Our baby daughter started suffering from either dermatitis or eczema a year ago just a red bumpy rash and unscented Dove was recommended by the pediatrician, pediatric dermatologist, and allergist. Unfortunately, they didn't know the manufacturer had changed the product formula. We really wish they had it would have saved her a year of terrible itching its new formula caused. We didn't know the Dove doctors have been recommended for years was no longer the same product.
A wild goose chase ensued. A change in her diet to Alimentum resulted in dramatic improvement after a milk allergy was diagnosed. However, small raised red patches and intense itching that caused frantic scratching to the point of bleeding soon became major issues; atypical eczema was diagnosed.
Treatment until just a few days ago had been warm daily baths and unscented Dove, along with hydrocortisone 1% on spots and Cetaphil cream all over. Children's Zyrtec did not seem to alleviate the itching, although it did help her sleep. A visit to a dermatologist and a prescription for Calcitrene did not help either. Only a physical barrier footed PJs with both zippers and snaps, kept her from picking at her skin constantly.
Quite by accident I used unscented Dove two weeks ago. I suddenly found myself having intense itching as well. Could it be that my daughter was allergic to Dove too? It did make sense as Dove was used directly on her exposed areas, arms and torso, and she had her most intense and frantic itching episodes after her bath. We discontinued Dove immediately and her intense itching subsided overnight.
What I didn't understand why I was suddenly was allergic to the new bars. After doing some research it turns out that Dove has discontinued the old Dove unscented bar along with the Dove for sensitive skin (the one with sweet almond oil itself an allergen) and combined them into one bar, Dove Unscented for Sensitive Skin. In so doing, it's changed its main surfuctant and other ingredients.
An online search revealed complaints about itchiness and the new Dove. One wbsite site in particular on the treatment of eczema has an enormous amount of information on detergents, soap and their effects on eczema especially the change in Dove soap. It no longer recommends it for eczema. Please see the comments section for more information.
Interestingly, itchiness and redness with the new formulation was brought up by a costumer in Dove's own website and no solution is given other than Customer Service's phone number.
I've also found some mentions of another Dove ingredient, "Sodium tallowate" tallow, sometimes derived from cattle as sometimes causing a reaction in people with milk allergies, causing flare ups in acne and eczema. Whether this too caused an allergic reaction in our daughter, I don't know.
We thought our case was isolated. However, it's possible that the skin problems related to the new Dove may be more widespread. I hope this information helps as this change was done quietly by the manufacturer.
We also found sweet almond oil in the Cetaphil cream she was prescribed an allergen for anyone with a tree nut allergy. We stopped using it later and the remaining red raised patches she had also diappeared. Other changes that were recommended including a change to Tide Free it didn't help my daughter but it healed my red, cracked hands, the result of doing laundry 2-3x a day with All Free.
Granted, individual reactions to products vary but the new ingredients in Dove may be causing allergies rather than helping them. None of the three doctors consulted knew of the formula change in Dove nor realized that the "Dove + cetaphil" combo they were recommending were causing the very symptoms (itching and rash) they were trying to treat. It's possible parents may just assume it's ongoing eczema, just like they did. It may not be.
I started using this instead of the regular formula Dove (and other competitors like Lever) due to a skin irritation. The doctor actually prescribed this soap since it has moisturizers and no irritants. For that, it's certainly the best availableI haven't had a problem since changing to it, and am effectively buying this in bulk now since it appears I need it.
The one major complaint I have about this soap is that apparently one of the things they took out was the binder. Compared even to regular Dove (which isn't particularly known for its durability) this soap has a very short life-span. This is largely due to the fact that when it gets to about a half inch in thickness, it crumbles and disintegratesand this is through regular use, not abuse like dropping it. This results in a lot of wastage, and a bar usually lasts me about 2-3 weeks. The original Dove lasts at least a month per bar, and some cheaper soaps like Lever 2000 can last a good two months. As such, though these sensitive skin bars are great for your skin, they certainly don't come cheap. I wouldn't recommend you use them unless the regular Dove and/or competitors' soaps cause you skin problems.
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I have very dry sensitive skin and I check the pH (with pH measuring strips) of any soap I use. Most soaps, even the expensive ones, have pH in the range 8-9.5, which means they are harsh on the skin and they strip off the natural acidic mantle.
This soap has pH 7, which means its at the point of neutrality from the chemical point of view, and it is affordable.
It cleans very well but does not dry the skin out.
It is by far my favorite soap for the whole body and the only one I have been used in the past few years.
I read some complaining about the short life span of these soap bars. Put them in the refrigerator for longer life.
Read Best Reviews of Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar Here
For years I purchased expensive, high end products that claimed to be gentle, calming and non-aggravating for acne. None of them worked as well as I had hoped, and furthermore they often irritated my skin and made my acne worse when used in conjunction with other prescribed acne medications. Since I clearly wasn't choosing the right cleanser on my own, I spoke to my dermatologist and asked what they would recommend. They told me to try this unscented Dove bar soap.
I was a little skeptical at first; however, after a month of using this soap twice a day, I am happy to say that it works wonderfully! My skin looks and feels amazing. Furthermore, when using it with topical acne medications my skin is unbothered and does not become painfully dry as it used to with other face washes. It's very convenient (I now can use the same soap to wash my body and my face which is a time saver!), and best of all it's very reasonably priced and readily available! I no longer spend $20, $30 or even more on facial soaps that don't really work, and I don't have to waste my time hunting them down at specialty stores.
If you have severe acne and/or are looking for a gentle, non-drying, non-comedogenic cleanser that won't break your budget, give this a shot! Don't hesitate to put it on your face, as it really works as an amazing facial cleanser.
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I have to say that I am totally disappointed in the Dove unscented sensitive skin bar of soap. In the last half year I have bought this soap and found that the soap starts to get a dip in the center of the soap and by the fourth day there is a hole in the middle of the soap. Something has changed in the formula of the soap that you actually see it disintegrating from the center outward till it falls apart. Hate to say that this is a waste of a bar of soap and it is not worth the money one spends on it to last only a few days before falling apart.
I love this soap. For one it does not dry out my skin like most soaps. Second it is relatively cheap if you buy it in bulk and the scent is very clean. The bar doesn't last too long not short, but not long either which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. This is my go-to soap until something better comes along. Different scent would be a plus but since it is new I'm sure if sales are good enough they'll create more scents. I would recommend it to any man who has trouble with dry skin.
