I have to admit that my first assessment of the Dove SkinVitalizer is that it was created for women who are too shy to buy a vibrator - a Hitachi Magic Wand "neck massager" for a new generation. Because who on earth needs a vibrating handheld machine just to wash her face?
I'm still very dubious of whether or not this whole vibrating thing makes much difference in the longterm look and feel of skin. I suppose an argument could be made for it increasing circulation, which is never a bad thing, as most women have very poor circulation. But it all just seems overly complicated to me: the cost and chore of having to buy special dual-sided pads (which Dove calls 'pillows'), the obscene excess of plastic packaging involved, and the whole gimmick all did much to dissuade me against this product before I'd even tried it. (As you may have guessed, I got mine for free, from Dove PR.)
That being said, my skin did feel pretty soft and smooth after using both the cleansing and exfoliating sides of the pillows (though the products I applied afterwards - none of which were Dove brand - probably also contributed to this). I also found a way to get more use out of each pad, by using the SkinVitalizer to scrub my feet after I'd done my face. And with all of the foaming going on, I think feet are probably the only place where the cleanser embedded in the pads should really be used. Check out the ingredient list: water, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Silicone Quaternium-8, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-4, Fragrance, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylisothiazolinone. Let me have a cheaper, plain pad with which I can use my own cleanser of choice, and then we'll be talking.
Dove's website for this product is another horrible Flash monstrosity, so I won't link to the front page, which would only annoy you anyway. But they do offer a $3 off coupon on the purchase of a new SkinVitalizer with a 14-count refill of the cleansing pads. And all you have to do is fork over way more personal information than you should.
