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Best Non-Toxic Dog Shampoos

We vetted dog shampoos against the Welpr Standard and here are our top picks.

Camille May

Cofounder & Product Curator

Olushola M. Awoyemi

Medical Reviewer, PhD

Here's what we look for:

Simple formulas with natural or synthetic ingredients that meet our standard
Unscented preferred, with certain essential oils allowed when properly diluted and clearly disclosed
Free from parabens, PEGs, phthalates, harsh sulfates, artificial dyes, and formaldehyde-releasing ingredients
Minimal, non-irritating preservatives
Transparent sourcing, ingredients, and manufacturing practices

The Best Non-Toxic Dog Shampoos

On Welpr, terms like "non-toxic," "safer," "cleaner," "healthier," and "vetted" are editorial labels based on our own standard for product assessment. They are not guarantees, certifications, or medical claims. Learn more.

Meets the Welpr Standard

Top Pick

earthbath

Oatmeal & Aloe Dog Shampoo

Free From: Cruelty Free, Fragrance Free, Non-GMO
Highlights: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Fragrance-free, Recyclable packaging, Money-back guarantee, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin, Concentrate

9.0

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Lathers well and has a thick, satisfying consistency that makes it easy to work through fur.
Leaves coats noticeably soft without drying out the skin, even with frequent bathing.
Truly fragrance-free; multiple people confirmed there is no detectable scent at all.
Helps with flaking and dander, cleaning skin gently enough for regular use on senior pets and cats.

Cons

The flip-top cap can be awkward to use one-handed during a bath; one person swapped it for a pump top.

Soap-free and pH-balanced for dogs (and cats) with dry, itchy, or sensitive skin. The colloidal oatmeal and aloe vera work as skin soothers and moisturizers, not just cleansers.
Fragrance-free, which matters if your pet is reactive to scented products or if strong smells bother you during bath time.
Highly concentrated formula that can be used straight from the bottle or diluted up to 10:1 with water, so a single bottle lasts longer than you'd expect.
Safe for all animals over 6 weeks old, and it won't wash off topical flea treatments.
Among non-toxic dog shampoos, earthbath is one of the longer-running independent brands in the space, manufacturing in the U.S. since 1995 with a focus on plant-derived cleansers rather than synthetic detergents.

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Meets the Welpr Standard

Budget Pick

Burt's Bees

Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs

Free From: Cruelty Free
Certified: CarbonNeutral, Leaping Bunny
Highlights: Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Fragrance-free, No synthetic fragrance, Money-back guarantee, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin

8.4

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Leaves coats feeling soft, shiny, and clean without stripping natural oils.
Helps soothe dry, itchy skin; multiple people noticed improvement after bathing.
Rinses out easily without leaving residue.
Scent is light and nearly neutral, which avoids overwhelming dogs or their owners.

Cons

Formula is very thin and watery, producing little to no lather, which makes it harder to work through longer or thicker coats.
The thin consistency leads to using more product per bath than expected.

Colloidal oatmeal and honey work together here to moisturize and soothe dry, itchy skin while cleaning the coat. It's a straightforward bath shampoo, not a medicated treatment.
Unscented formula with no synthetic fragrances added, so what you get is essentially a neutral smell. Worth knowing if your dog is sensitive to scented products or if you layer on a separate cologne or conditioner.
Low lather compared to conventional dog shampoos because it uses gentle plant-based cleansers instead of sulfate detergents. Less foam can feel odd at first, but it rinses out faster and leaves less residue.
pH balanced specifically for dogs, whose skin is less acidic than human skin. Using a human shampoo (even a gentle one) can disrupt that balance, which is partly why dog-specific formulas like this exist in the category of non-toxic dog shampoos.
Safe for puppies 8 weeks and older, and compatible with topical flea and tick treatments when those are applied according to their own directions.

Meets the Welpr Standard

4Legger

All Natural Dog Shampoo

Certified: USDA Organic
Highlights: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Hypoallergenic, Fragrance-free, No synthetic fragrance, Recyclable packaging, Money-back guarantee, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin, Concentrate

8.6

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Lathers well with a small amount and rinses clean, so the bottle lasts a long time.
Leaves coats noticeably soft, shiny, and fluffy after drying.
The lemongrass scent is strong enough to keep dogs smelling fresh for several days.
Multiple dogs with dry, flaky, or irritated skin showed significant improvement after just a few baths.

Cons

Several people found it left a sticky or tacky residue on longer-haired dogs, making fur feel dirty rather than clean.
Doesn't lather much on its own; a few people recommend diluting it in a foaming dispenser to get better results.
Not tearless, so you need to be careful around the eyes during application.

Available in four scent options (lemongrass, cedar/peppermint, oatmeal/lavender, and unscented), so you can match the formula to your dog's skin needs or skip fragrance entirely if your dog has aroma sensitivities.
The consistency is thinner than conventional dog shampoos. You need less product per bath, but lathering works better by adding more water rather than more shampoo.
Safe for cats and other small animals, not just dogs. The unscented version is also used by holistic vets as a base for adding their own essential oil blends.
Instead of using colloidal oatmeal (the standard in most oatmeal dog shampoos), the oatmeal formula extracts oat milk directly from kernels and suspends it in vegetable glycerite to retain more of the oat's properties.
Only about 2% of dog shampoos on the market are certified to organic food-grade standards. Among non-toxic dog shampoos, that level of third-party verification is uncommon.
Started after the founder's dog died of cancer linked to environmental toxins, during her own cancer treatment. The entire line was built around eliminating synthetic chemicals from pet grooming, and manufacturing is solar-powered in the U.S.

Meets the Welpr Standard

kin+kind

Dog Shampoo for Dry, Itchy Skin and Coat Relief

Free From: Cruelty Free
Certified: Leaping Bunny, USDA Organic
Highlights: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Money-back guarantee, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin

8.5

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Pleasant, clean scent across all variants that doesn't smell perfumy or overpowering.
Leaves coats noticeably soft and clean after washing.
Multiple owners of dogs with dry skin and allergies reported reduced itching and fewer flakes after use.
Trusted by professional groomers for regular use on client dogs.

Cons

Doesn't produce much lather, and the texture feels more oily than creamy; one groomer described it as greasy and slimy.
Not effective enough on its own for severe skin conditions like heavy flaking or yeast infections; several people needed to pair it with medicated products.
The clarifying effect can leave skin feeling stripped, so pairing with a conditioner is recommended to avoid dryness.

Focused on dry, flaky skin and frizzy coats specifically. The formula uses argan oil to smooth the hair fiber itself, which is what reduces frizziness rather than just adding surface shine.
Scented with cedarwood essential oil, so it leans woodsy and warm rather than the fruity or floral fragrances common in non-toxic dog shampoos.
Expect less lather than conventional shampoos. The plant-based cleansers in the formula don't foam up the same way, but that's normal for soap-bark and saponified-oil bases.
Vet-formulated with every essential oil concentration reviewed for pet safety. That matters here because essential oils can be irritating or toxic to dogs at the wrong dose.
Hand-mixed in a certified USDA organic facility in New Jersey by employees paid a living wage. It's a small-batch operation, not contract-manufactured.

Meets the Welpr Standard

kin+kind

Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs and Cats

Free From: Cruelty Free, Fragrance Free
Certified: Leaping Bunny, USDA Organic
Highlights: Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Hypoallergenic, Fragrance-free, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin

8.5

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Leaves coats noticeably softer after bathing, mentioned consistently across different breeds and coat types.
The lavender scent is strong and pleasant; multiple people compared it to a spa-like smell, and it lingered on fur for days to weeks.
Works well for both dogs and cats, which is uncommon for pet shampoos.
The formula consistency is balanced; not too thick or too watery, and it rinses out cleanly.

Cons

Barely lathers, making it hard to tell if enough product is being used; people with larger or thicker-coated pets reported needing a lot per bath.
Did not noticeably help with dandruff, even though the oatmeal formula might suggest it would.

Colloidal oatmeal forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture, so it's specifically targeting itch and dryness rather than just cleaning the coat.
Comes in two versions: unscented (hypoallergenic, built for sensitive pets) and lavender (scented with essential oil). The unscented option is the one to pick for pets that react to fragrance.
Safe for both dogs and cats, including puppies and kittens, which matters because many non-toxic dog shampoos use essential oils or other ingredients that aren't safe for cats.
Uses saponified plant oils as the cleansing base instead of synthetic detergents, so it won't lather as heavily as conventional pet shampoos. That's normal for this type of formula.
Hand-mixed in kin+kind's own facility in New Jersey, not contract-manufactured. The team there handles mixing, labeling, and shipping in-house.

Organic Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Water
Saponified Organic Olive Oil (Sodium Olivate)
Saponified Organic Coconut Oil (Potassium Cocoate)
Vegetable Soap (Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside)
Natural Thickener (Hydroxyethyl Cellulose)
Coconut Soap (Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate)
Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) Essential Oil
Colloidal Oatmeal (Avena Sativa Flour)
Soapbark (Quillaja Saponaria Wood Extract)
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Vegetable Glycerin

Meets the Welpr Standard

Chagrin Valley

Dog Shampoo and Conditioner

Free From: Cruelty Free
Certified: USDA Organic
Highlights: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Made in USA, No synthetic fragrance, Plastic-free packaging, Compostable packaging, Regular shampoo, For Dry & itchy skin

8.5

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Lathers quickly and richly, making it easy to work through thick or double coats without needing to reapply from the bar repeatedly.
The bar format lets you target specific areas easily, unlike liquid shampoo that tends to run off before you can work it in.
Leaves coats noticeably soft and shiny, and multiple people found it eliminated lingering dog smell for days after a bath.
A small amount of the bar covers a lot of surface area, so one bar lasts through many baths.
Scent is pleasant without being overpowering, and it fades quickly after the bath.

Cons

One person found the bar took extra effort to rinse out completely, especially in thicker fur.
The bar is small; one person weighed it under the listed weight and felt it wouldn't last more than a couple of washes on a larger dog.
The herbal flea-repellent claim didn't hold up for at least one person who still found fleas after use.

It's a solid bar, not a liquid. You rub it directly on your dog's wet coat and lather with your hands. One bar replaces roughly two to three bottles of liquid shampoo.
Formulated specifically for dogs with dry, itchy, or irritated skin. The essential oil blend includes oils traditionally used to help repel fleas and ticks, but it should not be used on cats.
The bar lathers up creamy and rinses clean, leaving a mild woodsy scent rather than a heavy fragrance. No residue if you rinse thoroughly.
Among non-toxic dog shampoos, bar formats are uncommon. This one ships in a compostable cardboard box with no plastic packaging at all.
Chagrin Valley makes everything in-house at their own facility in Ohio. Nothing is outsourced or white-labeled, and they source certified organic and fair-trade ingredients where possible.

Meets the Welpr Standard

Vermont Soap

Pet Shampoo for Sensitive Skin

Free From: Cruelty Free, Fragrance Free, Non-GMO
Certified: USDA Organic
Highlights: Vegan, Cruelty-free, Made in USA, Fragrance-free, Refillable, Regular shampoo, For Sensitive skin, Concentrate

8.2

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Lathers well and rinses out easily, even on thick or double coats.
Leaves fur soft, shiny, and clean-smelling without a heavy perfume scent.
The consistency is very thin and liquid, so it dilutes easily in a squeeze bottle for controlled application.
Multiple people with dogs prone to itching and skin flare-ups reported no issues after repeated use.
A 16 oz bottle lasts a long time since most people dilute it significantly before use.

Cons

The thin, watery consistency pours out fast and is easy to over-dispense; several people recommend transferring it to a squeeze bottle.
Scent straight from the bottle is strong and essential-oil-forward, though it mellows after rinsing.

A castile-style liquid soap, not a detergent-based shampoo. It's made by saponifying plant oils, which means it cleans without the synthetic surfactants found in most pet shampoos.
The unscented version is specifically formulated for dogs with sensitive or dry skin. No fragrance, no essential oils, just the base castile formula and aloe vera.
Rinses clean without leaving residue, which matters for dogs prone to irritation from product buildup.
Vermont Soap is primarily a human soap company; their factory has been a certified organic processor since 2003. The pet line uses the same castile soap base and manufacturing standards as their personal care products.
Among non-toxic dog shampoos, most still rely on detergent chemistry with added botanicals. This one takes a different approach by using saponified oils as the sole cleaning agent.

Meets the Welpr Standard

Wholistic Pet Organics

Pet Shampoo Concentrate

Highlights: Cruelty-free, 2 year warranty, Regular shampoo, For Sensitive skin, Concentrate

8.2

Performance score

Where to buy

Amazon
See price

Pros

Highly concentrated, so only a few drops are needed per bath and the bottle lasts a long time.
Rinses out easily and produces a low, manageable lather.
Leaves coats noticeably soft and shiny after washing.
Helped clear up oily skin and persistent odor in at least one dog that had issues with other shampoos.

Cons

Scent is polarizing; most people enjoy it, but one person found it too strong for a cat.

Sold as a concentrate, not a pre-diluted formula. You can use it straight or add water to thin it out, which means even a small bottle lasts a while.
Works as both a traditional bath shampoo and a waterless option: dampen a washcloth, add a tiny amount, and wipe down your dog without needing a full rinse.
Scent is citrus-forward, coming from the essential oil blend rather than synthetic fragrance.
Because there are no sulfates or synthetic detergents, it won't lather the way conventional shampoos do. It still cleans, but if you expect suds, the experience will feel different.
Wholistic Pet Organics is a family-run operation in New Hampshire that blends and packages in-house at their own facility. They've been around since 1998, primarily known for pet supplements rather than grooming products.
Among non-toxic dog shampoos, concentrates are uncommon. Most competing products come pre-diluted and ready to use, which makes them easier to gauge per application but less portable.

How to Swap to Non-Toxic dog shampoos:

Here's how to swap to non-toxic dog shampoos:

What to know about dog shampoo

Your dog's skin absorbs what's lathered onto it, and most dogs get bathed regularly over their entire body. That combination of frequent use, full-body skin contact, and direct proximity to their face makes the formula worth paying attention to.

Welpr evaluates dog shampoos the same way it evaluates human personal care: no synthetic fragrances, no parabens, and no harsh surfactants.
Dogs have thinner, more sensitive skin than humans, so ingredients that seem mild to us can still be worth questioning for them.

Review the shampoo you already use

Check the ingredient list on your current dog shampoo bottle. Look for synthetic fragrances (often listed as "fragrance" or "parfum"), parabens, and harsh surfactants like sulfates.

If the label lists "fragrance" or "parfum" without specifying the source, that typically means synthetic fragrance is used.
Start with the shampoo you reach for most often — if you rotate between products, check the one your dog gets bathed with the most first.

Use your current dog shampoo more carefully

If you're not ready to replace your dog's shampoo right away, small adjustments during bath time can help. Rinsing thoroughly and limiting how long the product sits on your dog's coat are simple, practical steps.

Rinse your dog's coat completely — leftover residue sits on the skin and can be licked off during grooming.
Avoid lathering near your dog's eyes, ears, and mouth where skin is thinnest and most sensitive.

Choose a cleaner dog shampoo

Look for dog shampoos with simple, recognizable ingredient lists built around plant-based cleansers and natural oils. Fragrance-free or naturally scented formulas are a good sign.

Skip products that rely on vague claims like "natural" or "gentle" without backing it up on the ingredient list — the actual formula matters more than marketing language.
Click the button above to shop Welpr Approved dog shampoo.

Camille May

Cofounder & Product Curator

Camille May is the co-creator of Welpr and a guide for clean living. After selling her last company in the health food space, she went non-toxic while working to heal an autoimmune condition....

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Olushola M. Awoyemi

Medical Reviewer, PhD

Olushola M. Awoyemi (aka Shola) is a board-certified toxicologist and a research scientist with a PhD in Environmental Toxicology. Shola's long-term ambition is to be recognized as a world-renowned expert in toxicology,...

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