Dove has come out with a new technology they call NutriumMoisture. This technology claims to moisturize deep within the skin instead of just the surface. For you sciency types, they explain that their bodywash preserve the skin’s natural proteins and lipids instead of breaking them down.
Anyway, what I know you’re all really interested in is how it performs. Well, being an exfoliation junkie (my skin loves it!) I decided to give the exfoliating version (they also have a moisturizing bodywash and a sensitive skin bodywash) a whirl.
The first thing I notice immediately: FRAGRANCE. And lots of it. It’s heavily scented with a soapy aroma. Usually fragrance is at the end of a list of ingredients or close to it. This is kind of in the middle somewhere. Eep. Speaking of ingredients, here they are…
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Lauric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Stearic Acid, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil or Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Silica, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Isethionate, Tallow Acid or Palmitic Acid, Synthetic Wax, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Lauryl Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid, Idopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Pentaerithrithyl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, BHT, Blue 1 Lake.
Jesus christ that was hard to type out. I had to type it while squinting at the tiny writing on the bottle. The “or” thing kinda weirds me out. Are we supposed to guess? lol…kinda creepy if you ask me. As one would expect from a bodywash, the ingredients are mostly emulsifiers, detergents, etc. Sodium Laureth Sulfate, although not as harsh as its cousin Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, is a potential skin irritant (as is the fragrance).
But how does it perform? Aside from assaulting my nose, that is. Well, I used it for a whooole bunch of showers and I can say that really for my upper body, which tends not to get dry or anything, it doesn’t seem to perform any better than my Bath & Body Works creamy body wash that I’d been using before trying this. In fact, my skin instantly felt smoother when I used the BBW. However, I also use it on my legs prior to shaving them, and I do notice my legs seem softer. The exfoliation comes from some teeny little beads, but I do not feel they are effective enough for body scrubbing. They are gentle, for sure– they’re the kind of small, almost soft beads you’d see in a facial cleanser. However, I really didn’t feel like they gave my legs, arms, etc. an adequate scrub.
Overall, I’d say this is “meh”. I’d feel more positively about it if it were unscented, I think. Dove does have an unscented NutriumMoisture bodywash, but it is not an exfoliating wash. I’m not really sure what I’ll do with this one because while I can’t stand the scent, neither can Mr. Boyfriend, so it’s not like he’ll use it. I’ll probably try to use it up on my legs, because I did see some positive results there and the fragrance doesn’t bother me as much for just a quick leg scrub (washing my shoulders/chest etc. with it is completely out of the question).
If you don’t mind The Dove Fragrance (I highly suggest popping the top and taking a whiff before purchasing) and just want a little scrub action, I suppose this would be an appealing product for you. I, however, want something that doesn’t offend my nose and gives me more scrubby power.
What do I suggest instead? Longtime readers may recall my review of 100% Pure’s body scrub in Honey Almond. That’s a scrub I really love. It’s kind of expensive and not the easiest thing in the world to find though, so another alternative that I like is Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Scrub. Yum.
By the way readers, I do plan on reviewing the unscented, non-exfoliating body wash as well. The scented regular bodywash I probably won’t review because of the fragrance issue. I may give it to someone else to review for this blog though. :)
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