Your golden retriever won’t stop scratching. Like, won’t stop.
And you’re watching her scratching at her belly on your nice cream-colored rug that you cleaned last weekend, and your vet bills are stacking up and the medicated shampoos smell like a hospital and this just ain’t really working.
I also have a dog (a black lab) who did the same thing. I tried everything from off the shelf remedies but she would scratch all night and wake me up at 3 am with the jingle-jingle of her collar tags.
Most store bought shampoos are actually just stripping your dog’s skin and making the problem worse.
These 10 diy dog shampoo for itchy skin recipes use simple, easy to find ingredients that will calm the itch. This is not the same as using some $80 vet shampoo!
#1: DIY Shampoo Bar for Dogs With Itchy Skin (The Natural Kind That Actually Works)
Does your dog have itchy skin that leaves her with flaky skin, red ears and a scraggly-looking coat? You have probably been through a few shampoos already and are starting to wonder if your dog’s skin problem will ever go away. Maybe you have even tried three or four shampoos, but nothing seems to stick.
My first dog shampoo bar was made after my cousin’s shepherd mix had a reaction to some dog shampoo she bought at a store. We never figured out what ingredient was causing the problem so we decided to just cut everything out and start from scratch.
This all-natural shampoo bar uses exactly three skin-soothing powerhouses:
1. ½ cup shea butter (raw, unrefined)
2. ½ cup coconut oil (solid, cold-pressed)
3. 2 tablespoons castor oil
4. 20 drops lavender essential oil
5. 10 drops tea tree essential oil (diluted — never use undiluted on dogs)
6. 4 oz lye (sodium hydroxide)
7. 1.5 oz distilled water
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cure Time: 4–6 weeks | Yields: 4 bars
Instructions
Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together in a double boiler over low heat until the butters are fully liquid. In a separate heat-safe glass bowl, slowly pour lye into the distilled water (never the reverse, as this creates a dangerous reaction) and let the two cool until approximately 100°.
Then pour the lye mixture in with the oils and use a stick blender to mix until you reach the thickness of pudding. Add in the remaining castor oil and the essential oils, then stir with a spoon until the oils are incorporated. Then, pour the mixture into a silicone loaf mold. Let the mixture sit out for 24 hours.
Cut off the top of the block and slice into bars. Let the bars cure on a wooden rack for 4 to 6 weeks. Curing the soap hardens it and allows the lye to fully neutralize, which makes the soap gentle enough for your dog’s sensitive skin. The longer the soap cures, the longer each bar will last.
As the coconut oil cleanses and builds a lather, the shea butter locks in the moisture after the soap is rinsed. No more scratching sessions in the living room after a bath.
Tingling & Irritation if your dog has any irritation or itching before you bath him, then this bar would be best paired with dog skin allergies home remedies: natural solutions to soothe your pet. This will help you to tackle the problem from both sides.
store the finished bars in a cool dry spot, such as a small wooden soap dish close to the tub. keep them away from the water when not in use or they will go soft too fast.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @chalkevalleysoaps
#2:Rice Flour Soothing Shampoo Bar for Itchy Skin
Our golden is doing her thing again!Dragging her belly all over the rug and pausing mid zoomie to scratch behind her ear. I have tried 3 different store shampoos and she still wakes me up at 2 am to lick me.
This one changes things.
This is what the recipe looks like before it sets. It’s a very soft, beigey-toned powder blend that sits on top of a white marble surface next to a mesh-lid mason jar, which I use to sift my recipes in.
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup colloidal oatmeal (finely ground)
2. ½ cup white rice flour
3. 2 tablespoons baking soda
4. 10 drops lavender essential oil
5. 5 drops chamomile essential oil
Instructions
First, combine the oatmeal and rice flour together in a bowl (the rice flour helps to keep the mix from clumping in the wet fur so less is wasted). Then add in the baking soda and mix until the color looks uniform and pale. Add your essential oils last and then use a metal mesh sifter lid (pictured in the photo) to blend into a fine powder.
Store it in your 16 oz mason jar in a cool, dry spot.
Dampen your dog’s coat then scoop up 2 tablespoons of the powder blend. Work the powder into a light lather, then rinse after 3 minutes. The oatmeal will coat the skin barrier and the chamomile helps to soothe any inflammation. Your girl will sleep through the night!
Shake the jar prior to use as the oils can settle to the bottom over time. This recipe should stay fresh for up to 6 weeks.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Mixing Time: 5 minutes | Yield: Approx. 12 uses
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @biomestores
#3: Rosemary, Jojoba & Macadamia Soothing Shampoo Bar for Itchy Dogs
There is nothing more adorable than watching your golden scratch her belly on the rug … again. And again. And again. Of course, while you’re sitting there enjoying the show, you can’t help but notice clumps of fur flying across the Pinterest-perfect living room floor.
Yeah. That’s what got me into this recipe.
My cousin’s dog had a problem last summer as well, with red patches, itchy, itchy, itchy. She tried this blend on him and within two weeks the scratching was so much less, she cried!
This one uses golden jojoba oil, macadamia nut oil and fresh rosemary sprigs for a cooling effect and to lock in moisture to keep your dog’s coat soft to the touch.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Yield: 1 mason jar (approx. 16 oz)
Ingredients:
1. 100ml golden jojoba oil (Buxus chinensis)
2. 100ml macadamia nut oil (Macadamia ternifolia)
3. 1 cup unrefined coconut oil (solid, white)
4. 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
5. ½ cup distilled water
Instructions
Warm coconut oil in a double boiler, over low heat. Just enough to melt coconut oil. Do not let it simmer. Add your rosemary sprigs. Allow the oil to steep for 15 minutes. Remove rosemary sprigs. Stir in your jojoba and macadamia oils. Add to coconut oil which is still warm. Pour into a 16oz glass mason jar with a swing-top lid. Add in your distilled water and stir slowly. Allow mixture to cool completely before sealing.
Jojoba is a liquid wax, very similar to the sebum (natural oil produced by the skin) that your dog’s skin produces. As a result, jojoba will absorb into the skin without clogging pores. It will help to balance the skin and prevent that “dry flake” situation for longer.
Store in a cool spot. Scoop out a tablespoon-sized amount at bath time, work it into wet fur from neck to tail, and let it sit for 2 full minutes before rinsing. For more creative ways to care for your pup from scratch, check out 13 Genius DIY Dog Stuff Every Pet Parent Needs to Try Today! for some great ideas.
Rosemary can be stimulating, so avoid using it on dogs under 10 weeks or pregnant females.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @gisbey_the_choclab
#4: Bug-Shaped Oatmeal Shampoo Bars for Itchy, Irritated Skin
You know when your golden is scratching like crazy at 11pm and you just can’t watch her suffer anymore?
I made these little bug-shaped shampoo bars last weekend, and I cannot get over how cute they are. They are shaped like a bee, a dragonfly, and a ladybug, and they sit so cute on my bathroom shelf, it’s like I’ve raided your Pinterest board.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Setting Time: 2–4 hours | Makes: 3 bars
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup melt-and-pour goat milk soap base
2. 2 tablespoons colloidal oatmeal (finely ground)
3. 1 tablespoon raw coconut oil
4. 10 drops lavender essential oil
5. 5 drops tea tree essential oil
6. Silicone insect molds (bee, dragonfly, ladybug shapes)
Instructions
Melt the soap base in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Stirring between each interval. Once the soap base is melted, let it cool for 2 minutes before adding anything. If you pour it too hot the good stuff in the oatmeal and coconut oil will burn off.
I like to add in the colloidal oatmeal first. It suspends a little better when you add it before the oils. Then add in the coconut oil and the two essential oils. Slowly poor it into the silicone molds avoiding to create any bubbles and tap the mold on the counter a few times.
As the colloidal oatmeal coats the irritated skin during lathering, it gives your girl’s skin the time it needs to absorb the soothing oils for relief from her irritations.
Let the bars set out at room temperature for at least 4 hours before popping them out.
Store any extras in a cool, dry place and don’t leave it sitting in a cup of soapy water between baths or the bar will get mushy.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @lyfe_is_a_beautiful_mess
#5: Stanky Dawg Bar — The Handmade Soap That Actually Tackles That “Wet Dog” Smell
There is nothing worse than when your golden comes inside from the backyard and just r-e-a-k-s. You can smell her before you even see her. This is the moment this bar was made for.
Stanky Dawg is a handmade bar soap from Soap Stop & Body Shop. The bar is a creamy off-white with little dark specks throughout (which are the ground botanicals). The botanicals help lift dirt from your dog’s coat without stripping it dry.
Prep Time: 10 min | Lather Time: 5 min | Serves: 1 very stinky dog
Ingredients:
1. 1 Stanky Dawg bar (or a DIY equivalent using goat milk soap base)
2. 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3. 1 cup warm water
4. 1 teaspoon ground oatmeal (for sensitive skin)
Instructions
Wet your dog’s coat with warm water first; if the water is cold, her coat will be closed down and the soap will not work as well. Rub the Stanky Dawg bar directly between your palms to build up a thick lather, then work it into her fur from the neck down to the tail. The botanicals exfoliate as you work the soap into your dog’s coat, and the soap base will lock in moisture, which means no post-bath itching and a coat that actually smells clean, not just covered up. Let it sit for 2 minutes then rinse.
Anyone want to see a picture of the rubber red duck? It’s what I found to help keep the anxious ones focused during a bath. Learned that trick the hard way with my cousin’s lab who knocked over the bottle of conditioner mid-rine.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @eurekasoapstop
#6: Oatmeal & Essential Oil Dog Shampoo for Itchy, Irritated Skin
Have you ever had one of those moments when your golden retriever comes in the house from the backyard and won’t stop scratching so that you can hear her nails against her fur in the other room? This was my experience this past summer when I was dog-sitting my cousin’s dog.
This one only uses ingredients you probably already have sitting in your pantry.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Yield: 1 bath session
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup finely ground Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats
2. 2 tablespoonsArm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
3. 1 tablespoonDawn Simply Clean dish soap
4. 5 dropsdoTERRA Lavender essential oil
5. 3 dropsdoTERRA Rosemary essential oil
6. 1 cup warm water (stored in a mason jar for mixing)
Instructions
Put the oats into the blender until they form a fine powder (you want them to dissolve, not clump). Add the baking soda and mix the two together before anything else is added. Add your warm water slowly, then the Dawn. Add in your essential oils last, so the scent will stay strong.
Apply it to the wet coat of your dog, massage it into the skin (not just the fur) and leave it on the skin for 3 full minutes before rinsing.
It coats the itchy skin and locks in moisture, making your dog less itchy and actually WANTING a bath.
Store any remaining oil in a clean mason jar for up to 3 days in the fridge. Be sure to give it a shake each time you use it. Avoid using the rosemary oil if your dog is pregnant or under 10 weeks old.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @mchelbell
#7: Blue Chamomile & Aloe Soothing Shampoo for Itchy Skin
Your golden is scratching again. Not the cute, sleepy kind. The relentless, rolling-on-the-carpet, 2am kind that makes you want to cry a little.
Well, this one is exactly what this moment calls for.
That blue bottle in the photo is really giving me some spa-day energy. Can you guess what’s in it? Yup, it’s a blue chamomile and aloe vera base for that itchy, red skin. The chamomile calms down the itchiness, and aloe coats the hair shaft. I added some drops of blue chamomile essential oil to give it that shade of blue, which is crazy and also super beautiful.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Mix Time: 2 minutes | Makes: 16 oz (one standard bottle)
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup liquid castile soap (unscented)
2. ½ cup aloe vera gel
3. 1 tablespoon glycerin
4. 10 drops blue chamomile essential oil
5. 5 drops lavender essential oil
6. ½ cup distilled water
Instructions
Add the castile soap to your 16 oz bottle first. Add the aloe vera gel and glycerin. You’ll add the glycerin because it draws the moisture in which keeps your skin from getting so itchy and dry after you get out of the bath, which means you can finally sleep through the night. Add the two essential oils and fill the bottle with distilled water. Put the cap on and give it a little shake.
However, you’ll want to shake before every use, as the oils may have separated a little.
Blue chamomile essential oil is more expensive than chamomile, but I only use 2-3 drops per batch, so a small bottle lasts me months.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @smartschoolhouse
#8: Oatmeal & Rose Clay Mason Jar Dog Shampoo Bar
You know that moment when your dog is scratching up a storm (full-body wiggle scratch on the couch corner style) and you feel totally helpless?
yes. that was me when i worked in my cousins lab last summer. my whole face was red and i had really flaky skin.
This caught my eye because it looks exactly like something off your Pinterest board (and it actually works).
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Setting Time: 4–6 hours | Yield: 1 small mason jar shampoo bar
Ingredients:
1. ½ cup melt-and-pour glycerin soap base (clear or white)
2. 2 tablespoons colloidal oatmeal (finely ground)
3. 1 tablespoon rose clay powder (gives that soft pink color)
4. 10 drops lavender essential oil
5. 5 drops chamomile essential oil
6. 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
7. One small glass mason jar with lid for setting and storage
Instructions
Melt the glycerin in a double boiler over low heat. Once it is melted pull it off the heat and whisk in the oatmeal and rose clay. It will set very quickly. Add the aloe and essential oils last. Pour into your mason jar.
The colloidal oatmeal coats the irritated skin and locks in the moisture, thus, my scratching sessions have become less and less because of the good ole’ colloidal oatmeal.
One thing to remember: let it fully harden, before you flip it out. Pop out the set bar, then work a lather of warm water in your hands and work it through your pup’s coat.
I love this because it’s a very gentle soap, it pulls dirt without stripping the natural oils from your dog’s skin, and it makes him smell all spa-like.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @nalas.friends
#9: Essential Oil Dog Shampoo for Itchy, Irritated Skin (The Naturally Soothing Blend)
I’m sure most of us have had that feeling of wanting to do anything to help our dog when he/she is scratching and itching their golden skin nonstop. I know I’ve felt that way with my dog, especially when I don’t know what’s safe for him.
This blend changed everything for us.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Mix Time: 2 minutes | Makes: 1 quart (32 oz)
Ingredients:
1. 1 quart unscented castile soap base (the white liquid in the jar — that’s your foundation)
2. 10 drops Young Living Cedarwood essential oil
3. 8 drops Young Living Copaiba essential oil
4. 6 drops Young Living Geranium essential oil
5. 5 drops Young Living Lemongrass essential oil
6. 4 drops Young Living Bergamot essential oil
Instructions
Pour your castile soap into the mason jar first. Add each of the oils in the order listed (Copaiba first and then Bergamot because it helps to bind the other oils). Screw the lid on the jar and roll it between your palms. Don’t shake it, hard – you’ll have a soap explosion.
Copaiba Essential Oil is cooling, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. So, perhaps your cat will decide to scratch less and allow you to rub his/her belly a little more often!
Store it in a cool spot. I keep mine in my DIY dog washing station.
Rinse well with cool water. Warm water can irritate skin.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @michaelagibson29
#10: Vinegar, Castile Soap & Eucalyptus Oil Itch-Relief Shampoo
We’ve all had that moment. Your dog just keeps scratching. Like full body scratching. And you just let her have at it on your nice linen couch because you know she’s got something in her coat and you think, “Well, we have a problem.” That was me with my cousin’s dog last summer. And it broke my heart a little.
This is the shampoo I kept coming back to over and over again.
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: None | Yield: 1 full bath session
Here’s what you need:
1. 1 cup organic white distilled vinegar (5% acidity — the O Organics bottle in the pic works great)
2. 2 tablespoons Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap
3. 10 drops doTERRA Eucalyptus radiata essential oil (the 15ml bottle gives you plenty)
4. 1 cup warm water
Instructions
Mix the vinegar and the warm water first. This takes away the sting of the vinegar before anything touches your dog’s skin. Add the castile soap next and stir slowly so that it doesn’t start foaming up on you before you’re ready. The last thing to add is the eucalyptus oil.
Helps to balance the skin pH of your dog so less itching and a fresher smelling coat. Apply to wet fur and massage for two minutes. Rinse well.
The essential oil of Eucalyptus is strong, so keep it away from the eye area and do a small patch test first on sensitive skin.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @napanatural.dogco
The pH Secret That Makes or Breaks Your DIY Dog Shampoo
This is an important point that many people miss. Your dogs skin pH is different to yours.
Human skin is around 5.5. My golden’s skin is closer to 7, which makes a huge difference.
This is the key: when using something like an “all-natural” base like castile soap, that has a pH of 8-9 (for itchy, irritated skin… that is pouring fuel on the fire).
I found out the hard way with my aunt’s lab. She tried different recipes of oatmeal shampoo for months and none of them worked. When she changed the base to diluted aloe vera gel, the issue was resolved within two weeks.
Before you add anything, you’ll want to grab some pH test strips. When you’re done, you’ll want your finished shampoo to be between 6.5-7.5. Anything outside of that range will strip your pup’s skin barrier and actually make the itching worse!
For your dog’s comfort, test the pad before placing it on your rug. Mix it to the color that you want on your rug. Your dog will be thankful!
Your Home Can Look Good and Survive Golden Retriever Life
Did you think that the only way to avoid having a dog’s house that looks Pinterest worthy is to have a home that looks sad and sterile? The right furniture can protect your space without making it feel sterile or sad.
Pick one piece, just one, and change it. Wake up in the morning to a couch that does not smell like wet dog and where there are no maps of muddy paw prints.
Your home should feel like yours again. Not a place you’re constantly cleaning or have to hide from guests. So what’s the one spot in your house your golden has claimed as his own?
Amr Mohsen is a software engineer who traded his keyboard for a leash — at least on weekends. His love for dogs inspired him to share what he learns as a dog owner and enthusiast, bringing a detail-oriented, research-driven perspective to every article he writes. If it’s about dogs, he’s probably already looked it up twice.
