Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm

I love a good band wagon, however the hype around the Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm weirded me out slightly as the prospect of slathering a man’s aftershave balm over my face just didn’t appeal to me. I had no intention of jumping on the Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm bandwagon until I noticed that it was half price when placing a Boots order so curiosity got the better of me and it was mine.

At full price, the balm is £5.35 which has increased recently due to the ridiculous hype but I only paid £2.66 for mine which I thought was quite reasonable for 100ml of product. Nivea describe the product as having an alcohol-free formulation which is perfect for sensitive skin that lacks moisture, and works to calm the skin after shaving and combats irritation. It contains calming Bisabolol, Calendula, Witch Hazel and anti-irritant Allantoin and moisturising agents; soothing Panthenol and Vitamin E.

The Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm has a strong, clean and masculine scent which is to be expected from a man’s skincare product. I do find that the scent lingers for quite a long time after application but I don’t find it to be a problem as it’s a nice scent which feels quite soothing on the skin. The consistency feels similar to that of a moisturiser but it does feel quite slimey like a silicone based primer, but it applies and absorbs into the skin easily.

The reason why this unassuming shave balm has become so popular is due to NikkieTutorials mentioning how amazing it was as a makeup primer as it contains an high percentage of glycerin which is known for its beneficial properties for the skin. In a nutshell, glycerin is an humectant which means it works to moisturise the skin by drawing water from the air into the skin’s outer layer and also forms a protective layer that helps prevent moisture loss. The Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm has been labelled an amazing primer for makeup as it keeps products in place for longer.

Before trying the balm, I didn’t have high hopes at all even though I have heard so many rave reviews but I feel like I might be in the minority that actually doesn’t like it. I like how soothing and cooling the balm feels on the skin, but the major problem for me is that it really broke me out in awful, painful cystic spots all over the face which took such a long time to clear.

Not only did the balm cause such a bad skin reaction, I didn’t find it to be effective as primer either and I felt it to be drying on my skin too. I’m glad I tried the balm for myself to see what the hype is all about, but I’d much rather stick to the Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer which is the same price but it’s actually an effective primer which doesn’t break me out or leave my skin feeling depleted of moisture.