Dove

Dove At-A-Glance 
   Strengths: Inexpensive; some state-of-the-art water-soluble cleansers and moisturizers; available in every major drugstore and mass-market store.
   Weaknesses: A few products with low SPF ratings; problematic ingredients in some products designed for sensitive skin; many bar cleansers; the Pro-Age line is overall disappointing.

   From its beginnings in the 1940s with its still-available original Beauty Bar, Dove has expanded its selection of skin-care products and has quickly become a front-runner and strong competitor among other drugstore lines. Although their Beauty Bars have their share of problems (such as containing drying ingredients and not rinsing well), they’re better than traditional bar soap. However, if you can get past your propensity for bar cleansers, Dove’s excellent water-soluble liquid cleansers deserve consideration. Furthermore, many of their moisturizers incorporate state-of-the-art ingredients essential for healthy skin functioning and appearance, all at a very affordable price—and that’s not to mention how widely available Dove’s products are.

   It would be great if Dove’s foray into facial skin care extended to other areas of concern, such as acne and pigmentation issues, but that hasn’t happened. Instead, each subcategory tends to focus on cleansers and moisturizers (some with sunscreen). There are no AHA or BHA products, no topical disinfectants for blemish-prone skin, and no options to lighten skin discolorations. In terms of their moisturizers, although most are well-formulated, none are substantially emollient—leaving those with dry to very dry skin wanting more. Neutrogena’s skin-care lineup offers several options Dove lacks, including a wide variety of moisturizer textures. That doesn’t mean Dove isn’t a contender, because without question they have some very impressive formulas. For example, all of their moisturizers best what L’Oreal has to offer unless you need something very emollient. They just need to put more thought into balancing their product offerings to serve the varied skin-care needs of consumers. As they have shown thus far, when they pay attention to what published research has shown is good for skin, they really take flight and soar.

   One more point: Dove’s latest ad campaigns emphasizing the natural beauty of real women are a refreshing and long-overdue change of pace. The company offers several programs and inspiring articles that encourage women to embrace themselves as they are and build their self-esteem. Now that really is beautiful!

   Note: All Dove products contain fragrance unless otherwise noted.