Homemade Dry Shampoo for Dogs: Easy Non-Toxic DIY Recipe

QUICK SUMMARY

This homemade dry shampoo for dogs freshens fur between baths with baking soda, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, and the recipe’s measured amounts of lavender and lemongrass essential oils. Mix the ingredients in a shaker, apply a light dusting from the neck down, and brush away the excess.

Use this DIY occasionally, not as a substitute for bathing or treatment for skin problems. Avoid your dog’s face and airways, prevent licking, and do not increase the essential-oil amounts. Dogs vary in their sensitivity to concentrated plant oils.

Dogs need pampering too, and this Homemade Dry Shampoo for Dogs will help you do just that! When outdoor adventures leave your pup smelling less than fresh, this quick DIY can help absorb coat oils without a full bath.

It’s a handy option between washes with our all-natural dog shampoo. The recipe comes first, followed by what each ingredient does and how to use it thoughtfully.

Make Homemade Dry Shampoo for Dogs

This dry shampoo comes together in just a few minutes!

We like to keep ours in a glass shaker bottle for easy application.

Dry Shampoo for Dogs With Essential Oils

Author Mama Z

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Quantity

2x4x6x

Ingredients

• ½ cup baking soda
• ½ cup organic corn starch or arrowroot powder
• 3 drops lemongrass essential oil*
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Supplies

• Glass jar with shaker lid
• Dog brush or a mitt brush

Instructions

 

• Add baking soda and cornstarch or arrowroot powder to a glass jar.
• Pour essential oil drops into the powder mix. Shake well.
• Sprinkle dry shampoo on your dog, starting at their neck, being careful to avoid their eyes.
• Work your way down their entire body and rub in well.

Notes

*Click here to learn more about using essential oils with pets.

Step One: Add Dry Ingredients

Add the baking soda and cornstarch or arrowroot powder to a glass jar. We prefer using one with a shaker lid.

Jars like this are usually called “cheese shakers.” If you don’t have one on hand, you can use a glass mason jar and poke holes in the lid.

Step Two: Add Essential Oils

Add the essential oils to the jar, replace the lid, and shake until there are no clumps.

The goal is to distribute the small amount of essential oil throughout the entire powder mixture instead of leaving concentrated wet spots.

Step Three: Sprinkle on Dog’s Fur

To use this dry shampoo for dogs, lightly sprinkle it on your dog’s body from the neck down.

Be careful not to get it in their eyes, nose, mouth, ears, or genital area.

Using your hands, work a light amount of the dry shampoo into the dog’s fur. Do not create a dust cloud.

Allow the dog to shake off the excess shampoo, then brush the coat thoroughly to remove loose powder.

This simple process is enough to freshen your pup between baths.

Mama Z Pro Tip: If insects and fleas are your bigger concern, use a product formulated specifically for that purpose rather than adding more essential oil to this dry shampoo. Try our flea and tick spray made with essential oils.

Natural Dog Shampoo Ingredient 101

This simple recipe uses familiar ingredients to freshen your dog’s coat. Each has a purpose, and you don’t need to add anything beyond the original formula.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of my favorite household odor neutralizers. Here it helps absorb and reduce unpleasant coat odors. Use a light amount; repeated heavy applications may irritate or dry some dogs’ skin.

Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder

Cornstarch or arrowroot powder absorbs surface oil so the coat feels fresher. These are alternatives to talc, but any fine powder can irritate airways if it becomes airborne. Brush away excess after use.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass essential oil contributes a bright, fresh aroma. Although researchers have observed antimicrobial effects in laboratory studies, that does not mean this dry shampoo treats infections in dogs. Lemongrass can irritate sensitive skin, so use only the recipe’s measured amount.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender balances lemongrass with a softer aroma. A study of 32 dogs exposed to lavender scent during car travel found more resting and less vocalizing, although this doesn’t prove a dry shampoo will calm every dog. (4)

Essential Oils and Dogs

Did you know that pets can benefit from essential oils too? It’s true, but dogs are not tiny humans, and natural doesn’t mean risk-free.

My friend veterinarian Dr. Janet Roark emphasizes dilution and avoiding a dog’s eyes, ears, nose, and genitals. She also recommends additional care with puppies, pregnant or nursing dogs, and animals with medical conditions or medications. (1)

The right oil, concentration, route, and amount matter. So does the possibility of a dog licking a grooming product from its fur. Never add extra drops to this recipe or apply undiluted essential oils directly to your dog.

Dr. Roark recommends avoiding topical and internal use of:

• Melaleuca (Tea Tree)
• Birch
• Wintergreen

She recommends caution with stronger oils such as oregano, cinnamon, cassia, clove, rosemary, and thyme. Camphor also warrants special caution. (2) This isn’t a complete list of unsafe oils.

In a veterinary case series involving 443 dogs and cats, concentrated tea tree oil exposures caused symptoms including weakness, loss of coordination, and tremors. These were concentrated exposures, not evidence that every properly diluted grooming product is toxic. (3)

What About Lavender and Lemongrass?

Lavender has some preliminary canine research, including the travel study mentioned above. A small topical study in five Beagles found changes in certain autonomic measurements, but whether the dogs were truly calmer remained uncertain. (5)

Lemongrass is included for its scent, not as a substitute for veterinary treatment. If your dog has a persistent yeasty smell, redness, sores, or hair loss, investigate the cause rather than covering it up.

Choose oils with clear botanical identification and trustworthy quality information, ideally including batch-specific testing. The phrase “therapeutic grade” by itself doesn’t establish safety. Quality matters, but it never replaces proper dosing.

Toxins Found in Traditional Dry Shampoo

Our pets deserve thoughtful care, and I prefer knowing what’s going into a product we rub into their fur.

Talc

Some powdered products use talc to absorb oil. In 2024, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified talc as probably carcinogenic to humans, based on several lines of evidence. That classification does not prove talc-containing dog shampoo causes cancer in pets, but it’s one reason I prefer cornstarch or arrowroot. (6)

Synthetic Fragrance

A label listing “fragrance” may not tell you every scent ingredient. We already limit unnecessary artificial fragrance in our home, and our dogs don’t need overpowering perfume either. Even natural scents can trigger coughing or irritation in sensitive animals. (7)

How to Use Dry Shampoo on Dogs Safely

A little goes a long way. Keep the shaker below the neck, apply a light dusting, work it gently through the coat, and brush thoroughly. Don’t shake powder toward your dog’s face or create a cloud for them to inhale.

Prevent licking: Avoid paws and other areas your dog immediately grooms. Brush away loose powder and supervise after application. If your dog eats a significant amount or develops concerning symptoms, call your veterinarian or animal poison control.

Watch your dog’s response: Start with a small area. Stop if you see redness, scratching, coughing, drooling, vomiting, unusual tiredness, or wobbliness. Adverse reactions have been reported with some essential-oil-containing pet products, even when marketed as natural. (8)

Know when to skip it: Ask your veterinarian before using this blend on puppies, pregnant or nursing dogs, very small or medically fragile dogs, or pets with seizures, respiratory disease, open wounds, or active skin problems. Don’t apply over topical medications or flea preventatives without guidance. And don’t use this dog recipe on cats.

How often should you use it? Occasionally, between baths. It won’t wash away mud, allergens, or other dirt. If odor or itching keeps returning, your dog may need a proper bath or veterinary examination rather than more dry shampoo.

I love simple DIYs that let us replace heavily fragranced products with ingredients we can identify. This Homemade Dry Shampoo for Dogs can be a convenient addition to your grooming routine when you respect the recipe, your dog’s sensitive nose, and the importance of good veterinary care. Natural living should make us more observant and thoughtful, not less.

References