Source: Dove / Dove
The dry skin saga in my family continues so let’s talk about Dove Calming Nights Tip to Toe Wash and Baby Lotion. I’ve talked about my household’s dry skin woes in past product reviews because finding what works for you never ends, especially when you’re dealing with children because their skin constantly changes. My daughter has eczema and I’ve been dealing with that since she was about one year old. While I do have some prescription creams for her, I like to use them as little as possible. At the same time, my daughter’s almost three, and if you know anything about toddlers, they do not like being uncomfortable. That means scratching any and every itch as much as possible, wherever and whenever, which can obviously lead to more damage to the skin. So, to keep eczema flare-ups at bay — and stop her from scratching her skin off — I make sure I keep her highly moisturized, and pay extra attention to what lotions and cleansers (avoid soap) I use. Some work well, while others don’t. This set, however, was pleasantly surprising.
I was sent a duo of Dove Calming Nights body wash and lotion to try out, which I’ve done for a little more than a month now to see how they work. Both products are mild, hypoallergenic, paraben, dye, phthalate, sulfate, and tear free. The collection is marketed toward younger babies, formulated with the scent of warm milk and chamomile, which is supposed to help your baby relax before bedtime. On top of it all, because baby skin loses moisture faster than adult skin, which is why they’re much more prone to dryness, each formula contains hydrating lipids and nourishing ingredients to trap moisture.
But does it work, because we’ve all heard that before, right? From my experience, it does a good job. The Tip-to-Toe Wash claims to be tear-free and I haven’t seen any evidence to the contrary. I tested it on myself, and haven’t had any issues with my squirmy daughter who often gets soap in her eyes. The scent is calming, but I can’t say that I smell the warm milk, which isn’t a deal-breaker, just an observation. It has a light sweet scent which to me smells more like powder and an herbal blend that’s driven by chamomile. It produces a creamy lather that’s rich and cleansing and doesn’t dry out my daughter’s skin. Her skin is still supple and moist once she is out of the bath and I was surprised that I didn’t actually need to lather her down in shea butter or Aquaphor even after applying the lotion.
Speaking of the lotion, it has the same scent as the body wash, and it’s described as containing nutrients that are identical to those found naturally in skin and is supposed to nourish the skin as your baby sleeps. It’s rich and creamy but also absorbs into the skin quickly. Some products geared toward dry skin seem to just sit on top of the skin like plastic, so I appreciate lotion that absorbs quickly and actually works. This product isn’t billed to treat eczema, but it does a good job with extreme hydration and I find that I can often use it without having to add any of her prescription creams as well. I apply it after her bath and when she wakes up, she’s not itchy or dried out (which can happen when skin sometimes sucks up all the moisture it gets). I also haven’t witnessed any skin rashes, but I still reapply the lotion when she wakes because eczema is a beast. My daughter goes to daycare from 8:30-5:30 and the product seems to last all day. When she returns home, she’s not complaining about itchiness and I do feel like the overall quality of her skin has improved since I started using this lotion on her.
Again, eczema varies in degrees and this lotion is by no means meant as an eczema treatment but it’s a strong contender for the hydration boost you may be looking for, especially if the skin you’re using it on deals with dryness. As far as the calming part, the jury is still out. I don’t really think the aromatherapy aspect of the products helped to calm my daughter down for bedtime, especially since she’s already so used to the bedtime routine we’ve developed that her body has programmed her to start feeling sleepy at a certain time, and she understands baths happen before bedtime. Infants are a lot easier to soothe though, so maybe it would help to calm a young baby.
Overall, this is a nice range of products to add to your baby and even older children’s skincare routine. It’s an accessible product and each item costs $7.99. Sounds like a win to me!
