LONDON, November 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Trial by 60 Millions de Consommateurs - French Equivalent of top Consumer mag Which?

Now with consumer confidence in expensive face creams running high, French consumer bible 60 Millions De Consommateurs has burst the bubble on the benefits of anti-wrinkle day creams with their latest comprehensive testing.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/nivea/35987

NIVEA Visage DNAge - the cheapest product in the trial - was proven to be the second most effective product out of the 12 products trialled. It came second beaten by only 0.5 points but costs almost half the price of the overall winner and ten times less than others tested!

Whilst NIVEA VISAGE DNAge was in the highest classification awarded for 'Anti-Wrinkle Power', half of all products tested for their 'Anti-Wrinkle Power', including the most expensive, did not demonstrate any significant improvement under laboratory conditions.

In a summary called 'Our Opinion', 60 Millions de Consommateurs magazine declared that the success of NIVEA Visage DNAge 'raises the issue of the sometimes prohibitive prices charged by some cosmetics manufacturers'. It categorically concluded that the best products are NOT the most expensive.

Over ten years ago the French consumer bible released the results of their anti-wrinkle tests which caused many women to reassess their beauty routine since the cheapest product by NIVEA Visage, beat all the more expensive competition (Mail 14th November 1993, Med Corres Lorraine Fraser). Now that '60 Millions' have been testing again, results reveal that NIVEA Visage has been consistent in its offering of anti-wrinkle products to women - some of which have proven to be the best selling in the world!*

The methodology

All products were tested under laboratory conditions and each product was tested by 22 female volunteers aged between 30 and 70 years old. Each product was used over a period of 28 days and according to the instructions for use.

All products were assessed, awarded points and classified as Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Poor and Very Poor across five different markers to obtain an overall score and classification.

The markers were 'Anti-Wrinkle Power' (50% of total mark), 'Other Action on Skin' (10% of total mark), 'User Tolerance' (10% of total mark), 'Ease of Application' (25% of total mark) and 'Labelling on Container' (5% of total mark).

The marker 'Other Action on Skin' referred to moisture, radiance and firmness.

Results

Please see a copy of the results table in the downloadable feature - available in the 'Related Documents' section of the Multimedia News Release: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/nivea/35987

It was categorically proven that there is no correlation between the quality of a product, its 'Anti-Wrinkle Power', and its price. In fact, the cheapest product - NIVEA Visage DNAge - narrowly missed out on the top spot, while the most expensive, Lancome Renergie Morpholift R.A.R.E Lifting and Reshaping Cream, failed to show any significant anti-wrinkle action under laboratory conditions.

ROC Retin-Ox was awarded the most points (15) followed very closely by NIVEA Visage DNAge (14.5). Both products emerged with the same overall classification - Good.

NIVEA VISAGE DNAge and Roc were awarded the same classification in all markers except 'Other Action on Skin' (NIVEA Visage DNAge as Good, Roc was classified as Very Good) and 'User Tolerance' (NIVEA Visage DNAge as Very Good, Roc as Good).

Although all products selected for the trial sell themselves as 'Anti-Ageing', half of the products were found to be only Acceptable, including the most expensive product Lancome Renergie Morpholift R.A.R.E Lifting and Reshaping Cream. Further still, all the products that were only found to be Acceptable in this important marker were not found to have demonstrated any 'significant anti-wrinkle action' under laboratory conditions. It was only among the volunteer group that these products obtained Acceptable results.

The products that were awarded Good Classification for 'Anti-Ageing Power' achieved this classification in both the objective laboratory tests and in the opinions of the users.

NIVEA Visage DNAge, the cheapest product in the trial, achieved a Good Classification for 'Anti-ageing' - the highest classification awarded in this marker.

The trial also stressed that protection is important in caring for your skin and delaying the onset of wrinkles. While genetics and hormonal factors influence skin condition, hydration levels, sun exposure, smoking and lifestyle all play a role in skin ageing.

The trial findings for NIVEA Visage DNAge are as follows:

- Good 'Anti-Wrinkle Power' - Unanimously appreciated by volunteers for its moisturising effect - Excellent user tolerance - Acceptable labelling

This year the results were as follows:

Products 1-5 showed superior anti-wrinkle efficacy compared to products 6-12, which demonstrated no significant improvement under laboratory conditions.

1. Roc Retin-Ox Day Cream EUR24.50, 30ml 2. NIVEA Visage DNAge EUR13.00, 50ml 3. Vichy Myokine Intensive Anti-wrinkle Care EUR26.50, 50ml 4. Givenchy No Surgetics Wrinkle Defy Correcting Cream EUR82.00, 50ml 5. Nuxe Creme Marveillance EUR32.00, 50ml 6. L'Oreal Derma Genese Cellular Nurturing Day Cream EUR22.00, 50ml 7. Lancome Renergie Morpholift Lifting and Reshaping Cream EUR86.00, 50ml 8. Galenic Biophycee Anti-Wrinkle Restructuring Cream EUR33.50, 50ml 9. Yves Rocher Day Wrinkle Reducing Cream EUR16.00, 30ml 10. Tri-aktiline Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler EUR40.00, 30ml 11. Cosmecence Ex-Tense 3D Integral Expression Wrinkle Correction EUR30.00 12. The Body Shop Wise Woman Regenerating Day Cream EUR40.00, 50ml

Other interesting observations

The following statements are not presented in the study and are simply further observations on the results.

The last time 60 Millions de Consommateurs conducted this trial in 1998, NIVEA Visage topped the bill of most effective products, which proves NIVEA Visage to be a consistently credible and high performance brand in the anti-ageing market.

Interestingly, even those products that failed to prove efficacy under laboratory conditions obtained satisfactory results by volunteers testing them outside laboratory conditions. This implies that there is a psychological appeal to the use of anti-ageing products - women feel better for using them. It is therefore good to know that you do not need to spend a fortune on these products, NIVEA Visage DNAge is better than more expensive alternatives!

*NIVEA Visage Q10 Day The most purchased anti-wrinkle range between 2004 and 2007; Nielsen trade panel / IRI).

For further information, please contact Helen Patel and/or Ann-Louise Holland at the Beiersdorf Press office on +44(0)20-7292-4953 or email helen.patel@beiersdorf.com

For further information, please contact Helen Patel and/or Ann-Louise Holland at the Beiersdorf Press office on +44(0)20-7292-4953 or email helen.patel@beiersdorf.com