CHRONICLE 03 The revolution in skin care The fi rst years of NIVEA INTRODUCTION From laboratory to daily life A start with obstacles Great innovations change people’s routines. That is no the skin made it easier to maintain youthfulness and different today than it was over 100 years ago. New beauty. NIVEA Creme was not always particularly cheap, discoveries in medicine, technology, electronics, and but nonetheless it was affordable for a wider market. chemistry make long-term changes to our lives. Even One could say that this innovation was destined for global crises cannot hinder such developments – at success. However, the First World War began quite best merely slow them down. soon after its introduction in Germany, bringing largely In the early 20th century, three men laid the basis for to a halt the distribution of the new cream and the great changes in the everyday life of many people by expanded assortment of products under the same isolating the emulsifi er Eucerit and consequently using name. The post-war period, plagued by infl ation and this to develop NIVEA Creme. Until that time, skin care hyperinfl ation, did not exactly contribute to improving as such had not played much of a role. Most people market conditions. Nonetheless, the brand overcame simply used water and soap for cleansing. The new these early obstacles to become the largest skin care cream could transfer moisture into skin that was brand in the world. And that is not all – a change in look frequently damaged, which led to the prevention of and a new communication strategy led in the following many dermatological problems. In addition, caring for years to it even becoming a brand icon. 2 Beiersdorf Chronicle · 03 Beiersdorf Chronicle · 03 3 FOCUS NIVEA changes skin care Three very different people and a new kind of emulsifi er were required for NIVEA Creme to revolutionize skin care forever. The snow-white cream, which fi rst entered the market at the end of 1911 in yellow packaging, changed skin care habits in Germany and all over the world. Troplowitz and Lifschütz at the filling of the first series of NIVEA Creme in the lab, December 1911. Previous double page: NIVEA ad from 1914 "NIVEA Creme, Hair Milk, Powder for the proper care of skin for adults and children to maintain beauty and health". Beiersdorf Chronicle · 03 7 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BACKGROUND Trademark registration Apart from soap, which could already be found in When NIVEA Creme came onto the market in the NIVEA assortment from 1906, many December 1911, the NIVEA brand was already six consumers used fatty creams for skin care. The years old. In the summer of 1905, Oscar Troplowitz ads from 1913 show the target group of the new brand next to the new NIVEA products: socially registered the brand name at the Imperial Patent Offi ce well-off women. under the number 82840. On November 9, 1905, the brand was registered in the trademark registry, protect- ing it. The brand name was fi rst used a few months later when “Beiersdorf’s Rich Base Soap” was renamed “NIVEA Soap.” But the brand name’s real fi rst appear- ance was with the introduction of NIVEA Creme onto the market. With its derivation from Latin (nix or nivis, meaning snow), Troplowitz created a pleasant name that rolls off the tongue all around the world. Text: Thorsten Finke The emulsifi er Eucerit over because the new salve base possessed none of these drawbacks. Moreover, in comparison to Lanolin, >> At the beginning of the 20th century, skin care was The chemist Isaac Lifschütz made the breakthrough in Eucerin could absorb many times more water. a diffi cult matter. In the German Empire it was mostly 1898. In a long series of tests, he succeeded in Lifschütz recognized that his invention opened limited to using soap and fatty cream, and there were isolating a substance out of the fat of sheep’s wool – groundbreaking possibilities in medicine. Articles only a few creams available with consistent quality. Eucerit – with which water and oil could be combined published by dermatologist Paul Gerson Unna Awareness of the importance of skin care was not yet to create a stable emulsion – Eucerin. Eucerit was the confi rmed that Eucerin was wonderfully suited for very widespread, and each druggist and pharmacist basis of the “method for the manufacture of a highly dermatological purposes. had his own special mixture. water-absorbent salve base” that Lifschütz was given In 1909, in order to produce and market Eucerin in But the main problem was on another level: most in 1902. The name comes from Greek and means great style, Lifschütz joined the board of the company creams and salves consisted of plant-based or “beautiful wax.” Hegeler & Brünings Fett & Seifenwerke AG in Aumund animal-based oils and spoiled quickly. The few In 1882, Otto Braun had already patented the near Bremen. He brought the usage rights of his products that were produced based on mineral oils emulsifi er Lanolin. With Lanolin it was possible to patent with him to this position. The Eucerin was lasted longer, but couldn’t penetrate into the deeper produce a water-absorbent salve base, but it had produced in a new plant. Dres. Mielck & Runge from layers of the skin and transport moisture into the cells. signifi cant drawbacks in smell, shelf life, and consis- the Schwanen-Apotheke in Hamburg took over Registered with the Imperial Patent Offi ce since 1905: This changed with the discovery of a new kind of tency. Pharmacists had only used it because there just distribution. the brand NIVEA emulsifi er. wasn’t any other option. But those days were now Resounding success never came, however, BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 8 Beiersdorf Chronicle · 03 Beiersdorf Chronicle · 03 9 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB BACKGROUND The fathers of the cream which Lifschütz mostly attributed to poor marketing. Three men revolutionized Lockstedter Weg (today continued them at the But an offer that he had received a few years earlier skin care with NIVEA Unnastraße). His most University of Freiburg in from Oscar Troplowitz now seemed more interesting to Creme. The key to their important achievement Breisgau, where in 1884 him than ever: Troplowitz, owner of the company success was the diverse was the establishment of he gained his doctorate in P. Beiersdorf & Co., wanted to develop a cosmetic skills that they each brands like Labello and chemistry. In the product with Eucerin – skin cream. This wasn’t actually brought with them. NIVEA, which are still following years, one of his the direction that Lifschütz had wanted to take with his popular today. Troplowitz major research occupa- patent, but the offer was good and the prospects was convinced that brand tions was with the wool promising. After long and diffi cult negotiations, they articles of reliable quality wax derived from sheep’s At that time, scientists fi nally came to an agreement. at Beiersdorf and whose usefulness to wool. In 1898 he had his Paul Gerson Unna, researched the skin in the consumer was well breakthrough: Lifschütz the scientist numerous laboratory documented would be a isolated the emulsifi er (1850–1929) Purchase of Eucerin factory rooms. With the production process for successful concept for the Eucerit from the raw In 1906, Paul Gerson Unna had already made Troplo- Eucerin that had been future. The entrepreneur, material. In 1900, he After graduating from witz aware of Isaac Lifschütz’s patented Eucerit and patented in 1902 by Dr. who was both customer- registered the patent for high school, Paul Gerson Isaac Lifschütz, the salve base Eucerin. Troplowitz had been working research could be and market-oriented the manufacturing Unna studied medicine at with the dermatologist Unna since he had taken over advanced and reached and from the beginning process for a salve base the Universities of the company in 1890. Unna made fi rst contact with a first milestone thought and acted inter- derived from the Eucerit Heidelberg, Leipzig, and in 1911 with the new Lifschütz, but the gentlemen couldn’t come to an NIVEA Creme. Oscar Troplowitz, nationally, also kept in production process. The Strasbourg. In 1881, he agreement. It was not until 1911 that Lifschütz allowed the brand maker mind the scientifi cally dermatologist Dr. Paul opened a private der- himself to be convinced by Troplowitz and sold him (1863–1918) based further develop- Gerson Unna recognized matology clinic on the entire Eucerin factory, including the patent. ment of his products. the signifi cance of Eucerit Dammtorstraße in At that time, the production of cosmetic products After graduating from for dermatology and Hamburg. It was during in Troplowitz’s company was still in its infancy. Only high school, training to discussed the emulsifi er this time that he fi rst soap, toothpaste, hand cream and a new kind of lip be a pharmacist, and in his monthly dermatolo- came in contact with Paul BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB balm were already listed among the products of studying chemistry at the gical journal. Despite all C. Beiersdorf, with whom P. Beiersdorf & Co., but they were just a fraction of the CONTEMPORARY WITNESS Universities of Breslau the scientifi c recognition, Unna developed a process assortment, which overwhelmingly consisted of and Heidelberg, Oscar the greatest success of for the production of plasters. The new cream supplemented the category “Yes, the NIVEA Creme is not Troplowitz made his way Lifschütz’s discovery only medicinal plasters – the of cosmetic products, and Troplowitz thought Eucerin yet finished. The packaging isn’t to Hamburg with a doc- became apparent when date of the associated had a big future as the basis for additional products. there yet.