dove soap
A Unilever product, Dove soap is part of an extensive body care line that includes not only beauty bars but lotions, body washes, antiperspirants, hair and facial care products. First available on the American market in 1955, Dove soap was initially produced in The Netherlands under the name of De Duif, which means the dove. Then and now the promotion of Dove soap relies on the moisturizing cream bar content that hydrates and softens the skin. A dermatological study conducted in the late 70s confirmed the fact that Dove soap did not irritate or dry the skin the way regular soaps do.
Based on such scientific data, the company launched in even more intense marketing promotion of Dove soap, winning over many other users. Dove soap has nothing special in terms of composition: the ingredients mainly include synthetic surfactants and some vegetable oil extracts. The efficiency results from the balanced neutral pH that is very close to that of the skin, between 6.5 and 7.5. Lots of Dove soap bars have flooded the market, each with a different specificity: there is Dove soap for dead cells exfoliation, Dove for sensitive skin, nourishing Dove, anti-aging Dove and several energy glow versions.
The skin moistorizing properties of Dove soap seem to be justified and obvious if we just think about the skin softness after every usage. Unfortunately, herbs and essential oils cannot claim the merit for the hydration properties as the function is assumed by wetting and foaming agents; Sodium Cocyl Isethionate is the main ingredient in Dove soap responsible for moisturizing. The action of this component is supported by the fatty Stearic acid derived from plant and animal fats that cover the same emollient function. Therefore, the title of cream bar that Dove soap normally carries is not exactly justified.
Presently, there is a very intense Greenpeace campaign carried against Dove producers who are being criticized for purchasing palm oil supplies from Indonesian sources that massively deforest the South Asian globe areas. Greenpeace has even come up with some product parody sketches in which the Dove soap beauty instances are replaced by pictures of Indonesian forests, with trees being massively cut down. Yet, the solution is not that of changing customer’s mind about whether to buy or not but to get a modification in the company’s policy concerning ingredient supplies and suppliers.