HM
Henra M
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2011
13 Jan 2026, 14:53
Severe Hair Damage After Using Dove Keratin Repair Product – No Warning Provided & My Facebook Comment Was Deleted
I am writing this review because I experienced severe and traumatic hair damage after using the Dove Keratin Repair Protein Super Conditioner (1-Minute Treatment) exactly as instructed on the packaging. It states: "Use after or in replacement of your old conditioner. Use as frequent as your hair needs for fast and deep conditioning. stunningly beautiful hair in just 1 minute!" There is no warning about protein overload, no instruction on limited frequency of use, and no guidance for long, lightened, sun- or sea-exposed hair.
While on holiday, I used this product a few times after swimming in the sea. Very quickly, my hair became unusually hard, dry and prone to knotting. After applying the product again to help soften difficult knots — and rinsing it out — my hair matted together into dense, solid clumps. It fused into a cement-like mass that could not be detangled.
I spent three days trying to fix it myself, without success. A professional hairdresser worked for hours, but large sections of my hair had to be cut out. I have lost years of growth, and my hair is now uneven and visibly damaged. This has been emotionally and physically distressing.
Clearer instructions could have prevented this entirely. I see this as misleading advertising.
I attempted to raise this issue on Dove’s official Facebook page, but my comment were deleted, which is extremely disappointing and raises concerns about accountability and care for their customer. .
I have contacted Unilever directly and hope they will address this matter and take it seriously but I have not heard from them yet. I am sharing this review to warn others so that they can make informed decisions before using this product.
Photos and evidence are available.
Helpful (0)
Replies (2)0
Replies (2)
Unilever SA (Pty) Ltd's replyOfficial
13 Jan 2026, 16:17Good day Henra,
Thank you for contacting Unilever Engagement Centre and raising your concern with us. We appreciate your feedback, so that we can improve where necessary and give you the very best experience of our brands.
One of our team members will contact you to obtain more information in the next 24 hours, so that we can investigate your complaint further.
Kind Regards,
Unilever Engagement Centre
Thank you for contacting Unilever Engagement Centre and raising your concern with us. We appreciate your feedback, so that we can improve where necessary and give you the very best experience of our brands.
One of our team members will contact you to obtain more information in the next 24 hours, so that we can investigate your complaint further.
Kind Regards,
Unilever Engagement Centre
Unilever SA (Pty) Ltd's reply13 Jan 2026, 16:17
Official
Good day Henra,
Thank you for contacting Unilever Engagement Centre and raising your concern with us. We appreciate your feedback, so that we can improve where necessary and give you the very best experience of our brands.
One of our team members will contact you to obtain more information in the next 24 hours, so that we can investigate your complaint further.
Kind Regards,
Unilever Engagement Centre
Thank you for contacting Unilever Engagement Centre and raising your concern with us. We appreciate your feedback, so that we can improve where necessary and give you the very best experience of our brands.
One of our team members will contact you to obtain more information in the next 24 hours, so that we can investigate your complaint further.
Kind Regards,
Unilever Engagement Centre
HM
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Im not sure anyone cares, but I have plenty of photos of severely damaged and cut off hair due to misleading Dove product claims, false advertising and not enough information on product use. I feel other consumers need to be warned and their product information and claims need to be updated. This is serious!
Henra M's updateReviewer Update
14 Jan 2026, 16:48Thank you. Unilever subsequently wrote an apology letter and made an attempt to get information which I sent. I have not heard back yet. Then the agent above called - I assume from a call centre in a foreign country as it was hard to hear and understand him, he wanted to ask questions, I then started to give background, to which he put down the phone and have not called back.
Then, I did hear from Dove Consumer Services (Unilever Consumer Care US) where I also logged a complaint on the Dove website. They made a brief apology - then said: "As treatment technologies differ, we recommend you check with your stylist before using our products." They offered a replacement product which I please do not want! And seem to think it is sorted. I want to know what they are going to do to prevent this happening to other consumers? I responded with the below"
Thank you for your response. However, I must express my disappointment with the implication that I should “consult my hairstylist” before using your products. I have been purchasing Dove haircare and other products for many years, and I do not believe it is reasonable or practical to expect consumers to seek professional advice before using a conditioner sold for everyday use. By that logic, I would also need to consult a doctor before using your shower gel and face soap bars!
Then, I did hear from Dove Consumer Services (Unilever Consumer Care US) where I also logged a complaint on the Dove website. They made a brief apology - then said: "As treatment technologies differ, we recommend you check with your stylist before using our products." They offered a replacement product which I please do not want! And seem to think it is sorted. I want to know what they are going to do to prevent this happening to other consumers? I responded with the below"
Thank you for your response. However, I must express my disappointment with the implication that I should “consult my hairstylist” before using your products. I have been purchasing Dove haircare and other products for many years, and I do not believe it is reasonable or practical to expect consumers to seek professional advice before using a conditioner sold for everyday use. By that logic, I would also need to consult a doctor before using your shower gel and face soap bars!
The issue here is not my haircare practices, it is the lack of adequate instructions and warnings on your Keratin Repair Protein Super Conditioner, which directly resulted in severe matting and the loss of years of hair growth.
Your packaging promotes this product as:
- “Our most powerful conditioner yet. 10X stronger and stunningly beautiful hair”
- “Repairs, protects and prevents damage in 1 minute.”
- “Replace your regular conditioner.”
- “Use as frequently as needed.”
- “For fast and deep conditioning.”
Nowhere do you warn about the risks of protein overload, the need to limit use, or how this may affect long, lightened or sea-exposed hair. The instructions are incomplete and misleading, and they absolutely contributed to the outcome I experienced.
Large, dense mats formed after using this product exactly as instructed, and a professional hairdresser ultimately had to cut out significant sections of my hair. This is not a minor inconvenience — it is the loss of several years of growth, visible unevenness, and the trauma of undergoing an invasive and distressing process to correct the damage.
I will never use a Dove product again, I therefore do not wish to receive vouchers or a replacement Dove product!
What I request instead:
- Please escalate this matter to your legal and compliance team for an opinion on whether your current product instructions, claims and warnings meet consumer protection requirements and whether it constitutes false and misleading advertising.
- I would like a written response explaining Dove/Unilever’s position on:
- How one gets compensated for the loss of several years of hair growth as a direct result of following your product instructions?
- How you intend to address the misleading nature of your product claims
- What steps you will take to prevent other consumers from experiencing the same harm
- Confirmation that this complaint is being formally logged at a senior level, as I intend to submit it to the Consumer Goods & Services Ombud (CGSO) for review.
My concern remains: this can easily happen to someone else, and your current packaging does not provide sufficient or responsible guidance to prevent it.
I look forward to a detailed and accountable response.
Product images are attached as requested.
*************************************************************************
Im not sure anyone cares, but I have plenty of photos of severely damaged and cut off hair due to misleading Dove product claims, false advertising and not enough information on product use. I feel other consumers need to be warned and their product information and claims need to be updated. This is serious!
HM
Henra M's update14 Jan 2026, 16:48
Reviewer Update
Thank you. Unilever subsequently wrote an apology letter and made an attempt to get information which I sent. I have not heard back yet. Then the agent above called - I assume from a call centre in a foreign country as it was hard to hear and understand him, he wanted to ask questions, I then started to give background, to which he put down the phone and have not called back.
Then, I did hear from Dove Consumer Services (Unilever Consumer Care US) where I also logged a complaint on the Dove website. They made a brief apology - then said: "As treatment technologies differ, we recommend you check with your stylist before using our products." They offered a replacement product which I please do not want! And seem to think it is sorted. I want to know what they are going to do to prevent this happening to other consumers? I responded with the below"
Thank you for your response. However, I must express my disappointment with the implication that I should “consult my hairstylist” before using your products. I have been purchasing Dove haircare and other products for many years, and I do not believe it is reasonable or practical to expect consumers to seek professional advice before using a conditioner sold for everyday use. By that logic, I would also need to consult a doctor before using your shower gel and face soap bars!
Then, I did hear from Dove Consumer Services (Unilever Consumer Care US) where I also logged a complaint on the Dove website. They made a brief apology - then said: "As treatment technologies differ, we recommend you check with your stylist before using our products." They offered a replacement product which I please do not want! And seem to think it is sorted. I want to know what they are going to do to prevent this happening to other consumers? I responded with the below"
Thank you for your response. However, I must express my disappointment with the implication that I should “consult my hairstylist” before using your products. I have been purchasing Dove haircare and other products for many years, and I do not believe it is reasonable or practical to expect consumers to seek professional advice before using a conditioner sold for everyday use. By that logic, I would also need to consult a doctor before using your shower gel and face soap bars!
The issue here is not my haircare practices, it is the lack of adequate instructions and warnings on your Keratin Repair Protein Super Conditioner, which directly resulted in severe matting and the loss of years of hair growth.
Your packaging promotes this product as:
- “Our most powerful conditioner yet. 10X stronger and stunningly beautiful hair”
- “Repairs, protects and prevents damage in 1 minute.”
- “Replace your regular conditioner.”
- “Use as frequently as needed.”
- “For fast and deep conditioning.”
Nowhere do you warn about the risks of protein overload, the need to limit use, or how this may affect long, lightened or sea-exposed hair. The instructions are incomplete and misleading, and they absolutely contributed to the outcome I experienced.
Large, dense mats formed after using this product exactly as instructed, and a professional hairdresser ultimately had to cut out significant sections of my hair. This is not a minor inconvenience — it is the loss of several years of growth, visible unevenness, and the trauma of undergoing an invasive and distressing process to correct the damage.
I will never use a Dove product again, I therefore do not wish to receive vouchers or a replacement Dove product!
What I request instead:
- Please escalate this matter to your legal and compliance team for an opinion on whether your current product instructions, claims and warnings meet consumer protection requirements and whether it constitutes false and misleading advertising.
- I would like a written response explaining Dove/Unilever’s position on:
- How one gets compensated for the loss of several years of hair growth as a direct result of following your product instructions?
- How you intend to address the misleading nature of your product claims
- What steps you will take to prevent other consumers from experiencing the same harm
- Confirmation that this complaint is being formally logged at a senior level, as I intend to submit it to the Consumer Goods & Services Ombud (CGSO) for review.
My concern remains: this can easily happen to someone else, and your current packaging does not provide sufficient or responsible guidance to prevent it.
I look forward to a detailed and accountable response.
Product images are attached as requested.
*************************************************************************
Im not sure anyone cares, but I have plenty of photos of severely damaged and cut off hair due to misleading Dove product claims, false advertising and not enough information on product use. I feel other consumers need to be warned and their product information and claims need to be updated. This is serious!