DIY dog shampoo bar recipe lovers, this one’s for you! If you’re looking for a gentle, chemical-free way to keep your pup clean and fresh, making your own dog shampoo bars is an easy and rewarding project.
These homemade bars are perfect for dogs with sensitive skin, as they avoid the harsh ingredients found in many store-bought options.
Using natural oils, soothing herbs, and pet-safe essential oils, you can create a nourishing lather that leaves your dog’s coat soft, shiny, and smelling amazing—without irritation.
Bonus: they’re travel-friendly, long-lasting, and super budget-friendly too.
I have always loved using essential oils, and recently my two dogs, Yoda and Casper, helped me test out a few options while searching for the best natural dog shampoo for fleas.
After trying different recipes, we finally found a favorite. This DIY dog soap bar is made with gentle, all-natural ingredients, including oatmeal and a blend of essential oils.
It works as an effective flea and tick repellent while also offering anti-itch relief, making it a soothing shampoo option for pets that need extra care.
Why Make a Natural Dog Shampoo?
While making things from scratch is always rewarding, creating your own DIY dog shampoo bar gives you full control over what goes on your dog’s skin and coat.
I prefer to use chemical-free products for my pets whenever possible, as they tend to be gentler and better for overall dog health.
Homemade shampoo bars also reduce plastic waste and can be much more affordable when made in batches, especially compared to store-bought flea and tick treatments.
If you are looking for tips on how to bathe your dog or require help choosing the right natural shampoo for fleas, you are in the right place.
This dog shampoo bar recipe is for you!
Ingredients for Your Shampoo Bar for Dogs
- 1-pound goats milk soap
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons shea butter
- ¼ cup crushed oatmeal
- 15-20 drops cedarwood essential oil
- 10-15 drops lemongrass essential oil
- 10-15 drops lavender essential oil
- 10-15 drops chamomile essential oil
- Spray bottle of rubbing alcohol
- Silicone mold Dog Paw
How to Make Homemade Dog Soap
STEP 1: In a microwave safe bowl, melt soap base in microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted.
STEP 2: Repeat with the Shea butter and coconut oil and add to soap base bowl.
STEP 3: Add lemongrass essential oil.
This essential oil has been shown to repel fleas and ticks on dogs while being completely safe to use on them. It also has skin healing properties.
STEP 4: Add cedarwood essential oil.
This oil is perfect to add to your homemade dog shampoo. It’s not only been shown to repel fleas and ticks, but it can also keep their skin healthy and relax them.
STEP 5: Add lavender essential oil. This oil has great calming effects, and it can also calm irritated skin.
My dog gets dry skin in the summer and scratches a good bit. Lavender oil is one of the best DIY dog shampoo essential oils to help to help with irritated skin.
STEP 6: Add chamomile essential oil. I used this oil because it can calm irritated skin, and it acts as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.
It helps with hot spots on your dog’s skin too.
STEP 7: Add oatmeal and mix everything together.
I used oatmeal in this dog soap recipe because it is great for soothing any skin irritations and itchy skin your dog may have.
STEP 8: Sprinkle a bit of the oatmeal into the mold and then fill the mold evenly with soap/essential oil mixture.
STEP 9: Spray with rubbing alcohol.
STEP 10: Allow to harden for at least two hours.
Your homemade dog soap is now ready! I recommend storing your dog shampoo bars in a plastic bag or a container with a lid.
You can also make a quick essential oil spray to use between dog baths. Just add 10 drops of each selected oil to a spray bottle, fill the rest with distilled water, and shake well.
Lightly spray it onto your dog’s coat and gently rub it in to help keep their skin fresh and repel fleas naturally.
I hope these beautiful DIY dog shampoo bars come in handy and make a special treat for your dog when they are itchy and need some extra TLC.
Just came across your soap and it sounds wonderful! I was just wondering what the purpose of spraying the rubbing alcohol was for? Thanx in advance 🙂
it helps prevent soda ash on soap and allows the layers to stick together nicely
Hi I have tried making this shampoo as I love the recipe. But the soap didn’t melt it just burned. Could you recommend which brand you use?
Hi! I love your soap recipe! mine doesn't make many suds. should it? should I add more of something?
thank you,
Rhonda
Hi there! Thanks so much — I’m glad you love the recipe! 🐾💛 When it comes to natural dog soap, it’s totally normal if it doesn’t produce a lot of suds. That’s actually a good sign — it means it’s free from harsh foaming agents like SLS, which can irritate sensitive doggy skin. The cleansing still happens without the bubbles!
If you’re wanting just a bit more lather, you could try adding a little castor oil (a great natural lather booster) — but only a small amount, as too much can make the bar soft.
Is it safe to use on puppies? Mine are 9 weeks and 11 weeks
yes.
Angela, I made these for my dogs and my girlfriend used it on her hands and now I end up making it for her! She absolutely loves it 😊
Oh I'm glad she loved it. That's awesome.
I made some "human" soap and added some oatmeal that I had powdered up in a blender. Boy was it rough on the skin!!! Be sure to use FINELY powdered oatmeal or whole oatmeal flakes to avoid irritating the skin further. I learned the hard way.
What kind of goats milk soap do you use?
You can use any fresh goats milk available from your local store.
Hi just saw this reciepe would like to make one for my puppy, if I can use camel milk fresh hownto calculate it only camel milk ,coconut milk,castor oil is enough to make a puppy soap, I make soaps for human would love to make one for my puppy any help with reciepe will be great
yes y0u can switch the milk that's fine.
Is this tearless? Or how does one know what they are using is tearless?
Thank you in advance.
As the PH level is not going to be 7 exactly I can't claim it will be tearless. However our dog was perfectly fine when we used the soap to wash his face.
How much soap does this batch make? It seems like it would yield quite a few of those paws!!
Hei. Gleder meg til å teste ut disse. Når du bruker fersk geitemelk, hvor mye bruker du da ca? og vil de få den samme fastheten?
Hi! My question is how many soap bars would this recipe make using the exact silicone mold that was used in the recipe.
Hi, this makes 6 bars using the mold i used.
How long would the bars last?
at least 3=4 months
What is the shelf life of the bars?
I am very intrigued by this DIY dog shamp0o recipe. I have thought about DIY for u, but never for the pups, but why not! and oatmeal baths are always so comforting on the skin, ours or theirs!
This is great! I have been using people shampoo on my dogs recently b/c I've been meaning to make some but haven't gotten around to it! I'll be trying this recipe!
This sounds like some great shampoo for dogs! We have cats, and they would not appreciate a bath. My daughter tried and it was a very messy experience.
These bars of soap are so cute. I will have to make some for gifts for my friends.
The paw mold got me so excited, hehe, it's so cute!
This shampoo sounds great for dogs. I'm sure it smells incredible too.
We have lots of dogs at home! I think this would be a practical choice for us. We can also do these and give them out as gift items.
Love the idea to use natural products for my dog and making them at home is such an wonderful idea!
Wow this is a fantastic idea. I love how i can even make this on my own. I'll definitely try this for my pets.
This is such a great idea. I don't have any dogs, but I know many who do. I may just need to make some of these and give them for gifts for dogs.
i would love to make some for my dog, he has sensitive skin
That is such a great idea. Then you can monitor what is in it too!!! I love the moulds you used, so cute.
These are so cute and would be a great gift for a dog lover! Do they lather up easily? I've only used liquid shampoo on my dogs.
Hello! Love the recipe and going to give it a try! Do you know what ph is for this recipe? I know a dogs natural is between 6.5-8.5 so just curious what the ph will be.
Thank you!
This is so cool! What a fun gift to make for friends or to make with kids!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
We used ours within 3 months and it lasted well for that length of time.
Did you use the goat milt melt and pour. And how much water do you use for the spray.
yes we used the melt and pour. I just used one spray of rubbing alcohol for each soap.
Angela Milnes
I was wondering if you could use a different soap other than goats milk?
You could try coconut milk instead, but I've not tried any other types of milk .,
I love the soap and it actually stopped my dog from scratching, but it does not suds up as much as I hoped it would . Any suggestions? I thought maybe if I used clear glycerin or Shea butter soap it might suds up a bit more. Would love any suggestions. My husband loves the soap and uses it in the shower! It makes your skin lovely and soft.
Hi
Could I use a different melt and pour base? I want to try this but it needs to be vegan friendly so I can’t use the goats milk base.
And thanks for sharing
You can do. but be sure to make sure it's pet/dog friendly.
I make this for my dogs and it works good snd smells good Thanks for posting it . Im making some for my dogs trainer . Makes a great gifts for people who have dogs
Hello. In the photo before you list ingredients it looks like there is a bowl of ice. Is there any reason for that. I want to make sure I make it right the first time around, so that I don't waste any ingredients
Hi that's not ice.. it is the goats milk in cubes. 🙂
What is the shelf life on a batch of bars?
These last 6 months.
Excited to try this recipe out. Question: should I use ground oatmeal or colloidal oatmeal? Thanks!
We use ground oatmeal.
Hi...Nice recipe! I see alot of ads here, which are always annoying and only one link for a product. Where is your link for the rest of the ingredients? I would like to know where you got your soap base, please:)
Hi there! Thanks for the feedback — I totally get it! Ads can definitely be a bit much sometimes. I use them to help keep the site running and support the time it takes to create, test, and share these recipes for free. As for product links, I try to keep them minimal and only include the ones I personally recommend or use myself.
That said, I’m always working on balancing user experience with keeping things sustainable — so your input really helps! 💛 Thanks for stopping by!