Dove enhances odor protection and skin care in aluminum-free deo with vitamin B3

15 May 2024 --- Unilever’s Dove provides a vitamin B3 boost to its latest deodorant line, VitaminCare+.

The FMCG giant acknowledges increasing consumer demand for premium and aluminum-free products, and says its line incorporates science to provide odor protection.

Unilever cites research that indicates consumers are seeking products that offer odor protection and skin care benefits. It points to growth of 25.2% in the aluminum-free deodorant category in 2023, which is estimated to be worth over US$1.59 billion in the US alone.

Vitamin B3 for odor protection
Vitamin B3, or facial-grade niacinamide, is included in Dove’s VitaminCare+ deodorants at a concentration of 3% — the key component of their new approach.

Unilever’s research finds that niacinamide works with the skin to provide up to 72 hours of odor protection and offers “superior” skin care benefits.

VitaminCare+ contains vitamin B3 at a concentration of 3%.The skin’s antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide natural odor protection by reducing the number of odor-causing bacteria. Unilever reports that niacinamide supports AMPs, bringing a layer of odor protection for the underarms.

“Our discovery of vitamin B3’s ability to assist AMPs in inhibiting the colonization of bacteria on the skin has truly changed the game,” says scientist Alyssa Kowcz from the Dove R&D team.

“We have long known that vitamin B3 is an excellent skin care ingredient, but it’s capable of so much more than we could have anticipated. This formula is unlike anything else that came before it.”

Skin care and fragrance
Unilever claims that Dove VitaminCare+ provides better skin care advantages and odor control by combining niacinamide and vitamin E. This provides a “holistic” underarm care solution that relieves dryness, repairs the skin barrier and evens out skin tone.

“Until now, there’s been a gap in the market for an aluminum-free deodorant that gives consumers more — with added vitamins, premium skin care benefits, delicious fragrances and lasting odor protection. Dove is the perfect brand to deliver on those growing consumer needs,” says brand director Laura Kleffer.

“We’re confident we’ve come up with a superior product, too. Our consumer tests recorded extremely positive results compared with competitor brands for odor protection, skin care, sensory and premium cues.”

Dove VitaminCare+ is available in the US market in six fragrance options: Raspberry & Rose, Lavender & Chamomile, Coconut & Shea, Peaches & Shea Butter, Coconut Water & Aloe and Cucumber & Melon.

In other developments, Silab created Deolya, a natural deodorant with an active ingredient from meadowsweet that limits odors and relieves irritations in underarms, for a microbiome-friendly solution.

Edited by Venya Patel