Cosmetics giant Beiersdorf is gearing up to celebrate 100 years of its most famous brand Nivea which today boasts of around 500 skin and beauty care products being enjoyed by customers in over 200 countries.

Beiersdorf, based in Hamburg, Germany, has over 17,000 employees worldwide, and its sales in 2010 touched 4 billion euros ($5.4 billion).

'Nivea’s long and successful history is full of highlights that make it one of the most loved skin care brands in the world – from revolutionary ingredients like the anti-aging Q10 and moisturising Hydra IQ, to pioneering product ranges like Nivea For Men and quirky marketing successes like the Nivea blue beach ball and fun collector’s tins,' said a statement from Beiersdorf.

Nivea Crème – the first stable skin cream based on an oil-and-water emulsion – was born in 1911, thanks to the inventive genius of chemist Dr Isaac Lifschütz, who was responsible for developing the emulsifier Eucerit, and the foresight of pharmacist and entrepreneur Dr Oscar Troplowitz and dermatologist Professor Dr Paul Gerson Unna who saw the potential to use the product to create a revolutionary cosmetic skin cream, it stated.

By 1914, Nivea Crème was making its way aboard ocean steamers and flying boats to more than 34 countries worldwide.

By the early 1920s, the brand was already demonstrating its strength in responding to the changing needs of consumers.

For example, in 1922 men began sporting moustaches and Nivea responded by introducing its first product tailored specifically to the needs of men – the shaving soap, said Beiersdorf in its statement.

The 20s was also the decade that brought to light an iconic development in Nivea’s history – the creation of the blue & white logo that made its way onto the first crème tin in 1925.

Today, the Nivea logo is one of the most recognisable super brands in the world, in the same league as brands such as Coca Cola and Google, the German cosmetic giant said.

Nivea has over the past 100 years made its way into the hearts and homes of customers from across the world, the statement said.

The brand first entered the Middle East region in the 1950s with Jordan, Syria and Bahrain being the first countries to find the Nivea products on their shelves.

Today Nivea leads the regional skincare sector in body crèmes and body care categories which demonstrates our continuous success in doing what we do best, which is developing skin care products that are always in tune with the times, the company said in its statement.

In keeping with Nivea’s constant goal of developing products that reflect current trends in the skin care business, 2011 saw the development of Pure & Natural, the brand's first highly-effective product range containing natural, organic ingredients.

Today in 2011 – the brand’s centennial year – Nivea Crème remains the ‘mother’ of a big brand family that has continued to inspire the confidence and trust of millions of consumers since 1911, it added.-TradeArabia News Service