Does dove visibly smooth deodorant reduce underarm hair?

Vananners asks…What do the Beauty Brains think about the new Dove Visibly Smooth Deodorant that supposed to minimize hair growth? I’ve been using it about 3 weeks now and feel like I’ve noticed a difference. The hair seems to grow slower, is softer and easier to shave.

The Left Brain replies:

As I pointed out in the Forum, hair growth minimizers are more marketing than anything else. If the product actually worked to slow down hair growth then it would be considered a drug and require much more extensive testing. In fact, if you check the claims that Dove’s website makes about Visibly Smooth, you’ll see that they do NOT claim that it does reduces hair growth.

Dove Visibly Smooth claims

  • Conditions your underarm skin from the first time you use it
  • Minimizes the visible appearance of underarm hair over time
  • Within weeks you’ll notice hair feels softer, finer and easier to remove
  • Hair should be less noticeable between shaves and you may need to shave less often.
  • Hair growth is not slowed down

How does ProEpil Complex work?

The “reason to believe” ingredient in Visibly Smooth is Dove’s “ProEpil complex.” According to the website, the complex is a mixture of ingredients including sunflower oil and Dove’s “1/4 translucent moisturizers” what ever that means. It sounds like these conditioners make the hair softer and less likely to “stick up” so razor stubble is less noticeable.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Dove Visibly Smooth doesn’t claim to reduce hair growth, it only claims to make underarm hair look and feel less noticeable. How does the product accomplish this? None of the information from Dove makes this perfectly clear, but it appears to be by conditioning underarm hair. Still, it’s not surprising that you think you notice a difference after using the product. Marketing messages are extremely powerful persuaders.

Do YOU worry about underarm stubble? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.