• by Christine Bittar , December 21, 2006

Beiersdorf's Nivea brand breaks into the anti-cellulite, self-tanning, and home micro-dermabrasion categories in time for the spring skin-showing season.

Products set for introduction in March to mass retailers include Good-bye Cellulite, Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizers for the body and face, and the Nivea Visage Q10 Gentle Spa Micro-Dermabrasion Kit.

Competitors in the categories include L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson's Neutrogena, Unilever's Dove and Andrew Jergens.

Earlier this year, Beiersdorf introduced the Good-Bye Cellulite collection, including gel-cream and patches, in France, Germany and Italy. The German company has previously used the strategy of launching products in Europe first.

Retailing for $12.99 each, the Good-Bye Cellulite gel-cream and patches contain l-carnitine, an amino acid derivative found in the skin that is touted to convert fat into energy by fueling cells.

Nivea recommends the patches be worn two to three times a week for eight hours to reduce the appearance of cellulite and lumpy skin in thighs, buttocks and stomach. Those products will be marketed as offering firmer, more toned skin in two weeks, with a visible reduction in the appearance of cellulite in four weeks.

Sun-Kissed Firming Moisturizer for body and face will retail for $6.99, and is meant to firm and gradually tan skin after five days.

Dove and Jergens also offer moisturizers that add subtle color to skin over a period of days, but they aren't marketed as skin firmers. That particular category offering subtle, gradual skin color versus instant tan is one that started in the last couple of years.

The Gentle Spa Micro-Dermabrasion Kit is a three-step kit consisting of a pre-treatment cleanser, micro dermabrasion gel, and after-treatment balm. The kit, designed to improve facial skin firmness and add softness and glow, will retail for $19.99.