Review: Dove Visible Effects Hand Cream and Body Lotion

This product was provided for consideration by Dove's PR.

I've been  putting off writing this review for the simple reason that I can't quite find the right words to describe the effects of these products.  The hand cream and body lotion both contain a new, patented ingredient (which we're reliably informed has been in development for years) designed to hold moisture at the surface of the skin.  In combination with a couple of other more widely used ingredients, the formula claims to address dryness in all layers of the outermost part of the skin.

Now, all this science-y stuff is great material for advertisements and press releases, but for me, the main question is whether the products are different (or superior!) to the hand and bodycare products I've used before.  In my experience, the answer is yes - if you're talking about mass market, basic bodycare products, these are amongst some of the nicest I've used, in terms of the softness given to the skin.

After application, there's a period of about five to ten minutes when I feel like there's a fairly noticeable residue on my skin.  The residue doesn't really dissipate with extra rubbing in, either - but after that five to ten minute period has elapsed, it disappears, and the skin is left feeling smooth and soft without any greasiness. 

This is the part I can't quite explain; while my skin is definitely not greasy, and doesn't have any form of residue, it still feels like there's something there.  It's not massively noticeable, and it isn't sticky, but it's there.  I think that this is the part that keeps the outer layers of the skin moisturised, and indeed, after washing my hands, my skin still feels moisturised and soft.  The effect lasts through a good 3 or 4 washes on my hands, and pretty much the whole day on my body.

For me, the hand cream is the stand out product; I don't use body lotion every day (mostly as I'm lazy), but I like to use hand cream a couple of times a day.  The fact that it is non-sticky and keyboard friendly makes it ideal to keep on your desk at work, and the long lasting nature of the moisture it provides far exceeds that of similarly priced beauty basics.  One slight downside to the products: they are quite strongly scented.  It's a fresh, clean, almost cucumber-y scent, but it's not particularly subtle.

If you're interested in trying either product yourself, you can find them both at Boots, where the body lotion will cost you £4.99 for 250ml, and the hand cream will cost you £2.99 for 75ml.