Responsible
Sourcing

At NIVEA, our goal is to prevent any negative impact or damage to the environment through our use of precious natural resources. That’s why our target is to source 100 percent of our renewable ingredients sustainably by 2025, supporting ecological agricultural practices that you can rely on.

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.

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.

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 – something your skin will definitely appreciate.

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 labour, 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 recognised 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.