Sunday, May 24, 2020

Dove Beauty Bar Review

So, an esthetician/wax specialist by the name of Ari Maquilon, posted a rather outrageous Facebook post, claiming that Dove Beauty Bar is not soap and should therefore not be used to wash the skin because all it does is leave a film. Posting a screenshot of her post:


Claim #1: DOVE IS NOT A SOAP

Sorry, but this is not exactly true. Dove has surfactants, which basically means it foams or acts as a detergent, and can therefore be used to wash off dirt, oils, and debris on skin. 

Claim #2: WATER IS NOT THE MAIN INGREDIENT, WHY?

I do not see why this is an issue. Water is simply not the main ingredient, because, dun dun dun dun, Dove is a bar soap, not a liquid soap. 

Claim #3: IT DOES NOT WASH ANYTHING

Okay, so my child and I paint and Dove beauty bar definitely does a good job of washing away pigments, both oil and acrylic, off our skin. I mean, washing away basically means paint is no longer on our skin, I assume Dove does the same thing with debris, oil, and other stuff that are not as easy to see as paint. 

Claim #4: IT IS EXTREMELY FILMY AND LEAVES A TON OF RESIDUE

This is true and is the whole point of washing with Dove. Dove leaves the skin moisturized thanks to this "film." 

Claim #5: DR. BRONNERS SOAP IS BETTER

Better, how? While the ingredients of Dr. Bronners soap are mostly gentle oils and surfactants, it does contain LYE. What is lye? It's Potassium Hydroxide, which is pretty harsh on the skin. 

Claim #6: LOVE, BEAUTY AND PLANET IS BETTER

Both Dove and Love, Beauty and Planet brands are manufactured by Unilever. They contain the same ingredients, including the ones Ari mentioned on her Dove rant.

Claim #7: SHE CAN CUSTOMIZE A REGIMEN FOR YOUR SKIN CARE NEEDS

Ari is an Esthetician, not a Dermatologist. She probably spent a few months to a year of studying beauty products, salon treatments, and spa procedures. She did not spend 4 years studying Pre-med science, another 4 years studying the human body for Medicine, and another few years studying the skin down to its cellular level to get a medical license to practice Dermatology so she can legally and legitimately give medical advice for skin health. While she can give skin care tips, just like me over this blog, she is not qualified to give personalized skin care recommendations to strangers on the internet. Dove users usually have sensitive/eczema-prone/dermatitis-prone skin to begin with, it's not wise to play Dermatologist on them. 

MY OWN OPINION ON DOVE.

I have a love/hate relationship with Dove Beauty Bar. My first experience with it was over a decade ago. One of my best friends has the most amazing skin: bright, poreless, never had a single pimple her entire life. Her beauty secret? Dove. The one that comes in a blue and white box. That's all she uses on her face and body. I tried using Dove once in my teenage years out of sheer envy, needless to say, my acne-prone, oily skin, did not like it. Does that make Dove garbage? No. The problem rests on my skin. Her sister has dry, acne-prone skin, and Dove helps her deal with the dryness, but not with acne. And this is because:

Yes, Dove leaves a FILM. It leaves a moisturizing film, which it so clearly says on its packaging and advertisements. This film is comedogenic to people with existing sebum problems. So, no, it's not for people with acne and oily skin. 

But guess what? It does wonders for my dermatitis. I developed contact dermatitis from using Kojic acid soaps. And only Dove helps heal the peeling flakes on my hands. 

My child also uses Dove. But we discovered recently that Johnson's Baby Wash, both the regular one and the one with Oatmeal & Milk, are the best for kids with sensitive skin.

We stocked up on boxes of Dove Beauty Bar for the quarantine. That's how much we trust it.

DO I RECOMMEND DOVE? 

Yes, for daily handwashing and for bathing especially during the winter/dry season. It helps keep the skin healthy and moisturized. 

No, for face washing especially for people with acne and oily skin especially in humid places. The now infamous film clogs pores. Surprisingly though, it turns up every once in a while in product recommendations in acne groups, so maybe it works for people whose acne is exacerbated by dry skin and dry environments. 

But then, you know, Dove never actually claimed it heals acne. All it ever claimed was that it's a moisturizing gentle cleanser. And it does exactly that. 

I mean, seriously, this is what you'll find on their website:


I honestly do not get the hate. 

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