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When you’re switching shampoos, you want to make sure the new formula won’t cause any hair or scalp issues. Dove shampoo is widely available and might be on your list.
But is Dove shampoo good for your hair? We did a little research on Dove shampoo formulas, ingredients, and reviews to find out!
Is Dove Shampoo Good for Your Hair? Good Question.
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Picking out a new, good-for-your-hair shampoo is harder than it sounds. If you’re being mindful about the products and ingredients you put on your hair, you have to do your research before switching to a new shampoo.
Dove shampoo is often considered gentle, moisturizing, and nourishing, but we’re interested in facts. Is Dove shampoo good for your hair or better left on the shelf?
We dive in deep to look at ingredients, their different formulas, and how their shampoo works on different hair types to find out. Keep reading to see if Dove shampoo is a good idea for your hair!
About Dove Shampoo
Dove is a global beauty brand owned by Unilever. Dove’s mission is to create a diverse range of hair and body care products that support and celebrate “authentic, unique, real” beauty.
The Dove brand is associated with gentle cleansing, nourishing moisture, and mild fragrance. But how good is their shampoo for different hair types?
Dove actually makes a range of different shampoo formulas targeted toward different hair types and concerns. From moisturizing shampoos for chronically dry hair to gentler sulfate-free formulas for damaged or color-treated hair, there’s no shortage of shampoo options offered by Dove.
Let’s take a look at some of the types of Dove shampoo you can find in drugstores and online.
Types of Dove Shampoo
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Dove currently makes over 35 varieties of shampoo targeting different hair types and hair care needs. Here’s a look at the general types of shampoo Dove makes and what each formula is designed to do for hair:
- Moisturizing shampoo: Dove makes 10+ moisturizing shampoos for different hair types. These formulas contain an extra dose of moisture and hydration for thirsty strands and scalps.
- Volumizing and thickening shampoo: There are at least 4 Dove shampoos that target limp, fine, or thinning hair. These formulas are designed to lift and thicken hair with lightweight body and fullness.
- Anti-dandruff shampoo: Dandruff concerns like flaking, itching, and scalp irritation are targeted in Dove’s 4 different anti-dandruff shampoo formulas. Each one targets a different additional concern, like dryness and itchiness.
- Smoothing and anti-frizz shampoo: There are at least 3 Dove shampoos that are designed to calm frizz and flyaways while giving the hair a smooth, shiny texture. These are best for people with coarse, frizzy, or rough hair.
- Sulfate-free shampoo: Dove makes several sulfate-free shampoos for those eliminating harsh sulfates from their hair care routine. You can find 10+ Dove formulas that target different hair concerns, from dryness and dandruff to thickness and damage repair.
- 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner: Dove offers a few 2-in-1 shampoo + conditioner formulas for those who like to handle cleansing and conditioning in a single step. Choose from formulas designed for men and women, including anti-dandruff and moisturizing formulas.
Finding the Dove Shampoo for Your Hair Needs
All shampoos are not made equally, and choosing a Dove shampoo formula that specifically targets your hair type and concerns is key. Picking out the wrong Dove shampoo won’t have disastrous results, but it could mean a string of bad hair days are coming your way.
For example, hair prone to oiliness will be weighed down and limp if you use a moisturizing Dove shampoo, but the same hydrating formula could be precisely what chronically dry hair needs.
Choosing the best Dove shampoo for your specific hair needs and concerns will make or break your experience with this drugstore brand.
If you want great results, you have to (at minimum) choose the shampoo formula that is designed for your hair type and concerns. Find your hair type or biggest hair concern below to see which Dove shampoo is recommended for your hair.
Best Dove Shampoo for Dry Hair
With almost 5 stars on Amazon and the Dove website, the best option for dry hair is Dove DermaCare Scalp Coconut & Hydration Shampoo.
This deeply moisturizing formula smells like coconut and sweet lime, is pH balanced for better scalp and hair health, and leaves hair extremely soft and manageable.
It also contains pyrithione zinc to target flakes and dandruff associated with dryness. If chronic dryness has plagued your hair and you’re thinking about trying Dove, this is the hydrating formula you need.
Best Dove Shampoo for Colored Hair
Color-treated hair may benefit from Dove Color Protect Shampoo, thanks to its sulfate-free formula and damage-repairing ability with keratin protein in the mix.
This formula is designed to help maintain color depth and vibrancy for up to 8 weeks while repairing micro-damage from harsh hair dye with smoothing keratin protein.
It contains repairing hydrolyzed wheat protein, scalp-nourishing rosemary extract, and natural fragrance for a light but fragrant lathering experience.
This formula is a good one if you’re looking to protect and maintain a new hair color while repairing some of the damage done during processing.
Best Dove Shampoo for Frizzy Hair
Dryness is often the culprit behind frizzy, unruly hair with flyaways. If you’re looking for a Dove shampoo that targets frizz, try Dove Anti-Frizz Oil Therapy Shampoo.
This hard-hitting formula contains extra moisturizers and oils that smooth and minimize frizz while leaving hair silky-soft and sleek. Argan oil, sweet almond oil, and mineral oil combine for a trifecta of frizz-eliminating, sealed-in hydration.
Your hair will feel touchably soft and silky after use. This one is a heavier formula, so we don’t recommend it for fine or oily hair.
Best Dove Shampoo for Flat or Fine Hair
If you’re dealing with fine, flat, or limp hair lacking body, reach for Dove Nutritive Solutions Volume & Fullness Shampoo. This volumizing shampoo adds fullness to hair with thickening collagen as a key ingredient.
It works best for fine-textured hair since it offers lightweight moisture that won’t interfere with boosting volume.
The amino acids in this volumizing shampoo can help repair damage to hair strands and fill in keratin gaps to make hair look fuller, more volumized, and healthier overall. Use it as a regular shampoo or before a blowout for a boost in body!
Best Dove Shampoo for Weak or Damaged Hair
We like Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo for Damaged Hair for anyone dealing with signs of worsening hair damage or hair weakness and breakage.
Whether you’re experiencing issues due to chemical, heat, or physical damage, this formula can get your mane on the right track by restoring your hair’s health and strengthening every strand to protect against future damage.
Dove claims this shampoo stops 98% of breakage and daily damage to help you achieve new lengths while repairing your hair on a cellular level.
Surprisingly, this gentle formula is not sulfate-free, but that doesn’t stop it from getting ah-mazing ratings from customers (4.7 stars!). Use it to nourish, strengthen, and repair existing damage while protecting against breakage.
Best Dove Shampoo for Curly or Natural Hair
Natural hair with a curly, coily, or kinky texture needs special care to strengthen, deliver a mega-dose of healthy moisture, and gently remove buildup.
Dove Amplified Textures Hydrating Cleanse Shampoo answers the call and does it all for type 3 (curly) and 4 (coily/kinky) hair. This heavily-hydrating shampoo bathes textured hair in moisture that penetrates strands for long-lasting hydration.
It’s also sulfate-free to treat fragile natural hair to gentle cleansing that doesn’t strip away natural moisture and protein. Get all the hair protection, curl definition, and hydrating benefits with a light, sweet scent that lasts all day!
Best Dove Shampoo for Dandruff
When it comes to dandruff – along with those dreaded scalp flakes, itching, and irritation – try Dove DermaCare Scalp Soothing Moisture Anti-Dandruff Shampoo.
This dandruff-relieving formula eliminates flaking, soothes an itchy scalp, and balances the pH of your scalp for long-term dandruff relief. The key ingredient is pyrithione zinc, which is proven to successfully treat dandruff for a flake-free, healthier scalp with regular use.
The formula is gentle and hydrating to address flakes caused by a bacterial or yeast imbalance or chronic dryness. If you’ve had it up to here with dandruff, this Dove shampoo is good to try!
Frequently Asked Questions About Dove Shampoo
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Are Dove shampoos safe?
Dove’s shampoos and hair care products are considered safe to use. In fact, Dove recently made some changes to their ingredients in an effort to make their products not just safe for hair and body, but more natural and beneficial.
They’ve eliminated all of the following “nasties” from their products for improved results and safer hair care:
- Phthalates: Chemicals that increase plastic durability and flexibility; often found in cheap shampoos
- Lyral: Synthetic floral fragrance associated with allergic reactions and irritation
- Triclosan: Antibacterial ingredient that may alter hormone levels and lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Tricolcarban: Antibacterial ingredient banned by the FDA in 2016 for contributing to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
- Coal tar: A known carcinogen, coal tar is sometimes used to treat dandruff instead of the safer pyrithione zinc
Right now, Dove is also working on phasing out any ingredients with potential side effects or irritation possibilities.
This includes lilial (fragrance ingredient), parabens (preservative), formaldehyde, and formaldehyde donors. We believe Dove shampoo is safe to use in general, though not all formulas will be suitable for every hair type and concern.
Is Dove shampoo good for hair?
Yes, Dove shampoo is considered a good choice for affordable hair care. Their shampoos get high ratings from users on average and there are formulas available for different hair types and concerns.
If you are following a stricter hair care regimen (avoiding sulfates, parabens, silicones, etc.) you should read the shampoo label of the Dove product you’re considering closely.
Dove does make some formulas without these ingredients (including their Amplified Textures hair care line), but you should check the ingredient list to be sure.
Is Dove shampoo cruelty-free?
Yes, Dove shampoo is cruelty-free (PETA-approved) and the company has been committed to not testing their products or ingredients on animals since the 1980s. Today, Dove does not test their ingredients or products (shampoo included) on animals anywhere in the world.
Dove is also part of PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies list, which includes beauty and hair care companies that have committed to never testing on animals.
Is Dove shampoo sulfate-free?
Not all Dove shampoos are sulfate-free, but they do make several sulfate-free options and even have 2 sulfate-free hair care lines.
Their high-end dupe hair care line, Hair Therapy, and Amplified Textures, the Dove product line for natural and textured hair, both contain zero sulfates. You can find individual sulfate-free Dove shampoos not part of these lines as well, including Dove Color Protect.
Read the ingredient labels closely to determine if a Dove shampoo is sulfate-free. Keep in mind that most “sulfate-free” labels indicate the product doesn’t contain sodium lauryl sulfate, the harshest and most common sulfate in shampoos.
Is Dove shampoo curly girl approved?
There is one Dove shampoo that is “curly girl approved,” or considered okay for use as part of the Curly Girl Method (CGM): Dove Amplified Textures Hydrating Cleanse Shampoo.
This shampoo is sulfate free and contains no silicones or drying alcohols that mess with curl pattern, definition, or moisture. There are a total of 3 Dove hair care products that are curly girl approved:
- Dove Amplified Textures Hydrating Cleanse Shampoo
- Dove Amplified Textures Shine & Moisture Finishing Gel
- Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Conditioner
If you’re following the CGM, you can safely use any of these 3 products without compromising your curls!
So, Is Dove Shampoo Good for Hair?
When it comes down to it, Dove shampoo is a good, affordable option for all hair types. They’re not the cleanest hair care company, but they do avoid potentially harmful ingredients like phthalates, some synthetic fragrances, coal tar, and antibacterials that can lead to irritation and antibiotic resistance.
Dove is certified cruelty-free and never tests their products or ingredients on animals. If this is an important issue for you, you can rest assured that Dove shampoo is 100% cruelty-free.
While there are cheaper drugstore hair care brands on the market, Dove does a great job keeping their shampoo affordable. Most Dove shampoos range in price from about $4 to $12, with some of their higher-end products being slightly higher.
If you’re looking for gentle, low-cost, effective shampoo with a range of options and formulas to suit your specific hair care needs, we think Dove is a great option.
They have shampoos for hair types from chronically dry and frizzy to fine, flat, and in need of volume. You can even get thickening shampoo from Dove if you’re experiencing hair loss or thinning.
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