The original post is located at www.elle.com
High up in the clouds, peering out of my window at the sun-scorched brown mountains of Chile, I closed my eyes and envisioned my next few days in the country: crispy empanadas, dry desert heat, and pisco sours on repeat. Chile’s Atacama Desert is a destination I only learned about in a passing conversation with strangers at a Sao Paulo airport last year. Aptly dubbed “the driest place on Earth,” it’s a destination where survival is tested daily—and, apparently, so is your skin’s moisture barrier. My dreamy desert vision was cut short by a jarring realization: I forgot to pack lotion.
I know what you’re thinking: What kind of beauty editor forgets body lotion? The kind who packs in a panic hours before boarding an international flight, that’s who. Packing for a trip to the driest desert in the world with only a few hours to spare, I focused on essentials like light layers, sunscreen, insect repellent, sturdy shoes and a refillable water bottle. Normally, my travel toiletry bag is stocked with all my skin care must-haves, but somehow, I left behind the one product my body needed most. With no lotion in sight, I braced myself for the inevitable tightness and flaking, and found unexpected salvation in the most unassuming travel companion: Dove 24 Hour Lotion Body Wash.
Night one was the toughest. After a grueling 15-hour travel day, the Atacama’s bone-dry climate hit hard. I always double cleanse my body, just as I do my face, so I reached for a rogue bar soap at the bottom of my bag, lathered up with my exfoliating sponge, and scrubbed away the airport and desert dust. The result? Skin that felt tight, raw, and parched—as expected. I needed a miracle—or at the very least, a body wash that lived up to its hydrating promise.
Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash
The Dove 24-Hour Lotion Body Wash stands on one main pillar—to provide deep, long-lasting hydration. Sounds like marketing fluff, right? But Dove actually backs it up, thanks to a key ingredient: MicroMoisture technology. These tiny moisture droplets are designed to seep into the dry cracks of skin to restore moisture lost and maintain it for hours.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Neera Nathan explained during a live demo comparing Dove to a competitor, “If you’ve ever washed your skin and felt residue without true hydration, it’s likely because of large, uneven moisture droplets. Dove’s MicroMoisture creates tiny, hydrating microdroplets that absorb deeper into the skin for long-lasting results.” The proof? In a side-by-side demo with two Beautyblenders—one soaked in Dove, the other in a competitor’s—the Dove sponge absorbed more, swelled larger, and stayed hydrated longer. Even 24 hours later, after exposure to the Atacama air, it retained significantly more moisture.
Pouring it onto my exfoliating sponge, the creamy texture instantly felt luxurious, a familiar consistency I love from Dove’s other formulas (shoutout to the Acne Clear Body Wash!). Unlike the bar soap that left my skin screaming for help, this lather felt like a silky caress. Its subtle, clean scent filled the tiled space and, for the first time since arriving, I felt relief.
I let my body air-dry as I finished my nighttime skincare and oral care routine, then slipped into my cozy Barefoot Dreams lounge set. Usually, by the time my skin dries, I feel that familiar crackling on my arms and legs, followed by some light scratching. But not this time. My skin felt soft, calm, and—most importantly—moisturized. And that feeling lasted. Even the following day, my skin still felt nourished, which, in a place with virtually zero humidity, was a revelation.
Over the following days, that body wash became my ritual. After long treks through dusty terrain and frigid nights in the desert, stepping into the shower and lathering up with Dove felt like a reset. It wasn’t just about getting clean—it was about restoring what the environment stripped away. In a place where moisture is scarce and the elements are relentless, I found a companion that offered more than hydration. It offered comfort, consistency, and—surprisingly—a reminder that resilience, much like good skincare, runs deep.
