Is Dove Shampoo Good or Bad For Your Hair? [Different Hair Types Explained]

Dove shampoo

Dove is one of the most used personal care brands around the globe which is affordable and easily accessible to the general public. But with so much awareness increasing around the ingredients, a question often arises in my mind, “is Dove shampoo good or bad for your hair?”

Let’s go back to the basics to answer this question better.

What Are The Different Scalp Types?

A healthy scalp means healthy hair. You heard it right! The health of your scalp determines the tone of your hair. Every scalp is different, hence the needs. It’s very important to choose the right shampoo with the right ingredients to keep your hair and scalp in their finest health.

Oily Scalp

The oily scalp has over-active sebaceous glands that lead to excess sebum. This type of scalp is prone to more scalp buildup, dandruff, and greasy hair. 

Ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, aloe vera are effective cleansers and should be looked at while choosing a shampoo. 

While shampoos with SLS are capable of getting rid of excessive oil, they also strip off the natural oils from the scalp. 

Dry Scalp

A dry scalp has under-active sebaceous glands-meaning it doesn’t produce enough sebum to retain the moisture on your scalp. This type of scalp is identified by dry flakes, itchiness, and irritation. 

Ingredients like milk, coconut oil, avocado oil are rescuers for dry scalp. Avoid using SLS-based shampoos as they may strip away moisture and natural essential oils from your scalp. 

Normal Scalp

The normal scalp is a well-balanced scalp that doesn’t feel oily but is enough hydrated. The tresses are healthy and the scalp is free from any kind of irritation, itching, or flakes. This scalp generally goes well with every ingredient.

Sensitive Scalp

A sensitive scalp is vulnerable to certain ingredients like parabens, artificial fragrances, or even a naturally-sourced ingredient. This scalp may fall in any of the above-mentioned categories. 

Combination/Mixed Condition

A Combination scalp can have dry ends with oily scalp or dry scalp with oily tresses. If you fall in this type, you have to be careful with your product selection. 

The former category needs a good cleansing shampoo that doesn’t dry your ends while the latter needs a moisturizing shampoo that doesn’t weigh down your hair or make them limp. 

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What Are The Different Hair Types?

The hair type varies from scalp type and so the hair products. Here are the common hair types and the recommendations for them: 

Straight Hair

Look for shampoos rich in moisture and keratin that help seal the cuticle and the straightness of your hair.

Wavy Hair

If you have wavy hair, a balanced shampoo that doesn’t over-moisturize your hair nor strip away the oils is the one for you. 

Curly Hair

Curly hair needs a sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo that doesn’t weigh down the hair but at the same time has the ability to hold the curls in shape. 

Fine Hair

If you have fine hair, choose shampoos that cleanse well and add volume to your tresses. 

Thick Hair

A good moisturizing shampoo that adds shine and smoothness to your hair lengths is good for thick hair.

Colored/Brittle/Damaged Hair

A protein-rich shampoo that helps to improve the texture of hair and increases hair strength. 

ALSO READ: Does Redken cause hair loss?

What Makes Dove A Good Choice For Your Hair?

Apart from being light on the pocket, Dove has an extensive range of hair care products for almost every hair type.

From dry and damaged hair to dull and fine hair, to pre and post-gym care, Dove has worked a lot on their haircare range. 

Dove Shampoo for Curls And Coils

Dove has also launched their sulfate-free haircare range exclusively for curly hair types that go with the name “Amplified Textures”.

The Moisture Recovery Mask from this range is highly loved by the curly-haired beauties. 

The Twist In Moisture Shaping Butter Cream is another gem from this range. The non-oily formulation of this cream is loved for its ability to keep the frizz at bay and hold curls without weighing them down.  

All in all, this range has some excellent CG-friendly (Curly Girl) products that are highly recommended by users. 

Dove Shampoo for Damaged Hair

Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Shampoo is an all-time bestseller. Many users have noticed a vast difference in their hair texture and split ends.

This shampoo is known to make hair manageable, soft, and tamed. This is not a CG-friendly product nor for extremely dry hair.

Nourishing Secrets Repairing Conditioner is one of Dove’s s star products for damaged hair. This conditioner smells amazing and leaves hair silky smooth without leaving any greasy residue behind unlike other moisturizing conditioners. 

ALSO READ: Can Olaplex make your hair fall out?

Dove Shampoo for Fine Hair

Dove Nutritive Solution Oxygen Moisture Range is best suited for people with fine hair and oily scalp.

Its oxygen moisture shampoo cleanses the scalp well and adds volume to limp hair. Unlike other cleansing shampoos, this doesn’t dry out the hair. 

Nourishing Secrets Thickening Conditioner from Dove is also a good pick for fine and limp hair. It makes look hair fluffy and doesn’t feel sticky as well. 

Dove Shampoo for Frizzy Hair

Dove Nutritive Solutions Anti-Frizz Oil Therapy Shampoo and conditioner are the most raved products for taming down frizz.

This combo is said to have worked better than many expensive and hyped-up brands. These products have also seemed to work for curly-haired beauties especially those who live in humid areas.

Dove Shampoo Ingredients

Apart from different ranges for different hair, Dove also uses some absolute gorgeous ingredients needed for having healthy and lustrous hair. 

Glycerine

Glycerine is one of the best ingredients to keep the hair super soft. It is a humectant, meaning it pulls in moisture from the air to your skin or hair to retain hydration. Hydrated and moisturized hair is less prone to breakage. 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is high in lauric acid which provides intense nourishment to hair and seals moisture. It tames frizz and keeps hair smooth. 

Almond Oil

Almond oil has biotin and vitamins that help in strengthening and softening your hair. This ingredient also makes your hair less prone to split ends. 

Shea Butter

Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe an itchy and dry scalp. It prevents dryness and frizziness and is safe for every hair type, be it colored, curly, or damaged. 

It is one of the best CG-friendly ingredients as it has emolliating qualities without making your hair greasy and heavy. 

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is an age-old remedy for making hair healthy. It controls greasiness and soothes an itchy scalp. It is another CG-friendly ingredient that holds curls intact without weighing them down. 

ALSO READ: Is Aveeno good or bad for you?

What Are The Disadvantages Of Using The Dove Shampoo?

With every other brand going paraben-free and opting for natural and organic ingredients to formulate the products, Dove still has a few questionable ingredients. Let’s know them better.

Parfume/Artificial Fragrance

Synthetic aromas can produce allergic reactions, as they include phthalates. They might belong to the category of carcinogens. A few common side effects of artificial fragrances include hives, dermatitis, asthma, or some sort of hormonal disruption. 

Not only that, few elements used to create synthetic fragrances are toxic to the environment as well. When released in water or air, they react with other elements and tend to form more deadly compounds.

If you are a sensitive skin type, you may like to stay away from artificial fragrances. 

Sulfates

The most commonly used sulfates: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate are quite harsh cleansing agents.

They not only pull out the dirt and grease from the scalp but also strip off the natural oils that help to retain the much-needed moisture of the scalp. 

Sulfates can make hair more prone to breakage and deteriorate the health of your tresses. They also elevate frizziness and dryness. 

If you have a dry scalp, dry hair lengths, or both, you don’t need this ingredient anymore in your haircare routine.

Silicone

Silicone is a synthetic substance that is known for numerous benefits in haircare. Though silicone seals the moisture by creating a layer on your hair, it also prevents other good ingredients to seep through your hair which is a nay. 

Dimethicone is the worst of all silicones, and Dove has this ingredient placed at 3rd or 4th in their ingredient list in almost all of its haircare products. 

Insoluble silicones also tend to add up to the scalp buildup that can be a task to get rid of completely. Look for water-soluble silicones that can easily be washed off from the scalp, especially if you have oily scalp.

Does Dove Shampoo Make Your Hair Grow?

No, Dove shampoo doesn’t promote or trigger hair growth. Shampoos are formulated to cleanse and get rid of any debris and buildup from your scalp hence unclogging the pores. 

Its always suggested to oil your hair after shampooing as the oil can penetrate more deeply into your scalp providing it with utmost nourishment that may lead to hair growth. 

More than external care, a good diet with an adequate amount of proteins helps with hair growth. 

ALSO READ: Is Alaffia shampoo good for your hair?

Does Dove Tests Its Products On Animals?

Dove claims to be cruelty-free for over 30 years and has banned testing its products on animals globally. Dove is certified by PETA, a renowned organization that works for the rights of animals. 

But, Dove has been on the grey list of many websites that are into sustainable and cruelty-free skincare due to its sale in China. China is one of the countries that do animal testing on imported goods. 


It’s worth mentioning though that China has stopped mandating animal testing on cosmetics since 2019.

Is Dove A Vegan Brand?

Any product that is identified as vegan must be free from animal-sourced ingredients like propolis, honey, beeswax, etc.

Vegan doesn’t mean that a product will be free from chemicals or won’t get tested on animals. 

A vegan product may not be cruelty-free, and a cruelty-free product might not be vegan. 

The ingredients and by-products used in Dove are animal-derived, like beeswax, honey, and gelatin. Hence Dove is not a vegan brand. There might be a few products free from animal-derived ingredients, you have to look for them.

Do We Recommend Dove Shampoo For Your Hair?

There is no denying that Dove is budget-friendly and has given some great results to many users around the globe. They have a wide range of products that may align with your hair care goals. Each scalp and hair type would find something for them. 

In our opinion, Dove is NOT worth it just because it goes easy on the pocket. The ingredients they use are quite dicey. The first few ingredients placed on their list may be harsh on your scalp as they are potent chemical compounds like SLS, dimethicone, etc, that may make your hair brittle. 

We do recommend reading their ingredient list thoroughly to know if your scalp and hair would be able to take it for good.

References:

  1. https://www.dove.com/us/en/hair-care/shampoo.html
  2. https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/brands/859-Dove_Skincare/?brand=Dove+Skincare&category=shampoo

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Anand Srinivasan
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