Holistic DIY Dog Shampoo Recipes To Save You Money
My friend and I were visiting the dog park recently when she asked me if I thought dogs were dirty. I looked over at one of my dogs… Standing at the top of a muddy grass-covered knoll. He was playing “king of the mountain” with about 5 other dogs. None of the dogs was more than a foot tall. So the dirt they were kicking up went all over their stomachs and faces. I must have looked at her like she was crazy because she started to laugh… Hysterically. Yes, dogs get dirty! My friend and I are both very careful about what what we wash our dogs with. There are a lot of chemicals and synthetics in many dog shampoos. Together we developed our own holistic DIY dog shampoo and low and behold we’re saving money on grooming!
No one wants to have a dirty dog. Heck, and really dogs don’t like being dirty. The smells they have may not bother them, but dirty skin… It drives them bonkers. It makes them itchy, and too much itching can lead to infection. The everyday bacteria and germs that develop from their sebum and perspiration, coupled with dirt and dust makes me want to wash my dogs every week. But, we don’t want to strip their oils, so they are groomed every 2 weeks.
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Let’s face it, It is very easy for your dog to get dirty, even if s/he is an inside-all-the-time dog. Dirt comes from more than the obvious places like a muddy dog park. It comes particles in the air, dead skin cells, body oil, food that dries in their facial fur, rolling around in dust or pollen, and even from their daily walks. Plus, their paws get dirty… Really dirty. Not only do they walk on their paws, they sweat through their paws. This is why we recommend daily brushing, and wiping down, as well as regular paw washes!
As mentioned above, when dogs get dirty they tend to itch. The accumulated debris that builds up on an unwashed dog can have long-term effects. But you also don’t want to strip your dog’s coat of its’ natural oils. This is one reason why you need a mild, but effective DIY Dog Shampoo. When left dirty, a dog will naturally itch due to a histamine reaction. Itching leads to miniscule tears in the skin. When repeated, the cycle becomes fairly unstoppable until infection sets in. Also, dirty dog skin definitely aids in hot spots and yeast overgrowth (source).
When you give your dog a bath, you should not use human shampoo as it not only is too harsh, it also disrupts the pH balance of a dog’s skin. Why is this? Acid or alkaline differences in human versus dog skin. Human shampoo can dehydrate your dog’s skin, making him or her susceptible to bacteria and parasites.
There are several factors to consider when buying or making your own DIY dog shampoo. These include:
Certified organic ingredients are free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, as well as all hormones and antibiotics. In this environment plants and their subsequent oils boost their phytochemical production (vitamins and antioxidants). This translates to healthier skin and fur.
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Because skin is the largest organ your dog has, use all natural ingredients. Make sure that the DIY dog shampoo you make, and especially if you buy an OTC product, is chemical free, sulfate free, free of artificial fragrances and colors, and is paraben free. Also, you should be able to pronounce the ingredients in dog shampoo. Nothing with coca-XYZ, isopro-XYZ, methyl-XYZ, etc., and absolutely no artificial preservatives or mineral oil. Scents are not needed, however, if you add them, use well-sourced, dog-safe essential oils.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Thoroughly brush your dog prior to bath. Before applying shampoo, make sure that your dog is very wet. We wash our dog in sections versus getting our dog wet all over all at once. Shake bottle of shampoo to combine ingredients. Apply one teaspoon of shampoo over the area you plan on cleaning. Work the shampoo into your dog’s fur and skin, massaging and gently raking your fingertips down to the skin. Rinse very well. If your dog is dirty, repeat until water runs clear. Remember to shake the shampoo bottle prior to every use. When done with one area, move on to the next until your dog is completely washed.
Oatmeal is very soothing for dry skin. This add on works best with castile soap-based DIY dog shampoo recipes. Pour 1 cup of oatmeal into a food processor and grind until it becomes a very fine powder. Mix the powder into the shampoo. Another great add-on for dry skin is aloe gel. Add up to 3 tablespoons of aloe gel to your DIY dog shampoo of choice. When you bathe your dog with dry skin add-ons, allow the shampoo to stand for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. Always shake the bottle of shampoo prior to use.
Select only therapeutic, properly sourced organic essential oils from reputable companies. Depending on the issue you are remedying, use one or more of the essential oils listed below. Include up to 15 drops in an 8 ounce bottle of the DIY dog shampoo of your choice. Do not use these around your dog’s face, especially their eyes, nose, and mouth, anus, or inner ear flaps. Maintain a separate bottle of DIY dog shampoo for those areas. While oregano essential oil can be beneficial, we do not recommend using it at this time. It is incredibly powerful and overwhelming and should only be used with exacting precision.
Word of Caution: Cats are highly sensitive to essential oils. It’s for this reason that we don’t recommend bathing your dog with DIY dog shampoo that includes essential oils if you also have a cat.
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Aging and Inflammation – older, aches and pains: Frankincense, Helichrysum, Melaleuca, Myrrh, Niaouli, and Rosemary.
Natural Insect Repellent – flea, tick, etc: Catnip, Citronella, Geranium, Lemon Eucalyptus, and Lemon Tea Tree.
Pleasant Company – fresh scent: Almond, Lavender, Niaouli, Peppermint, and Vanilla.
Yeasty Skin – overgrowth: Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon Grass, Peppermint, and Rosemary.
While there are several dog shampoos on the market, we’ve analyzed many of them in order to select the ones that we would use on our own dogs. Here are a few of the best:
We actually really like making our own DIY dog shampoo. It’s easy to do. We’re in control of the ingredient selection. And not only that, it saves us some money. As long as you are 100% knowledgeable about ingredients that your dog can tolerate and the proper use of essential oils for dogs, the options are fairly unlimited!
Rebecca!
p.s. You can use our dog shampoo on humans too!
Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Recipe
This post was last modified on 30/10/2023 22:53
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