Nivea Essentials BB Cream SPF 10
70/100 overall score
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About this sunscreen
Nivea Essentials BB Cream SPF 10 is an older-generation tinted day cream with low-level SPF from Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene and Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate. It keeps white cast low, feels lightweight with a balanced finish, does not commonly sting, and is low on pore-clogging. Protection is moderate and it layers okay under makeup. With a score of 70.0 out of 100, it is generally a light cosmetic BB cream rather than a substitute for a dedicated sunscreen.
Ingredient & SPF scores
☀️
UV protection
Moderate
43
- +11.2 Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate at #8, UV filter
- +24 Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane at #9, UV filter (UVA1 +12.8)
- +12.8 Octocrylene at #10, UV filter
- ×0.9 Limited long-UVA1 coverage
☢️
Health safety
High
67
- +100 Starting score
- −30 Octocrylene at #10 (regulatory/evidence concern)
- −3.5 Avobenzone at #9, stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
🤧
Allergens
Low
97
- +100 Starting score
- −3 Photoallergen-tail UV filters (Octocrylene)
🔥
Eye sting
Low
85
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Avobenzone at #9, migrates into eyes with sweat
- −7 Octocrylene at #10, migrates into eyes with sweat
🪨
Heavy feel
Low
92
- +100 Starting score
- −8 Cetearyl Alcohol at #3, rich gel-network thickener
🍄
Fungal acne
Low
82
- +100 Starting score
- −9 1 oils/butters that feed Malassezia (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- −9 1 long-chain (C12+) esters that feed Malassezia (Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate)
👕
Fabric stains
Medium
37
- +100 Starting score
- −38 Avobenzone at #9, reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
- −15 Octocrylene at #10, co-stains alongside avobenzone
- −10 Avobenzone + Octocrylene, the classic staining pair
💧
Moisture
Hydrating
LightNourishing
- ← 5 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch)
- → 16 Glycerin at #2, the anchor humectant
- → 2 2 strong humectants (Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside)
- → 1 Humectant polyols
- → 1 1 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil)
- → 2 1 fatty-alcohol emollients (Cetearyl Alcohol)
✨
Finish
Balanced
MatteDewy
- ← 6 1 sebum-absorbing powders (Tapioca Starch)
- ← 2 1 dry-touch emollients reduce greasy shine (Dicaprylyl Ether)
- → 7 2 emollient lipids (Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate)
💄
Makeup base
Okay
PillsPrimer
- → 3 1 soft-focus powders in moderation
- → 2 Dry-touch esters, smooth fast-absorbing base
- ← 0.5 Gel polymers prone to pilling under friction (Carbomer)
- ← 3.5 Humectant syrup tackiness (partly offset by the base)
🌊
Water resistance
Not resistant
Non-water-resistantWater-resistant
Nothing flagged in the ingredient list.
How we rate water resistance →Skincare extras
Beneficial actives this formula contains. Informational only, not part of the rating: their effect depends on a concentration the label does not disclose.
- ✨ Panthenol (B5)
Full ingredient list (23)
What each ingredient does and how it moves each rating: green helps, red hurts, ↑ / ↓ give the direction, and ← / → shift a slider toward its ends (finish, moisture, makeup base). Auto-derived from our scoring rules and the ingredient's position.
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1 Water
Solvent base, the water phase
-
2 Glycerin
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 16 → nourishing the anchor humectant
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
- ↑ 8 rich gel-network thickener
- 2 → nourishing fatty-alcohol emollient
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
- 1 → nourishing humectant polyol
-
Mattifying powder, absorbs oil and blurs the finish
- light ← 5 sebum-absorbing powder
- matte ← 6 sebum-absorbing powder
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- 6 → dewy emollient lipid
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
- matte ← 2 dry-touch emollient, anti-shine
-
UV filter
- ↑ 11.2 UV protection
-
Legacy UV filter (Avobenzone), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 24 UV protection, incl. long-UVA (UVA1)
- ↓ 3.5 stacked (regulatory/evidence concern)
- ↑ 8 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 38 reacts with iron in wash water into rust-yellow stains
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10 Octocrylene
Legacy UV filter (Octocrylene), low in the list, likely a minor contributor
- ↑ 12.8 UV protection
- ↑ 7 migrates into eyes with sweat
- ↑ 15 co-stains alongside avobenzone
-
Emollient, softens and smooths skin
-
Fatty alcohol, an emollient and thickener, not the drying kind
-
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
-
Botanical extract
- 1 → nourishing emollient lipid
- 1 → dewy emollient lipid
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
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15 Panthenol
Soothing, skin-conditioning active
- 1 → nourishing humectant
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- 1 → nourishing humectant
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17 Carbomer
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Humectant, pulls water into the skin
-
Emulsifier, keeps oil and water blended
- ↑ 9 feeds malassezia
-
Thickener and texture, structures the gel or cream
-
Chelator, binds stray metal ions to keep the formula stable
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
-
Preservative, keeps the formula from spoiling
What SPF is Nivea Essentials BB Cream?
It is SPF 10, which is a low level of sun protection. It is a tinted BB cream with light SPF rather than a dedicated sunscreen.
Is the Nivea Essentials BB Cream SPF 10 mineral or chemical?
It is a chemical formula using older-generation filters: Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane and Octocrylene.
Is Nivea Essentials BB Cream good?
It scores 70.0 out of 100. It is lightweight, keeps white cast low, and is low on pore-clogging, but at SPF 10 it is a cosmetic BB cream rather than a substitute for a real sunscreen.