Nivea Firming Lotion

I'm an old hand with these "Firming" lotions now and really I should have enough experience to know better and stop being sucked in by all the hype. I've tried products to lift, soften, firm, make me appear more youthful and generally most of them have the same results- failure! Yet I still get seduced by promises of firmer skin, I've had 2 kids you see and despite all my best attempts at exercise after their births there are still parts of me that I'm not happy with and wouldn't mind giving a little help, hey to look at me you'd think everything was great, I've still got a good figure after having the kids and am a little underweight if anything, I guess that just goes to prove that all body types can have their insecurities, I guess that's why I still buy these kind of products even when I am suspicious of their claims.

Nivea Firming Body Lotion-
Nivea Firming Body lotion is part of the Nivea Body range and is designed to soften and firm your skin. Coming in a white bottle with the classic Nivea navy blue embellishments it is easy to distinguish among other Nivea products.

Application is easy by simply popping off the lid (flipping it or even using the pump, depending on the bottle style you get) and dispensing a little of the lotion onto your hand, because it's a body lotion there's no real guidelines for the amount you use, it's not like a toothpaste where a pea sized amount is recommended, no with this you use as much as you need which will naturally depend on the area you choose to use it and how large or small that area happens to be. A more generously proportioned person will get through the bottle quicker then say a Kate Moss type, while Nivea products have a 12 month recommended shelf life this will vary greatly on how much lotion you use and how often, a 400ml bottle could last anything from 6-12 months depending on your use of it.

Opinions vary on the best application technique with some camps recommending the "upwards motion" of rubbing in the lotion which is said to minimise stretching and pulling on the skin, while others recommend the "circular motion" which is said to stimulate the skin better gaining better results. Nivea do recommend the circular method but you should use what works best for you.

You can use the lotion wherever you think needs a little firming help, the most common areas are thighs, bottoms, tummies, necks, arms and breasts, however if you wanted to apply it to your face I guess you could, it's not specifically designed for the face and there are other Nivea firming products designed for that purpose such as their Q10+ Night Cream. The same can be said for the hands, you would be better off using a specifically designed hand cream then using the body firming lotion.

The lotion is of a medium thickness and is creamy white in appearance, much like their other products, it has the kind of consistency that is easily squeezed out of the bottle and rubbed into your body but not so runny that the lotion would spill easily if the bottle was knocked over. Nivea have a very classic smell, synonymous with all their skin care products, it is a very delicate pure smell, not fussy or heavy and wouldn't overpower other scents or perfumes that a woman (or man) would usually wear, this also means it is gentler on the skin, suitable for those with skin more sensitive to such ingredients and perfumes.

The effects-
Nivea firming body lotion is easily applied and quickly works into the skin, not leaving a greasy layer like many lotions of this kind can, it feels soft and almost luxurious leaving an immediate soft feel to your skin. After a week or so, using the product once a day you'll notice a distinct softening to the skin as the moisturising aspect of the lotion takes effect, unfortunately as with most products of this kind it needs continuous use to maintain these results and if you stop using the lotion your skin is likely to return to it's previous condition, you can obviously use the lotion more then once per day if you want quicker results for soft great looking skin.

Firming is where the lotion starts to falter and it's not surprising really, stretched, damaged or aged skin needs more then a combination of chemicals to return it to it's previous elastic like glory, once the skin cells have been damaged there's not much that can restore them, just take pregnancy stretch marks as an example, they may be soothed or faded with products such as Bio-oil but the marks will never completely disappear as the skin is basically torn, not a complete tear in the skin but stretched to a point beyond repair (believe me I've tried and failed to help mine out) These kind of products usually take a month of regular usage to see any firming, lifting effects but they are simply not here, of course the results of using such a product will vary from person to person and if you're looking for a slight firming, lifted effect then this lotion may just work for you, however if your skin is stretched from pregnancy like mine, aging or suffering the results of smoking and alcohol then you're highly unlikely to see any benefits from the lotion other then softer skin and a lighter wallet (not that the latter is a benefit!) Thighs, legs and arms are the areas most likely to see firming effects as generally the skin there is a little tougher and sees less stress and stretching from events such as pregnancy (well they do in my case at least) however you're likely to need an awful lot of this stuff before you see any firming or lifting to the skin on your breasts.

Nivea Firming Lotion is not a heavy or greasy lotion however if you are prone to greasy skin on your body or face (if that's where you choose to use it) then you may not find this is particularly kind to your skin, I'm lucky to have what is classed as "normal" skin and the lotion is perfect however my husband has quite greasy skin and is prone to spots on his body so it's not the kind of product he could use as it's only going to aggravate his skin, however he is firm enough without it, he's not yet been pregnant (he'd be worth some money if he had!) and is youthful and healthy enough not to require this kind of help yet, although it is important for the fellas out there to remember that there's no harm in them using a skin care product if they want to and this is perfectly suitable for men as well as women.

While not designed for children, after all they shouldn't need firming just yet, I have to say the moisturising side of the lotion is more then tempting to use on dry patches of skin, nothing as severe as eczema which should be left for medicated creams, but in cases like my little girl who has a skin condition called Lichen Striatus, which creates linear marks of raised dry skin which have no treatment other then to be kept moisturised, a product like this is more then tempting to use, especially if there's nothing else to hand, it provides the moisture that the condition needs to soften it and has no adverse reactions on her skin, in fact Nivea products were one of the most highly recommended moisturisers in order to treat her.Price & Availability-
Available in varying sizes from 100 to 400ml bottles the prices vary depending on where you look, starting from as little as £1.85 and ranging all the way up to and above £7.50 the lotion was available from most pharmacies and supermarkets as well as stores like Wilkinsons.

Of course nowadays with the development of the Q10 Plus range, standard Nivea Firming Lotion is hard to come by and is gradually being phased out (you may be able to pick some up for a good price on Ebay) and is being replaced by the newer fancier model that is Firming Lotion with Q10+ which is available from Boots and other stores at £3.79 per 200ml bottle and £7.48 for a 400ml bottle.

Q10+ is a recently developed Energy Complex, working in two ways it helps stimulate the skin cell's energy production in the skin's upper layers, and penetrates deeply into the skin to help support the skin. It claims to see firming results in as little as 2 weeks which is an improvement on the standard Nivea Firming Lotion. (A review of Nivea Firming Body with Q10+ can be found here on Ciao by Unixgirl or you can check the product out at Nivea.co.uk)

Overall-
This is a pleasant enough product, easy to apply and not leaving unpleasant or greasy feelings to the skin, it smells gentle and is great on sensitive skin. It moisturises well but needs continuous use and doesn't seem to provide any of the firming that it promises, you'd be better off buying a basic Nivea moisturiser and sticking to simply soft skin or trying out a product like Avon "Skin So Soft" Soft & Firm lotion which actually gives the skin a tighter firmer feel and costs a lot less then Nivea. Of course with it being replaced with the Q10+ formula firming lotion you may find new, improved results, the addition of the new ingredients may be just enough to give that extra added firmness which is what the product was designed for.

Go to Nivea.com or Nivea.co.uk for more on the companies products, skin care tips and even competitions. The site does not list ingredients for their products however Amazon will, all you need to do is type in the product name into the search and then scroll down to a complete ingredient list should you need to find out what's in a product before purchasing.