Goat’s milk has so many benefits for dry, itchy dog skin including providing lots of vitamins and minerals for healthy skin. This DIY shampoo bar recipe not only uses goat’s milk soap but also layers on other natural ingredients perfect for itch relief for puppies and adult dogs.
Benefits of Goat Milk Shampoo for Dog’s Itchy Skin
There are so many good things about using goat milk shampoo on your dog’s coat, especially if you haven’t had any luck with other dog shampoos.
- Has a good amount of vitamin A and other essential vitamins (niacin, vitamin B, thiamine) that are great for dry skin
- Lots of important minerals including potassium, magnesium, selenium
- Natural exfoliant that is gentle on your dog’s skin
- Anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce free radicals
- Free of harmful chemicals, making it great for most dogs
- Good for dogs prone to environmental allergies, bug bites as well as hot spots all of which can cause itchy skin
- Overall helps to reduce itching as a result of dry skin, as constant itching can lead to broken skin with the potential for harmful bacteria to cause more harm
Natural Ingredients
Goats Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base
Using a goat’s milk melt-and-pour soap base will give you incredible results. Goat milk soap is a gentle cleanser with a good amount of vitamin A (anti-aging properties) and other minerals for healthy skin. Goats milk melt-and-pour soap is also good for dry, flaky skin since it’s higher in essential fatty acids and amino acids, both of which can help increase the skin’s moisture.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera gel is known to be perfect for soothing and moisturizing the skin, especially dry and itchy skin. It’s often used to soothe sunburns for us pet owners, but it can also be used in many homemade soaps and skin care products (including your pets). Depending on the skin condition, aloe vera can have many benefits to using it more frequently. Just make sure to look for an aloe vera gel that contains simple ingredients and is free of dyes.
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet almond oil is naturally rich in vitamins A and vitamin E plus has antioxidant properties, while also soothing and nourishing dry skin. Not to mention, this lightweight oil perfectly balances out the goat’s milk and aloe vera for the perfect combination in this recipe.
Of course, you can also use coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil instead of sweet almond oil to make your DIY dog shampoo bars. The good news is that each oil has high amounts of vitamins with many benefits for your pet’s skin, so it’s just about your preference and which one you have on hand.
Essential Oils
Essential oils add a wonderful scent to your DIY dog shampoo bar. Using essential oils is a great choice when looking to add scent to a recipe while avoiding artificial fragrances. In this recipe, we are using organic essential oil blends that give a pleasant scent and are safe for your dog.
Supplies Needed
Here are the supplies needed to make a natural, homemade shampoo ba using goat’s milk melt and pour soap base.
- 1 pound goats milk melt and pour soap base
- 5 tsp aloe vera gel
- 5 tsp sweet almond oil
- 40-50 drops of essential oils
- soap mold set
- glass measuring cup or large glass bowl
- double boiler or large saucepan
- wooden spoons and/or whisk
How to Make a DIY Shampoo Bar Using Goat’s Milk Soap
When making a Shampoo Bar for your dog, you are going to start with goat’s milk melt-and-pour soap (or any melt-and-pour soap base). The process of making your pet soap is going to go quickly once it’s melted. For this reason, I highly recommend getting out all of your supplies and ingredients in the recipe first to make it as easy as possible.
Step one:
Chop up 1 pound of your goat’s milk melt and pour the soap base into similar size pieces, about 1-2 inches in size. This will make it easier to melt and stir the soap.
Step two:
Place the pieces of melt and pour soap into a double boiler on your stovetop. Heat the water to a gentle boil, using the wooden spoon to stir the soap pieces after they melt.
If you don’t have a double boiler, then you can do what I did and use a large saucepan with water halfway up the side while placing a 4-cup glass measuring cup inside. The measuring cup works well in addition to making pouring into the molds much easier.
Step three:
Continue stirring the soap until smooth and no pieces are left. Once that happens, remove the double boiler or glass measuring cup from the stovetop and dry off the bottom. They will be hot, so make sure to have towels and pot holders nearby. Turn off the stove.
Step four:
Then add the 5 teaspoons of sweet almond oil and 5 teaspoons of aloe vera gel to the melted soap base, making sure to stir very well. Next, add the 40-50 drops of essential oils directly to the mixture and stir again. In my recipe, I used 15 drops of lavender, 15 drops of lime, and 15 drops of vanilla essential oil in my goat milk shampoo bar for my dog. Other essential oils known to be safe for dogs include orange, lemon, geranium, cardamom, cedarwood, lemongrass, bergamot, and patchouli.
Last pour the homemade dog shampoo into your soap molds. I find that this recipe makes around 4-5 bars of shampoo, depending on the molds you use.
When in doubt, I would recommend looking up what essential oils are safe for dogs before using even small amounts on your pet. The last thing you want is an allergic reaction or other health problems to happen to your dog.
Step five:
Leave them in the molds for several hours or overnight. The shampoo bars are usually ready after a few hours, but it’s best to leave it overnight to be sure it has hardened all the way through. Peel the molds back slowly and gently, so the soap comes out clean and beautiful.
Step six:
Store your bar of goat milk dog shampoo by the bathtub or shower. We have a special spot in our dog wash, but I also like using a bar soap saver for easy access and use!
How to Store a DIY Shampoo Bar
If you aren’t going to use all of your homemade dog shampoo bars right away, then you will need to wrap your soap so it stays in good condition for your future use. Plastic wraps, coffee filters, and parchment paper are great choices to wrap your handmade soap. You can also use tissue paper, scrapbooking paper, and wrapping paper!
Humidity and storing the bars for longer amounts of time may require using plastic wrap for storage, as it forms the tightest seal around the shampoo bars. Lastly, make sure to store your DIY dog shampoo bars in a cool, dry part of your home for a shelf life of up to one year.
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Using a Dog Shampoo Bar
A dog shampoo bar is just like using a bar soap on yourself. It’s best to get your dog wet with warm water, then start to lather the DIY shampoo bar. Once you have small suds, then you can gently rub the shampoo bar along your dog’s back. This should create even more suds of shampoo, allowing you to wash your furry friend from head to tail. If needed, you can re-apply additional shampoo to specific parts of your pet if they need more attention (like when my dog rolled around in something extra stinky). After washing, rinse your dog with warm water and dry it with a towel.
For my dog, I have found that changing her shampoo played an important role in soothing her dry, itchy skin, especially during the fall months when her seasonal allergies start acting up. A major benefit is less itching, and therefore less broken skin and rashes from the constant itching. Changing to this homemade shampoo bar was extremely easy, particularly for my dog with skin issues. While it hasn’t cured her allergies, I love seeing such a simple switch positively impacting my dog’s health.
I can only hope this homemade dog shampoo bar will also help other dog owners help their pets!
Natural Dog Care Recipes
Hi, I’m Kristin.
I am so glad you are here ready to make some really incredible diy recipes with simple ingredients. Join me in learning how to use essential oils in all of your homemade personal care products and creating a natural home.
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