We Tried 11 Popular Dog Shampoos. Here Are the Two Worth Your Money in 2022
We sniffed, we lathered, we squinted at ingredient lists. And we picked two favorites. Updated May 2021.
Hi, hello, and welcome to our dogs’ least favorite blog post we’ve ever written.
Yep, this is a review of dog shampoos.
I know some of you have dogs who adorably love their bath time. In fact, when Dave first came home, I had spent a lot of time on YouTube looking at cute swimming dachshunds and was convinced that if I just did bath time right he would LOVE it. Nope. It never happened.
There is thrashing. There is wailing. There are SUCH SAD puppy eyes.
And then Lizzie joined our family, and I really thought she would like baths since she actually enjoys swimming. But no. She’s scared of the bathtub. No matter how much peanut butter is involved, the sound of running and draining water terrifies her.
All that to say, when I bathe the dogs, I really want it to be worthwhile—I want them to come out clean and sweet-smelling, and I want it to LAST. And I’m betting you feel the same way.
I confess that for a long time, I used a popular puppy shampoo on our dogs. It smelled good and it was cheap. But after getting pregnant, I started obsessively reading the labels on everything in my life. And I realized that nowhere on the dog shampoo I was using were the ingredients listed. That can’t be good, right?
I really wanted to find a go-to dog shampoo—one that was sweet-smelling, would lather well, would soothe our dogs’ skin, and leave them clean and silky. And I wanted one that would do that without parabens, phthalates, weird ingredients, or unnatural fragrances. Was such a thing even possible?
We bought 11 different dog shampoos to find out. All of our assessments are below—as well as our final two faves. Grab your rubber ducky and get ready to read!
Value: $22.00 for 13.5 oz. = $1.63 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Not great. Smells more like my college roommate’s Febreeze than vanilla.
The Lather Test: Lather is okay, but hard to rinse out of a dog coat.
The Ingredient List Test: All Kibble Pet products are SLS-free, paraben-free, made in the U.S., cruelty-free, hypoallergenic, and pet-PH-balanced. They offer a very thorough breakdown of the shampoo ingredients and their sourcing on their website. But, not a fan of the fact that they list “fragrance” as an ingredient since that’s a common way that brands can avoid telling you about some of their ingredients.
The Official Ingredient List: Purified Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Melia Azadirachta Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Arganil Spinosa Kernel Oil, Vitamin E, Fragrance, Glycol Distearat, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-7, Cocamide MIPA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Citric Acid, Hexylene Glycol.
The Verdict: For the price, I wanted to really love this and I just didn’t. The lather and ingredient list were so-so, and I really didn’t care for the smell.
Value: $21.20 for 16.9 oz. = $1.25 per ounce
The Sniff Test: My favorite scent of any of the tested shampoos. Smells oaty and almondy in the best way.
The Lather Test: Excellent lather.
The Ingredient List Test: A little vague and not sure what FDA-approved colors really means.
The Official Ingredient List: Water, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera, Oatmeal Extract, Cleanser from Refined Soy, Cleanser from refined Coconut Oil, EGMS, Cleanser from Coconut fatty acids, Sugar Cleanser, Vegetable Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, FDA Approved Colors.
The Verdict: So much that is good here! On a purely aesthetic level, I love that that the bottle almost looks like Aesop. And I loved the smell. The lather was top-notch, and it kept our dogs silky for longer than any other shampoo. I’d like a bit more specificity in the ingredient list, but it looks pretty good. The only real issue is that PurpleBone only ships from the UK, which adds another $6-ish to the price.
Value: $17.00 for 12 oz. = $1.42 per ounce
The Sniff Test: 10/10—busting out my palm tree emojis because this smells like a tropical vacation. 🌴🌴🌴
The Lather Test: Excellent lather.
The Ingredient List Test: A whole lot of chemicals in here, but most concerned about retinyl palmitate—most doctors will tell you to avoid contact with it while pregnant or breastfeeding—and Methylchlorosothiazolinone. It also lists “fragrance” as an ingredient, so who knows what’s bundled in that. That said, their website says this is hypoallergenic and made in the U.S.A.
The Official Ingredient List: Water, Sodium C14-16 Alpha Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycol Stearate, Sodium Lactate, Disodium, Cocoamphodiacetate, Fragrance, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Tetrasodium EDTA Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Cholecalciferol, Methylchlorosothiazolinone, Methylisohiazolinone, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid
The Verdict: I thought I’d love this one and the smell is great, but after looking at the ingredient list, I don’t want it on my hands or on our dogs’ fur. For better or for worse, I also now have the Pina Colada song in my head.
Value: $14.99 for 12 oz. = $1.25 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Really strong essential oil smell. If that’s your thing, cool, but this smelled way too strong for me.
The Lather Test: Felt like I couldn’t get a good lather and it was hard to rinse out of the dogs’ fur.
The Ingredient List Test: Excellent. The ingredient list is really clean. It’s made with natural soap and organic ingredients that avoid unsustainable farming practices.
The Official Ingredient List: Water (Aqua), Saponified Organic Olive Oil (Sodium Olivate), Saponified Organic Coconut Oil (Sodium Cocoate), Glycerin, Ho Wood (Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Wood) Essential Oil, Patchouli (Pogostemon Cablin) Essential Oil, Activated Charcoal, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Soapbark (Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract), Potassium Citrate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate
The Verdict: I really wanted to like this one because the ingredient list is super clean and the price point isn’t too bad. But I just couldn’t get past the lack of lather and the strong essential oil smell—especially since it lingered on my hands and in the tub. That said, they have a great free sample program on their website if you want to see if the smell/lather situation works for you because I really do admire the commitment to clean ingredients here.
Value: $24.99 for 16 oz. = $1.56 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Nice smell—not my all-time favorite, but fresh and pleasant. Maybe a bit tart and apple-y?
The Lather Test: Lather is pretty good.
The Ingredient List Test: Good ingredient list and product is made in the U.S. Plus, according to their website they’re committed to only using “the good stuff.”
The Official Ingredient List: Purified water, gentle surfactant blend (with coconut-based cleanser), opacifier, glycerin, Shea Butter, Chamomile, Rosemary, Oat Extract, Aloe Vera Extract, Almond Butter, Olive Oil, Mango Fragrance
The Verdict: For the price, I wish I was more excited about the smell and lather.
Value: $13.18 for 16 oz. = $0.82 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Kind of smells like sunscreen.
The Lather Test: Decent lather.
The Ingredient List Test: Not good. This product is made in China (seemingly by a big manufacturing company since that’s where the website on the bottle sends you) and there’s not a lot of transparency. I couldn’t find the ingredients listed anywhere online (sketchy!), but they are on the back of the bottle, which I’ve typed up below. As far as the specific ingredients on the bottle, I definitely don’t want to use something with DMDM Hydantoin or “Fragrance.”
The Official Ingredient List: Water, Coconut Based Sulfactants, Lithothamnium Calcareum Powder, Prunis Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin
The Verdict: Nope. Won’t even test on the dogs. I don’t trust what’s in this.
Value: $14.99 for 16 oz. = $0.94 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Not a big fan of the smell here—reminds me of bathroom air freshener.
The Lather Test: Excellent lather.
The Ingredient List Test: The ingredient list that’s available online is a little vague, which I’m not excited about, but they do seem to be committed to clean ingredients and promise that their shampoo “contains no soap, gluten, DEA, parabens, synthetic dyes, sulfates, or phthalates, and is animal cruelty free.”
The Official Ingredient List: Purified water, colloidal oatmeal, renewable plant-derived & coconut-based cleansers, organic aloe vera, vitamins A, B, D & E, glycerin, allantoin, botanical fragrances of vanilla & almond, preservative.
The Verdict: I’ll be honest that I was a little biased against Earthbath because its packaging is so dated, but it is a pretty solid value product. I wish I liked the smell better.
Value: $7.91 for 16 oz. = $0.49 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Doesn’t really smell like anything.
The Lather Test: Really good lather, especially on Lizzie’s fluffy corgi hair.
The Ingredient List Test: Really clean and transparent ingredient list, plus the product is made in the U.S.
The Official Ingredient List: Water, Coco Betaine, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Camelia sinensis (Green Tea) extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Honey, Beeswax, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.
The Verdict: Honestly, pretty thrilled with everything about this except that I would’ve hoped for a little more of a pleasant smell. Love the value and transparency.
Value: $16.49 for two 3.5 oz bars = $2.35 per ounce (but can’t really compare to others since bar soap lasts so much longer)
The Sniff Test: Smells a little like a citronella candle, but not in a bad way.
The Lather Test: Couldn’t get much of a lather on this at all.
The Ingredient List Test: Great ingredient list.
The Official Ingredient List: Saponified Sustainable Palm Oil, Saponified Coconut Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Neem Oil, Lemon Scented Tea Tree Essential Oil, Manuka Pure Essential Oil, Neem Leaf, Titanium Dioxide
The Verdict: To feel like our dogs are truly clean, I really need something that lathers well, and this just doesn’t.
Value: $8.99 for 18 oz. = $0.50 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Smells great—love the rosemary and oatmeal.
The Lather Test: Excellent lather.
The Ingredient List Test: Noooo. Very vague ingredient list. The bottle promises that it’s free of alcohol, dye, parabens, and phthalates—which is all good. And it’s made in the U.S., but I’m very suspicious of how vague those last three categories in the ingredient list are.
The Official Ingredient List: Purified Water, A Blend Of Coconut Based Cleansers, Oatmeal Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Aloe Vera, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Thickening Agent, Fragrance, Preservatives.
The Verdict: I love everything about this except that sketchy ingredient list, which sadly, is a dealbreaker for me.
Value: $14.49 for 12 oz. = $1.21 per ounce
The Sniff Test: Very herby, essential oil-y scent.
The Lather Test: Okay lather.
The Ingredient List Test: It is gentle, hypoallergenic, biodegradable and chemical-free. Plus, the official list looks great.
The Official Ingredient List: Aloe Vera Juice, Saponified Oils of Coconut, Olive and Sunflower, Glycerin (Vegetable), Bentonite Clay, Neem Oil, Argan Oil, Guar Gum, Lime Essential Oil, Shea Butter, Nutmeg Essential Oil, Vetiver Essential Oil, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid.
The Verdict: Love that clean ingredient list, but the high price point, meh smell and okay lather, it’s not what I’m looking for.
And our pick is…
Well… we’re going to cheat and pick two favorites.
Based on product excellence alone, we love PurpleBone’s Oatmeal Shampoo. It smells SO good and made our dogs incredibly soft. The downside is that it has to ship from the UK, which currently adds another $6-ish to the cost—making it really pricey. But if you’re really looking to splurge and pamper your pup, we think this is the very best option.
But, for a more realistic pick, we were incredibly impressed by Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo. We had never tried it before and it really is a great shampoo. The only downside (to me) was the lack of smell, but I can live with that for the incredible value here. The ingredient list, lather, and price-point were all top-notch, so it’ll probably become our new go-to shampoo.
