I’ve been using natural dog shampoo on Rufus his entire life and I’m sharing my thoughts on each, plus how to find the best non-toxic shampoo for YOUR dog. The best dog shampoo is made with gentle, natural and plant-based goodness and without harsh synthetics or questionable ingredients.

I tested top-rated pet shampoos ranging from under $10 to $20 on a 40 pound doodle.

For those who want to cut to the chase, the absolute best natural dog shampoo is 4-Legger because of how concentrated it is. The best one for dry skin is 100 Percent Pure Oatmeal Dog Shampoo and for itchy and sensitive skin Burt’s Bees.

A Note on Natural Dog Shampoo Scents

Non-toxic dog shampoos are generally scented naturally with essential oils or completely unscented to be safe for our pets. So they’re not going to have a strong, long lasting scent since there’s no synthetics.

Something like a waterless dog rinse in between baths can help, but I try not to use too many products on my dog. If your dog isn’t sensitive, you might be able to get away with using this or a phthalate and paragon free clean pefume dog shampoo.

It’s important to remember that certain essential oils are harmful to dogs. Avoid Tea tree, pennyroyal, wintergreen, sweet birch, cinnamon, eucalyptus, pine, peppermint, clove, ylang ylang, and hyssop.

Rufus tried 100% Pure Orange Oatmeal Dog Shampoo

100 Percent Pure’s new Orange Oatmeal Dog Shampoo, and it’s currently the best value for money at under $10 for 16oz. It’s great for itchy and dry skin doggies and has oatmeal, rose hydrosol, aloe juice, Vitamin E and orange essential oil to neutralize odor.

Rufus has dry, flaky skin that and this is really moisturizing, nourishing and smells amazing to boot.

The citrus scent is uplifting and sweet, and isn’t overpowering. It fades quickly once Rufus is dry though.

I love that you can choose to feed a homeless dog or plant a tree with your purchase and 100% Pure has provided over 300,000 meals to homeless dogs.

100 Percent Pure obviously isn’t a dog brand, so it makes the most sense to buy if you’re already doing skincare or makeup shopping (which most of you guys are here for!).

Price: $18 for 16 oz (or $8 through the button below)
Key ingredients: oatmeal, rose hydrosol, aloe juice, Vitamin E and orange essential oil
Scent strength: 2/3
Lather power: 3/3

Rufus tried Pure & Natural Pet Organic Shampoo

I used the Pure & Natural Pet line on Rufus when he was a puppy because I wanted to stay as safe as possible, and their entire line is pH balanced, USDA organic and super gentle.

It’s formulated specifically as a tear-free wash for puppies eight weeks and up, and has no parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, or formaldehyde. It’s safe enough to use near his eyes or ears as a tiny puppy. It’s also got organic lavender oil, organic calendula oil, and organic oatmeal extract, for extra moisture and soothing properties.

They’re priced on the higher end, but a solid choice if you need the gentlest and safest pet shampoo possible.

Price: $19.99 for 16 oz
Key ingredients: organic lavender oil, organic calendula oil, and organic oatmeal extract
Lather power: 3/3

Rufus tried 4-Legger Organic Lemongrass & Aloe Dog Shampoo

4-Legger is a USDA certified organic, hypoallergenic and all natural shampoo made with saponified organic coconut, olive, and jojoba oils and organic aloe vera juice.

I like the lemongrass and rosemary one during summer because it’s working double duty as a gentle natural flea and tick deterrent.

I can tell it’s super concentrated, because a small amount covers a large amount of fur surface area and gives lots of lather action.

For large dog owners this is important because we go through bottles so fast. The scent is very fragrant and smells incredible.

It’s stronger than most other natural dog shampoos I’ve tried, so I think there’s more essential oil content (something to consider if you have a dog with sensitive skin).

Price: $18 for 16 oz
Key ingredients: lemongrass, aloe, rosemary
Scent strength: 2.5/3
Lather power: 3/3

Rufus Tried Earth Rated Deshed 4 in 1 Hypoallergenic Shampoo

Earth Rated’s dog shampoo is also a top-rated brand and it’s 98.5% natural, pH balanced, tear free and hypoallergenic. This is a deshedding formula that’s ideal for shedding breeds like German Shepherds, Pomeranians, Corgis, and Huskies. I have a goldendoodle that doesn’t shed so I can’t speak on this.

Before I go into it, I will say this was the most tedious bottle to use for me. It’s heavy, rigid and the narrow twist up nozzle is annoying because product would not easily come out. Because the packaging material is so rigid I couldn’t squeeze it easily, which was especially annoying when I had a finger injury on my good hand. Not fun when you’re handling a big dog that hates baths. I ended up dropping the bottle during one bath and the nozzle completely broke.

But other than that, it’s got great lather action and I appreciate that it’s specially formulated for dogs with sensitive skin, allergies, and irritation. The white tea and basil scent is actually really nice and refreshing, but also soft so it fades quickly.

Price: $16.99 for 16 oz
Key ingredients: oat and Vitamin E
Scent strength: 1/3
Lather power: 2/3

Rufus tried Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Dog Shampoo (budget!)

This is the most accessible and affordable dog shampoo on the list at under $7, and you can grab at almost any pet store. It’s super duper gentle, fragrance-free and free of parabens, phthalates, and dyes and has colloidal oat flour and honey to condition dry skin and add shine. I feel like it gets the job done, it’s very budget friendly and Rufus’s coat felt clean afterward. This has no detectable scent.

It’s got a low lather formula on purpose and is great for dogs who don’t like sitting in the bath getting rinsed for a long time aka Rufus. I really like the super wide nozzle that’s easy to press up and down. I feel like more brands should make them like this because dog owners need to open and close it multiple times during a bath. I probably need to grab my bottle at least 5 times to get every inch of Rufus clean and I hate it when the bottle gets knocked over and product spills (so wasteful!).

Price: $6.98 for 16 oz
Key ingredients: colloidal oat flour and honey
Scent strength: 0/3 unscented)
Lather power: 3/3

Rufus Tried Mrs. Meyer’s 3-in-1 Dog Shampoo in White Peach

All the non toxic cleaning brands have dog shampoo too and I tried out Mrs. Meyer’s in their white peach scent. It’s a 3-in-1 formula, cleansing, conditioning, and deodorizing in one step, and it’s vet-tested, pH-balanced for dogs, and Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, with no sulfates, parabens, phthalates, or artificial colors. Love that it has glycerin, oat extract, aloe, chamomile and rosemary which are all very soothing for his dry coat. The white peach scent is definitely peachy but also quite subtle in my opinion. Rufus smelled fresh right after but the scent fades within an hour or so.

Price: $10.99 for 14 oz
Key ingredients: glycerin, oat extract, aloe, chamomile
Scent strength: 1/3
Lather power: 3/3