Our Better Earth Pet Shampoo is the perfect, gentle wash for your furry companions - whether they are dogs, cats, or horses - without compromising the environment. Formulated to be incredibly gentle on fur, hair, and sensitive animal skin, it cleanses using plant-derived ingredients and is lightly fragranced with pure essential oils. By choosing this shampoo, you are actively keeping harsh petrochemicals away from your pets, displacing mass-market synthetic washes, and keeping virgin plastics out of landfills through our already-recycled PCR plastic bottles. Better Earth: we can give your dog a natural wash, but we won't be able to stop the inevitable, chaotic post-bath zoomies! The Better Principle for you Pets We applied our Triangle of Trade-offs to engineer a pet shampoo that actually cleans and soothes without stripping the natural, protective oils from your animal's coat. Conventional pet shampoos are often packed with harsh sulphated surfactants (which cause itchy, dry skin) and synthetic perfumes (which are entirely overwhelming to an animal's highly sensitive nose). Not on our watch. Instead, we formulated a completely palm-oil-free base using mild, sugar- and coconut-derived cleansers (like lauryl glucoside), paired with glycerine made from rapeseed and soya. We scent it purely with therapeutic essential oils like Cedarwood, Rosemary, and Tea Tree to naturally soothe itching, curb inflammation, and leave a fresh, earthy scent. The result is a healthy, shiny coat achieved with simple, earth-safe ingredients. The Facts (Why It Works) The Displacement Factor: Our bottles are made entirely from already-recycled PCR plastic. When you're done, the bottle, cap, and label are all fully recyclable. Botanical Soothing: Cedarwood oil naturally relieves itching and helps with dandruff, while Rosemary and Tea Tree provide antimicrobial benefits to support a healthy coat. 100% Palm Oil Free: We use glycerine derived from rapeseed and soya, and our gentle cleansers are derived from coconut and sugar. Kind to Sensitive Noses: Strictly free from overpowering synthetic fragrances, colourants, parabens, and sulphated surfactants. Earth & Animal Approved: 100% biodegradable, greywater safe, and septic tank friendly. Endorsed by Beauty Without Cruelty and The Vegan Society. Local Impact: Manufactured right here in South Africa, keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible. How to use Always shake well before use. Wet your pet's coat completely with warm water. Apply a generous amount of shampoo and massage it gently into the coat to create a mild lather. Rinse thoroughly with clean, warm water. Note: Because this is a completely natural product, slight inconsistencies in color or natural settling might occur - just give it a quick swirl. The Complex Bit Here is the full, unfiltered list of exactly what goes into our bottles. Water (aqua), decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine, benzyl alcohol, xanthan gum, guar gum, coco-glucoside, glyceryl oleate, citric acid, juniperus virginiana (cedarwood) oil, rosmarinus officianalis (rosemary) leaf oil, tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia) leaf oil, dehydroacetic acid. Frequently Asked Questions Why doesn't this shampoo foam up into a massive mountain of bubbles? Massive bubbles are a chemical illusion. Commercial shampoos use harsh sulphated surfactants (like SLS) specifically to create huge foam, but those exact chemicals strip away the natural, protective oils on your pet's skin, leading to itching, flaking, and "doggie dandruff." We use mild, sugar and coconut-derived cleansers. You get a gentler, creamier lather that cleans perfectly without ruining their skin barrier. Less foam, happier pet. My pet has really sensitive, itchy skin. Will this help? Yes. Beyond removing the harsh chemicals that usually cause the itching, we specifically include natural Cedarwood oil, which has brilliant astringent and sedating properties to naturally calm irritated, oily, or flaky skin. Is this a serious tick and flea deterrent? While essential oils like cedarwood, rosemary, and tea tree are known to naturally annoy some pests in the wild, this is a wash-off shampoo, not a magical forcefield. Any natural brand claiming a wash-off soap will replace proper veterinary tick and flea medication is greenwashing you. This will make your pet incredibly clean, soothe their skin, and leave them smelling fantastic, but you definitely still need to keep up with their standard, vet-approved tick and flea treatments! Why does the shampoo smell so earthy, and why doesn't the scent last for weeks? Let’s be radically honest: we formulated this shampoo for your pet's comfort, not your perfume preferences. Animals are, well, animals. It simply isn't natural for a dog, cat, or horse to walk around smelling like a bouquet of artificial roses or a tropical piña colada. Because an animal's sense of smell is incredibly sensitive, we specifically chose earthy, grounding essential oils like cedarwood and tea tree. They actively soothe the skin and smell like the natural outdoors, which makes sense for a furry companion. As for the scent fading ? That is absolutely deliberate. Commercial brands use synthetic chemical binders (like phthalates) to artificially "glue" strong fragrances to your pet’s fur for weeks, which can be highly distressing and overwhelming for their sensitive noses. Our pure essential oils wash clean and naturally dissipate, leaving your pet simply smelling fresh, healthy, and completely free of chemical glue. Why do I need to shake the bottle? Because we refuse to use synthetic homogenisers or heavy chemical binders to artificially hold our formula together permanently. The natural essential oils and plant-based cleansers can sometimes separate slightly while sitting on the shelf. A quick shake wakes the ingredients right back up. Why does your packaging sometimes look slightly different? Because we use already-recycled PCR plastic. The colour and texture of recycled materials can vary slightly from batch to batch. We view this inconsistency as a badge of honour—it is physical proof that we are actively displacing virgin plastics rather than prioritising a "perfect" cosmetic look.