneficial, especially to decongest, which is why it is always recommended to put the eye contour in the refrigerator. But in the case of moisturizing creams such as Nive, this calming effect is due to the freshness that the product acquires and not due to its ingredients. Pharmacist Helena Rodero explained to the publication InStyle that this is due to “the temporary sensation of freshness that any substance you put in the refrigerator provides, giving your skin relief and reducing inflammation,” she says. Therefore, the key difference in this matter is that we should not confuse this immediate relief with what a restorative treatment can really provide.
The traditional Nivea cream is not after sun
What you have to keep in mind is that the Nivea cream in the blue can has not been formulated to work as an after sun. One thing is that if we put the product in the refrigerator we feel a freshness and a calming effect at that moment, and another thing is that the cream itself is repairing the skin and regenerating the skin barrier.
What Nivea is great for is to provide nutrition and improve those areas that tend to get so dry during the summer: elbows, feet, knees, legs… It also leaves a beautiful shine on the skin, which is why it is a cream that is very popular and works so well on normal to dry skin. But it does not contain soothing or repairing active ingredients, which are what we do find in after-sun creams. “I would never see a Nivea cream recommended post-sun, because post-sun, if your skin is irritated, it is not a cream for sensitive or irritated skin,” explains Rodero.
What the skin really needs after the sun
When the skin has been exposed to solar radiation, the skin loses water and turns red. To defend itself, the skin activates its own defense mechanisms: the production of melanin and skin thickening. This response is actually a reaction caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. So, what really needs to be provided to the skin is not only hydration, but ingredients capable of promoting the skin's natural processes.
“There are after-sun products that are formulated with specific active ingredients to regenerate the skin and calm it, such as, for example, panthenol at an appropriate dose or oats also at an appropriate dose or percentage that can help us regenerate,” says Elena. Other interesting ingredients are aloe vera which is soothing, regenerating and anti-inflammatory; centella asiatica is another ingredient that stands out for its repairing action; Glycerin plays an important role in retaining water in the skin and preventing dehydration.
The mistake is believing that a single cream is good for everything.
What happens with Nivea cream is that throughout its history it has proven that it is an all-round cream and many people choose it for different functions and this is where we can make the mistake of thinking that it can also be good for after the sun. And precisely an after sun cream is a product formulated with specific ingredients, capable of repairing, calming and hydrating the skin after sun exposure.
Furthermore, when the skin has turned red after sunbathing, we must opt for products that are truly capable of regenerating the skin and its barrier function as quickly as possible. Obviously, if the skin has been burned, you must avoid exposing yourself to the sun again, maintain a good hydration routine with products that are capable of giving the skin what it needs at that time, and avoid any type of exfoliation.
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