As far as we’re concerned, the legitimacy of any beauty product can easily be gauged by its lifespan as a product. Flash in the pan face creams come and go, and all too often we are left with unfulfilled promises made by the “next big thing.” However, there is something to be said for a beauty cream that sells like hot cakes for a hundred years.

Nivea is a globally recognized beauty company, and this year marks its 100th birthday. The original formula for Nivea’s beauty cream is exactly the same as it was 100 years ago when it was first introduced. They must have got something right, seeing as how approximately 100 million units fly off the shelves every year. Even the packaging has undergone very few changes. The little circular blue containers have been unchanged since 1925.

Sure, there were other beauty products on the scene in 1911, but Nivea brought something new to the table. Their product could be preserved for much longer, because it contained Eurecit, an emulsifier that eradicated the need for artificial preservatives.

Perhaps the fly-by-night skin cream manufacturers of today should be taking notes from Nivea. Building a quality brand a loyal following is infinitely more valuable than making a quick buck. Unfortunately, it seems many of today’s companies are just too short-sighted or perhaps lack the motivation to get there.

Did you know that in France, what some many call the beauty capital of the world, Nivea beauty cream can be found in 2 out of every 3 households?

To lend further to the notion that Nivea is indeed timeless, Helen Willems (chariwoman of Beiersdorf France, parent company of Nivea) says “Everyone has known it forever and it symbolizes our link with the past.”

Does that sound fancy or what?

The point of this post is to remind you that sometimes it is better to stick to what is tried and true than to hop on the bandwagon of the next sensational product. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Kudos to Nivea, we hope there is another 100 years to come.