Responsible Sourcing

ONE SKIN. ONE PLANET. ONE CARE.

RESPONSIBLE SOURCING

At NIVEA, we use natural resources for our skincare formulations and packaging materials. Working with these renewable materials is an important step away from a fossil fuel-based economy and toward a more sustainable future. At the same time, when using plant-based ingredients and packaging materials, the way these plants are cultivated matters. NIVEA strives to treat nature with respect, so our goals are to contribute to ecological agricultural practices, prevent deforestation, and support the communities and regions where our ingredients grow.

How is NIVEA planning to ensure responsible material sourcing?

At NIVEA, our goal is to prevent any negative impact or damage to the environment through our use of precious natural resources. Therefore, our target is to source 100 percent of our renewable ingredients sustainably by 2025, supporting ecological agricultural practices.

NIVEA is engaged in a sustainable palm (kernel) oil economy that does not support the deforestation of rainforests. Since the end of 2020, we have only been using palm (kernel) oil-based ingredients from sustainably certified sources. This applies to 100 percent of our products worldwide.

We use paper and cardboard as natural packaging material. With the certification from the “Forest Stewardship Council” (FSC) we ensure that wood-based products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. Since 2019, 100 percent of our folding boxes have been made from FSC-certified material.

The way ingredients are sourced is existentially important to the people in their regions of origin. Cultivation of naturally derived ingredients often goes back to small-scale, family-owned businesses, also referred to as smallholder farms. Together with local non-profit partners, NIVEA works with smallholders on the ground, promotes sustainable cultivation without further deforestation, and contributes to improving the living standard and economic situation of these local communities.

Natural skincare products with shea butter from West Africa

Shea butter is a versatile moisturizer – and often an ingredient in natural skincare products. People across Africa have been using shea butter for thousands of years to protect their skin from drying out due to the hot sub-Saharan climate. Because of its moisturizing and naturally nourishing properties, shea butter has become indispensable in body care and cosmetic products worldwide. This high-quality butter is also a vital ingredient in many NIVEA products.

As a member of the Global Shea Alliance (GSA), we aim to promote sustainable shea sourcing, while also caring for the people involved in shea production. Our smallholder project in Ghana and Burkina Faso, for instance, empowers 10,000 female shea collectors over five years – with training, clean cooking stoves, and tree planting.

Promoting ethical skincare with argan oil from Morocco

Argan oil is used in several NIVEA products due to its outstanding skincare properties. Moroccans have been using the precious oil from argan trees for millennia. Nowadays, the argan oil trade provides the rural population with a stable income and creates jobs that prevent rural depopulation.

Argan trees also help prevent desertification because their deep roots act like water reservoirs. This allows communities to recultivate land where it was previously too arid. We source our argan oil from a local supplier in southwest Morocco and contribute to its support of social, economic, and environmental projects and the local rural population.

Using organic skincare ingredients: burdock fruit extract from Germany

Plant-based ingredients from organic agriculture contribute to responsible sourcing because this farming approach is in balance with natural processes and limits the use of synthetic substances. That is why NIVEA works with a wide range of organic skincare ingredients, for example, burdock fruit extract.

Many of us know burdock from childhood. The fruits have small burrs that cling onto clothing when you throw them. The prickly fruit originates from Asia, where burdock fruit is commonly used medicinally – even today in Ayurvedic herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

Research experts at NIVEA have examined the effects of burdock fruit on the skin and discovered that its extract boosts collagen production. We use a special variety of organic burdock called nuda, sourced from Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany. The fruit extract stimulates collagen formation in the skin, preventing this key component in connective tissue from being lost and helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles considerably.

Organic skincare ingredients

What does NIVEA do to promote human rights and an ethical beauty industry?

NIVEA actively upholds human rights along the entire value chain to contribute to the goal of an ethical cosmetics industry. We are committed to protecting human rights and do not tolerate any forms of forced or child labor, corruption, or discrimination in our operations and supply chains.

Creating NIVEA products is a joint effort, and we are responsible for everyone involved, whether employed by us directly or by our business partners. We have created both internal and external codes of conduct, which include binding policies.

Our approach to ethical business practices follows internationally recognized principles and guidelines, such as the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the fundamental conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), and, of course, we adhere to country-specific laws and requirements.

One Skin. One Planet. One Care.

We want to be 100 percent transparent and answer all your questions about sustainability at NIVEA. If you could not find all the answers you were looking for on this website, or are looking for more detailed information, please visit the sustainability website of NIVEA’s parent company, Beiersdorf.