Since April, Dove has been running a deodorant commercial claiming that when women shave their armpits, one third of what they remove is skin. But if they use new Dove deodorant, it helps repair it.
The company posed a problem — lost skin, and proposed a solution — spray it with Dove. “Shave it? Dove it,” the ad says repeatedly.
The commercial concludes by saying “replenish your skin after every shave.” That almost sounds like there is human skin in each can because “replenish” means to fill back up or build back up.
*MOUSE PRINT:
After the announcer says one-third of what is lost is skin and “Dove helps repair it,” this one-second fine print footnote comes on the screen.
That is the only time the company says in the ad that what they are really talking about is repairing the skin’s barrier.
The website for Dove Cool Essentials explains a bit further:
Did you know that when you shave, 1/3 of what you remove is skin? That’s why our Advanced Care Cool Essentials Antiperspirant Dry Spray is infused with Pro-Ceramide Technology, which helps strengthen your skin’s barrier by helping boost ceramide levels (that naturally deplete when you shave).
That is apparently a true statement. The sunflower oil in the spray’s ingredients could perform a protective function if it was applied in sufficient quantity to help the skin stay moist and may help protect against infections. But that is not the same as suggesting that the ceramides in the deodorant can repair lost skin or build it back up — the very problem the commercial seems to be alerting viewers about.
We asked a dermatologist if this product could possibly repair lost skin or replenish it. She said she was not aware of any evidence-based science to support those claims. A second dermatologist said that ceramides are an ingredient in popular lotions and creams to add moisture to treat dry skin, but he did not know if the company’s claims were true or just theoretical.
So we asked Unilever, the manufacturer of Dove deodorant, if they had studies that demonstrate that use of this Dove deodorant can replenish lost skin. They did not reply to multiple inquiries.
As a result, we have asked the National Advertising Division of Better Business Bureau National Programs to open a case about this advertisement.
