Dry Dog Shampoo

Dry Dog Shampoo – Only 3 ingredients and keeps your dog smelling wonderful between baths!

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Boy, do I enjoy having a furry friend around the house again. She’s still very much a puppy, so she certainly keeps us on our toes. Now that it’s Spring and she’s able to explore what’s been hiding under all that snow, her nose has been into everything. She often comes in from outside with a snout full of dirt and blades of grass peeking out of her mouth.

All of that fresh outside air can sometimes bring the “doggy” smell out in your pooch. You know. . . the kind that comes out in full force when a dog is dripping wet. Even when they’ve just been bathed and they’re drying, you can smell that “doggy” smell.

Well, I know it sounds crazy, but I like to have a nice smelling dog. I can’t stand it when I pet a dog and I’m left with dog smell on my hands. Belle is only the second dog we’ve owned, but I can tell you that neither of our dogs have ever left a scent on a human hand that has pet them.

How is that possible? Well, I keep Belle clean. Does that mean she gets baths every night? Of course not, but I brush her regularly and I have a little secret concoction that I use on her fur in between baths. . .dry shampoo. . .for dogs. AND, I make it myself.

It’s so simple!

Ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 cup corn starch
• 10 drops essential oil or skin-safe fragrance oil (made for beauty products)

A little something about the oil for anyone who may be concerned. Remember that your dog is NOT ingesting the oil nor are you rubbing the oil onto or into their skin. The oil is there just for fragrance and there isn’t enough of a concentration to do any damage to your fur baby. I’ve heard of some folks using peppermint and lavender essential oils to help repel fleas so if you want to give one of those fragrances a go, it could serve another purpose in addition to just adding a great scent to the shampoo.

I used a combination of vanilla and coconut cream fragrance oils for the shampoo that I made. I thought it would be a perfect combo for the summer! The oils I bought are specifically formulated to be suitable for skin & hair care formulations. Make sure that whatever oil you’re using is skin-safe. I’ve also heard of people using just vanilla extract from their baking pantry. Remember, the amount of oil you’re using is quite insignificant. I used five drops of each kind of oil in my shampoo. You can adjust this to be more or less according to your taste.

I enlisted my hubby to help me out with showing how this whole process works. He always rolls his eyes at me when I go to him holding my camera and ask for a favor. 😉

So, you can apply the powder a few different ways. You can use an empty and clean baby powder container, or make your own “shaker” out of any “lidded” container you like. You’ll just have to poke some holes in the top. I, however, didn’t mess around. I used a measuring cup and a small strainer to sprinkle the shampoo onto Belle. Correction. . .my husband did.

Shake the shampoo over your dog, starting at the bottom and staying away from the head.

Then, wait about 5 minutes or so and just start brushing your dog’s fur to spread the powder around. I use my hands and the brush to get a little around her ears, etc. I bet you’re wondering why I’m doing this right in our living room. Well, because my wonderful shampoo is serving two purposes! Believe it or not you can also use this to freshen up your carpet. Just vacuum it up! If your house has wood and/or tile floors, I would suggest doing this outside. It would be much more messy. But with carpet, it’s easy peasy and the wonderful scent sticks around the house. I love that!

There you have it. Nice smelling dog = one happy mama. Believe me, I think our family members and friends appreciate it, too! Belle gets A LOT of love from everyone. I’ve had many people comment on how my dogs always smell like vanilla. It makes me giggle inside. I hope you try this recipe to keep your furry family member smelling wonderful, too. On those hot, humid days this summer, you’re going to thank me!