Are Dove Soap Ingredients Good for Your Skin?

Many people have sensitive skin or skin issues such as eczema or acne. They often ask their doctor or dermatologist what skincare would be best for their skin. Some doctors recommend goat milk soaps, while others recommend using Dove soap for sensitive skin.

"Hi PJ! I was a former Dove soap user. But after a huge psoriasis outbreak, I tried goat milk soap. It made my skin feel great and helped to clear up the psoriasis. I will never go back to Dove brand or any other brand as long as I can buy your soap. I love your soap and your family!" - Mary

Because of this common recommendation, some people hesitate to try our goat milk soap. I’m often asked how our natural soaps compare to Dove soap for sensitive skin, and so I’ve decided to answer that question for you all in this post.

Let's begin by comparing the ingredients.

Dove Bar Soap Ingredients

These are the ingredients of the Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar*

• Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - a synthetic detergent
• Stearic Acid - a saturated fatty acid
• Sodium Tallowate or Sodium Palmitate - saponified tallow or saponified palm oil
• Lauric Acid - a saturated fatty acid
• Sodium Isethionate - a detergent surfactant
• Water
• Sodium Stearate - an emulsifier
• Cocamidopropyl Betaine - a surfactant
• Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate - saponified coconut oil or saponified palm kernel oil
• Glycerin - a humectant or moisturizer
• Sodium Chloride - salt
• Zinc Oxide - a mineral compound
• Tetrasodium EDTA - a preservative
• Tetrasodium Etidronate - a preservative
• Alumina - a chemical compound
• CI 77891 - titanium dioxide pigment

*Per their website as of September 2022

You can compare those ingredients with the soap we make and recommend for extremely sensitive skin...

Castile Goat Milk Soap from GMS

These are the ingredients of our mild and gentle Castile soap:

• Raw Goat Milk
• Saponified Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Saponified means that sodium hydroxide (lye) is used to turn the ingredients into soap. There is no such thing as soap without lye. But there is no lye left in the finished Castile Goat Milk Soap, which is why it isn't listed as an ingredient.

"Great soap for my eczema-prone & sensitive skin. After using, my skin feels soft and moisturized. Please do not stop making this soap." - Wanda F.

How Does Dove Soap Compare to Goat Milk Soap?

Compare the ingredients in Dove soap and our GMS Castile Soap. The differences between Dove and the Castile Goat Milk Soap are huge! The Castile Goat Milk Soap has two very simple, easily recognized ingredients. Unfortunately, the Dove soap ingredient list contains chemicals and preservatives, which can have harmful effects on sensitive skin.

The Castile Goat Milk Soap is our gentlest soap with the fewest ingredients. It is the goat milk soap that we recommend for newborn babies. We also recommend it for people undergoing radiation or chemotherapy.

"Love all the goat milk stuff products I have tried! The naked soaps are my favorite, since there is no extra packaging that I don’t need. The Castile and Purity are wonderful for my skin and my children who have dry and/or eczema prone skin. Although I still may need moisturizer, (just placed an order for the moisturizer sticks) I no longer have itchy skin after showering! I was told long ago to use Dove unscented by a dermatologist, but that did not do nearly as well as this. I will continue to happily purchase from your company. Thank you and your family for your commitment to helping everyone live a healthier, safer life. Also the communication about your orders progress is so nice, love the personal messages!" - Linda L.

We also have another olive oil-based Goat Milk Soap that is great for sensitive skin. We infuse calendula flowers into the olive oil. Calendula is a flower that is typically used in herbal remedies for cuts, bruises, burns, and inflammation. Calendula also contains naturally occurring phytochemicals that oppose fungi, bacteria, viruses, and inflammation. The Calendula Goat Milk Soap is also unscented and is a wonderful goat milk soap for sensitive skin.

"I never thought I would find a soap that didn't leave my skin feeling dry and tight. I tried everything, including Dove, and eventually stopped using soap altogether except for my hands and "important places" while showering. I also suffer from eczema - though not nearly as badly as before! I no longer get it on my legs and only get small patches on my hands - probably because I still use harsh soap on my hands in the bathroom at work. Dove was one of the better soaps I tried but it still left my skin feeling very dry, itchy and tight." - Bethany

If anybody is struggling with sensitive skin, we recommend an unscented soap. Our most popular unscented soap is the Purity Goat Milk Soap. It lathers better than the Castile or Calendula. If you have eczema or psoriasis, it can also offer relief. But remember that everyone's skin is different and you should always test the different soaps to see which soap your skin prefers.

"I am very happy with Purity Goat Milk Soap. It eliminates the dry skin problem I have when using store bought soap, even better than Dove soap." - John T.

Sometimes, people with sensitive skin are able to handle scented soap. The Oatmeal Milk & Honey Goat Milk Soap is our most popular scented soap and has a strong, clean honey scent. If you have troubled skin, test a scented soap first to make sure it will work for you.

"I have been using my soap for about 4 weeks. I have been using the OMH bar to wash my hands instead of B&B works and my hands are so soft. I rarely need lotion. Looking forward to ordering the lotion bar. We live in South GA so we do not have extreme cold. Also use the Oatmeal Milk & Honey soap. It has replaced my Dove unscented." - Maxie

I started making Goat Milk Soap in 2006 because I wanted only natural ingredients on my family's skin. My goal was (and still is) to avoid most of the ingredients used in Dove soap. Other commercial detergents and beauty bars use those same ingredients as well.

"I currently have a bar of dove sitting in my shower, it is almost "new". I had just opened it when I decided to try my 1st bar of Fiji Island. That was a year ago. My GMS soap makes my skin feel softer, lasts way longer and doesn't dry out my skin even a little bit. Plus the peace of mind of using a natural product not something that came out of a lab and tested on animals is a big plus. I like to put ON my body what I can put IN my body, read the ingredients, Dove has a lot of things that are made in a lab. I will take Raw goat milk; Saponified natural fats, coconut oil, olive oil, soybean oil; Fragrance; Natural color over the chemicals in dove any day. Now I am going to go throw my bar of Dove out!!" - Melissa

You may have been willing to use the ingredients in Dove on your skin. Now that you've seen the comparison, perhaps it's time to try one of our goat milk soaps instead. A natural goat milk soap has a lot of benefits for your skin. Those benefits are important, especially if you're struggling with various skin issues.

You may find that goat milk soap is the best skincare product you've ever tried!