Beware: fake Dove soap
I know a lot about fake bags, watches, jewellery and software because I learnt the hard way about all of them, but I’d never heard of fake soap until we bought some last week.
We’re always looking out for cheaper sources of our essentials, as saving a dollar or two each on frequent purchases really adds up. So when Mr Bargain Queen spotted Dove soap in the dollar store for half the price the supermarkets charge, of course we had to try it.
The only problem is, it’s not the same soap. It looks the same; the packaging is similar; but it smells nasty and dried out my skin really badly. Now Mr Bargain Queen doesn’t understand what the fuss is about — soap is soap as far as he can tell. But he likes that my skin is really soft, so he can put up with my expensive soap preferences!
If you’re a fan of Dove soap like I am, here’s how to pick the fake from the real:
1. Different packaging
In the photo, the one at the top is real; the one at the bottom is the fake. The design of the packaging is quite different when you view them side-by-side. The layout is really different, plus the real packaging uses a really dark blue but on the fake royal blue is used instead. (For a bigger pic, click on the image.)
2. Different ingredients
The real ingredients:
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Aqua, Sodium Isethionate, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Coconut Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, CI 77891, Sodium Hydroxide.
The fake ingredients:
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate, Aqua, Sodium Isethionate, Coconut Acid, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Cworide, Taisodium EDTA, Zinc Stearate, Tetrasodium Stidronate, CI 77891
What does all that mean? I don’t know either. I read somewhere that glycerin’s great for keeping moisture up to your skin so I guess it’s important that the real stuff has it and the fake doesn’t. Tallow’s supposed to be bad for your skin so if sodium tallowate is what it sounds like, I guess that’s part of why the fake is so nasty. And is it just me, or do Sodium Cworide and Taisodium EDTA sound like Engrish? (No offense to non-native English speakers; I’m strictly monolingual so even if you speak English badly you’re still way ahead of me!)
If someone with more knowledge of industrial chemistry or skincare formulations wants to comment, please go right ahead!
3. Different smell
The real thing smells creamy; the fake smells like cheap soap.
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we are currently doing an expose regarding fake dove soaps
if you could share additional information. we would appreciate it very much..
dhindo flora
segment producer
xxx
abs-cbn
09063135314
9244101 loc. 5367,5366
hope you could share some info.
hmmm… interesting. i’m in the u.s. and i picked up some purse packs of kleenex at the dollar store and when i got home, i realized that they had thai writing on them with the exception of “kleenex” which was in big english letters. so apparently these kleenex packs were produced in (for?) thailand and somehow ended up at a dollar store near seattle, washington. i don’t think they were “fake.” i’m wondering if something similar happened with your dove soap. maybe it isn’t “fake” as much as just imported from another country where dove soap is different.
just an idea…
love the blog by the way!
Possibly… it really smelled like regular cheap nasty soap though. Maybe that’s what Dove soap is in Thailand!
Some of the differences have to do with different formulations; for example, Sodium Palmitate is soap made from palm oil and Sodium Tallowate is soap made from tallow, and Dove uses or has used both (and once they’re turned into soap, neither bears any resemblance to the original oil). Other differences between the two labels are obvious typos: Sodium Cworide should be Sodium Chloride, Taisodium EDTA should be Tetrasodium EDTA, and Tetrasodium Stidronate should be Tetrasodium Etidronate. As far as Zinc Stearate in place of Zinc Oxide … Zinc Stearate does exist, but it seems like an odd thing to put in soap.
Thanks for the extra info Roxanne! It sounds like you know a lot more about cosmetic formulations than I do… if you want to share any more info, drop me an email and I’ll send you some questions.
do you know dove it is one of unilever company products ?
for more information you can contact me
Thanks for stopping by Hassan. I’ve sent you an email at your unilever.com email address.
I live in Italy, I think it is the different version only.
I bought it from the Iper supermarket here, the packing is all like the secound one. And they are made in Germany.
I wonder if it is fake? @.@