Multi-functional products are nothing new: some were developed for space-saving reasons, as with washer dryers or fridge freezers, while some pack in the benefits to get an edge over the competition, like the latest toothpastes which combat plaque, gingivitis, tartar build-up, cavities, bad breath, sensitivity etc - I believe some brands of toothpaste now also offer organic vegetable boxes and coach trips to York. Then in the case of many beauty and bodycare products - eg 'alphabet creams' (BB, CC - and now DD aka 'Dynamic Do-it-all' creams), shampoo & conditioner, moisturising hair removal creme etc - a key driver is to speed up the beauty regimes of our lazy and time-poor generation, as well as to thin out the forest of bottles lined up all round the bath, like slightly oozy skittles. I plan to do a separate post on some of those in due course...
The problem with combining the function of liquid soap (takes stuff off) with moisturising cream (puts stuff on) is that the product ends up being hopelessly conflicted. This Dove cream wash doesn't finish the cleaning job before it starts to moisturise, or that is my impression. It is like a runaway 'wash & wax' car wash, or a gibbering GPS stuck at the mid-point of an equidistant loop - or perhaps a rabbit that has darted half way into the road and the path of an oncoming car, and is unsure whether to complete the crossing or run back to where it came from. As I wrote on Facebook the other day:
"Dove Beauty Cream Wash purports to combine the properties of a liquid soap and a moisturising cream, following the car 'wash & wax' principle. Epic multitasking fail. Hands feel sticky and unclean and I have an immediate Lady Macbeth urge to wash them afterwards."
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| Pashmina frenzy on local choir - one or two were slithering off by the end of the night! |
But I digress. That's all I wanted to say on the subject of this particular malfunctioning 'two-in-one' soap product. Yes, for me this Dove product concept simply doesn't have legs - or a leg to stand on - or wings even.
And I would be interested to hear if anyone has had a better experience of the category, or has had similar epic fails with multitasking bodycare products. Or who has tried a DD cream! I am still stuck at BB, slow learner that I am. And following my post on the subject, I never did find one that was less greasy or the right colour...
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| Hen, 'the loveliest chicken' in Britain - Source: thisiscornwall.co.uk |
Oh, but I must just share this comment about a Dove product - presumably something in the general 'wash' family - by my cousin's wife Sue on my Facebook wall:
"It is however, very useful for conditioning championship chickens, it seems. Good old Radio 4 useless information."
Only the white ones, mind - as Sue later qualifies her comment - for Clive Stephens, the poultry fancier featured in the broadcast, uses washing up liquid on the black ones.
Here is the very excerpt to which she is referring!
The picture above is of the imaginatively named Hen, Stephens' freshly washed and award winning bird, pictured next to a bottle of Fairy Liquid.
12 comments:
Ha ha, pretty sure I did a cashmere wrap comparison when writing about Bois d' Armenie.
That Dove Cream Wash sounds ucky. I hate putting anything gunky on my face, even though it's dry, and to feel the urge to wash your hands afterwards is really bad. Multi-tasking products hold a lot of promise but usually don't tend to any of the tasks very well. I'm not a fan of it with make-up either, where you can use the same product as a lipstick, blusher and eyeshadow.
They do DD creams? Really? Guess it was a only a matter of time since BB creams did so well. I tried the Estee Lauder one the other week and I'd buy that at some point I think.
BTW I am having problems with the Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+. To me it smells like oil that's been used to fry chips!
Hi Tara,
Hey, no worries - I am as guilty of 'cashmere wrap syndrome' as the next blogger. Also of 'silk teddy' comparisons and suchlike, I am pretty sure.
Multi-tasking products do seem to be as double-edged as they are doubly functional, and certainly the BB cream I tried had two major negatives (oily, too pale!) that knocked it on the head, though I did like the idea and smell of it and all its emollient and SPF benefits. I only ever tried the Garnier one that was the pioneer of the sector, mind - I should spread my net more widely maybe.
I only learnt about DD creams while researching this post! I hadn't got beyond CC creams - just as an abstract concept, you understand - and had quite forgotten what even they stood for. ;-)
Thanks for the warning about the Rosehip Oil - I never did get round to seeking it out, though I have enjoyed using the Dermalogica product you also recommended. Used chippy oil doesn't sound ideal!
I'll use my bottle up but I'll try the Khiel's Midnight Recovery Complex next. Though maybe it's just me, or just the Anitoxidant+ version.
I used the Dermalogica mask today. I still love it. Even using it only once a month makes a difference.
Hi Tara,
Ah, I didn't twig that there were two versions of the Rosehip Oil - you would still recommend the one without antioxidants then? I must be due for another Dermalogica mask soon - it gets my friends stroking my cheeks in disbelief, which has to be good!
For some reason your blog ate two of my most recent comments :(
On this post? I am so sorry - Blogger does periodically have these glitches, though I mainly experience them on my iPhone trying to comment on other Blogger sites.
I don't know if the original Rosehip oil smells any different but quite possibly.
I'm so happy the Dermalogica mask has been such a success for you too!
Yes indeed, and last night I braved the Indeed Retinol product again, taking great care to avoid my eyes. No stinging or ill effects - I think my skin may have already got over the shock now of that first experiment. We will see if I notice any difference...;)
I was trying to say that 1) the only dual-action products I use usually have SPF as one of two functions and 2) if they used up all that Fairy from the bottle for one wash, I understand why the hen looks rather embalmed than washed ;)
Hi Undina,
SPF is a good example of multitasking at its best. And I am so glad you persisted and were able to leave your comment - the bit about the stuffed hen is priceless!
You know, I *have* experienced a good soap + moisturizer at some point, but I cannot for the life of me remember what it was. I think it might have been a natural brand body wash. And my BB cream is a great coverage + high SPF (50+) product. But generally, I agree with you that it's hard to get multitasking products right (or at least I assume it is hard, because it's not happening so often).
Hi Natalie,
Oh do let us know if you remember the name of the high functioning body wash / moisturiser hybrid! Yes, some of the better end of BB creams do cover various bases - no pun intended. Am impressed with SPF 50 in one - I have not come across higher than 15! Maybe that is to do with the climates where you have been living lately?
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