If someone asks you to name your favorite body wash, what’s the first brand that comes to your mind? For myself, and probably a good percentage of the world, it’s Dove. It sat in the bathroom of my childhood home (my mom would buy it in bulk from Costco), and it’s still a staple in my body care routine today. And for all its years in existence (17 to be exact), the standard Dove Body Wash formula has not been tweaked and its packaging remained in that teardrop-shaped bottle — that is, until today.
Don’t panic: The new version has the same refreshing scent, impressive lather, and accessible price point as its predecessor. But now, you can get to every last drop. The brand has retired the point-tip bottle in favor of a sleek, new version that’s easy to squeeze and flip upside down: “We knew we could make it more ergonomic,” says Ellen Shepard, Unilever R&D Director, Personal Care for North America, tells Allure. But it wasn’t a quick decision (there were multiple failed attempts with the consumer, as a matter of fact). “We had to do a tremendous amount of testing if we were going to change something that’s so iconic,” Shepard adds.
Of course, what’s on the inside also counts — and the beloved formula got an upgrade, too. If you have sudsed up with the creamy wash before, it’s hard to imagine how it could be more hydrating… But the seemingly impossible is possible thanks to new proprietary “nano technology” which was in development for 10 years. “At Dove, we have a philosophy of approaching skin care in the shower two ways: with mild cleansing, first and foremost, and then secondly with effective moisturization,” says Shepard. That’s always been their approach, but the latter half is being improved: Using nano technology, Dove is “reducing the size of moisturizer droplets from standard microns, into millions of microscopic nano-sized droplets, so tiny droplets are able to get into all the nooks and crannies of the skin for a more even deposition, [and therefore] it deposits moisture more effectively,” Shepard explains.
The powerful boost of hydration has been infused into 16 varieties, including favorites like Deep Moisture and the Refreshing Body Wash with Cucumber & Green Tea, as well as three new options (Dove Revitalizing Body Wash with Cherry & Chia Milk, Dove Invigorating Body Wash with Aloe & Eucalyptus Oil, and Dove Calming Body Wash with Oatmeal & Rice Milk).