This is perhaps one of the most commonly discussed questions in the dupe world. Where does this rumour come from? Well, if you put the Nivea Creme as the target product into the Skincare Compare comparison tool, the top result is none other than La Mer Crème de la Mer at a 96% Match Score. It is by far the top comparable listed for the Nivea Crème product and has the highest price differential. So does that mean that Nivea is a great dupe for La Mer?
The Match Score Explained
Let’s break down what the Match Score means. So the SKINSKOOL Match Score is dependent specifically on what is the target product. The algorithm works by always being in relation to something so Match Score results are always as compared to a target product. In this case, when you type Nivea Crème into the search bar, Nivea is the target and the algorithm is searching for products that contain similar ingredients to it. La Mer Crème de la Mer turns out to be the best match for Nivea in the entire market and it contains almost all of the ingredients or some version of what Nivea has.
If you enter Crème de la Mer into the search bar as the target product then the SKINSKOOL algorithm determines that a product from brand Liz Earle is the highest match in the entire market at a 60% Match Score. Nivea Crème doesn’t make the minimum cut off to show up in the list of results. In fact the German version is a 27% Match Score. What does this mean?
It means that if you are looking for a product that is similar to Crème de la Mer, Nivea is not a particularly high match. But wait, how can that be? I thought Crème de la Mer was a 96% Match Score for Nivea Crème? Yes that is correct and precisely THE answer. If you’re looking for the closet comparable to Nivea Crème, then Crème de la Mer is it. But if you’re looking for a comparable for Crème de la Mer, then the best match would be the Liz Earle product. Crème de la Mer has almost all of the ingredients in some form or another of Nivea Crème but Nivea Crème does not have all of the ingredients contained in Crème de la Mer. This is usually explained by fancy products having a much longer ingredient list, usually with many botanicals, to make them more unique and original. This is a classic case.
Ok, I get it now. But does Nivea Crème work just as well as Crème de la Mer? Well that my friends is entirely up to you to decide and why dupe hunting is so darn enjoyable.
Find your own comparable skincare product dupes using our objective and free to use Skincare Compare comparison tool. We made it to help skincare enthusiasts exactly like you save money and feel SMART. Be beholden to beauty marketers no more!
