Navigating the Nivea Men Aftershave Range

Updated 3rd of September 2020

Nivea have a wide range of aftershaves available sold under their ‘Nivea Men’ label. These are quality products at a very reasonable price. When navigating their range, we help you find the best product for your skin.

Quick product guide

	NIVEA Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm • Great balm for sensitive skin • Alcohol free
	NIVEA Men Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm • A cooling variation of the popular ‘sensitive’ balm • Alcohol free
	NIVEA Men Maximum Hydration Moisturizing Post Shave Balm • 14% alcohol presented as balm • Stronger scent than ‘sensitive’ range
	NIVEA Men DEEP Comfort Post Shave Lotion • Alcohol based splash (not balm) • Stronger scent that dissipates quickly
	Nivea Men Sensitive Skin & Stubble Balm • Latest balm offering from Nivea • Slightly more scented than other balms • Alcohol free
	NIVEA Men Creme - Multipurpose Cream for Men • Great for use after an alcohol splash or witch hazel • Use sparingly to avoid becoming greasy
	Dickinson's Witch Hazel Astringent • A splash alternative • Can be used in conjunction with a moisturizer

Splash, lotion or balm?

Aftershave products are rapidly multiplying!

If you go back a decade or two, when you bought an aftershave, it was a scented alcohol based lotion (AKA a splash). Here we are generally talking 40+ percent alcohol content. Think Brut! Alcohol is an antiseptic. If you go back several decades more you can see the importance of an alcohol based aftershave - it was common to get a straight razor shave at the barber with a shared blade.

Today there is a merging of traditionally more feminine face care products with your classic splash. The result of this is the balm. A balm has more of a creamy liquid consistency, and is generally alcohol free. In today’s balm dominated market, alcohol splashes are regularly denounced as evil for your skin! Without alcohol, the balm doesn’t have that sting you get from a splash. A balm is more like a moisturizing cream, but also attempts to soothe shaving irritation.

So what’s best – splash or balm?

It’s not that easy! At this point, let’s introduce Witch Hazel. While many will tell you an alcohol based splash is a thing of the past, that’s simply not true. Think of witch hazel. Witch hazel is 14% alcohol, and it’s very common astringent (toner) used by women as part of their daily facial routine. What does it do? Removes irritants from the skins surface, and evens out skin tone. It’s a step down from a stronger splash.

Finding what’s best for you for you will take time. I know it did for me. While I was a long time splash user, I never really understood what the splash was doing for my skin. I always just used it after being given a bottle as a child. When I would use the splash, I would feel the alcohol sting, and my face would be slightly taught. Give it a few minutes, and I had wonderfully smooth skin. But then the balms came along. When I started using balms straight after shaving I’d generally get a slightly blotchy face (particularly neck), and a sticky face feel. This would goes down in a few eventually. I also found with long term use of a balm, I would get more pimples and dreaded ingrown hairs - and I’m talking stubborn ingrown hairs that last weeks with a big red bump. But on the positive side, the balm did result in very soft and less prominent stubble. I could see the benefits from a balm, but also detractors. I could also understand the importance of the alcoholic splash for its antiseptic properties.

So what’s my routine?

First off, I rinse my face with cold water after each shave. Then it’s a splash for me. Or if my skin has been a little dry (likely due to winter weather), witch hazel. I won’t skip the alcohol based product – it really does reduce imperfections like pimples and ingrown hairs. Then I’ll wait several minutes and apply sparingly a balm or moisturizer. Too much, and my face will be greasy. A little, and my face will be soft and any remaining stubble will feel less prominent. I like to try a range of splashes and balms, and Nivea products are always in my rotation.

Where to from here?

Hopefully it’s clear that one person’s aftershave routine won’t always suit another. And there are many variations to consider. Experiment and find what works best for you. Thankfully the Nivea range are quality product as very acceptable prices. So trying out the options won’t cost a fortune.

Navigating the Nivea aftershave range

Nivea Deep is your classic alcohol based splash. It will give a slight sting, particularly if you had a rough shave. I’d say it has more than a subtle ‘modern’ scent. But this isn’t cologne – the scent will only last minutes and will only be detectable by someone very close. Nivea Deep does have skin conditioning ingredients, but it won’t act like a moisturizing balm. If you have dry skin, this may not be for you

Moving on from the splash, Nivea has a range of balms. The Nivea Men Maximum Hydration balm is a variation that is not your normal balm. It contains 14% alcohol. If you are looking for a typical aftershave balm, move on. Unlike most of the Nivea range it does have a more noticeable scent (that does still dissipate quickly). This one is unique, and definitely worth a try.

Nivea Sensitive is a great balm. It is very popular. It has a very light neutral scent, and doesn’t leave you greasy. Claims of soothing I find are exaggerated, but over time its moisturizing benefits are clear. The Nivea sensitive cooling balm is a variation on the Nivea sensitive balm. But don’t look here if you are thinking of a strong menthol type cooling effect. It does have a slight cooling sensation over time, but it’s not a stand out feature.

Nivea’s newest addition to the aftershave line-up is the Nivea Men sensitive skin and stubble balm. It presents quite differently in the aluminium canister, rather than a glass bottle. You only need a very small amount of this product to avoid a sticky mess. This is scented, but like all aftershaves, the scent doesn’t last long. This product claims to soften stubble. The effect is similar to most other moisturising balms.

So many options right! Let’s add one more! Try the Nivea Men Crème. Use it around 20 minutes after witch hazel or Nivea Deep. But go light on the cream. Just enough to spread it around your face and neck. This is a nice mix of the benefits of an alcohol splash with the superior moisturising effect of a balm.