Summer and winter weather can both pose a challenge to our canine companions, especially when it comes to their delicate paw pads. In the summer, hot pavement and sand can cause paw issues and irritations, while in the winter, the cold temperatures, snow, ice, and even the salt and chemicals used to melt them can cause dryness and cracks. This is where paw balm comes in. As pet owners, it's our job to ensure the natural health and well-being of our dogs, and creating a homemade paw balm can be a great way to do just that. In fact, even Martha Stewart has shared a recipe for a dog paw balm! In this blog, we'll explore the benefits of making your own paw balm with essential oils, and provide you with a few easy-to-follow recipes to help you take your dog care to the next level, no matter the season.
So What Exactly Is A Paw Balm And Why You Should Use Dog Paw Balm
A paw balm is a moisturizing ointment that protects and soothes the paw pads, providing a layer of protection against harsh weather conditions in summer or winter, rough terrain, and other irritants. Paw balms condition and moisturize and can also help to speed up healing of cracked or injured paws. While you can easily find paw balms in pet stores, making your own can be a fun, cost-effective, and more natural option. So, In this blog post, I'm going to guide you through the process of making a homemade paw balm. You don't need essential oils in your paw balm and the basic ingredients are approved by the American Kennel Club for safety. But, I'm an 'oily gal' and so are my dogs and horses....and I pretty much add essential oils to everything-haha! Essential oils can be safe to use with dogs, and to read more about that, click HERE. If you're not comfortable using essential oils with your dog, leave them out! If you want to learn what you need to know to safely use essential oils with your dogs, grab my free guide HERE.
Why Make Your Own Dog Paw Balm?
While store-bought dog paw balms are convenient, they often contain a long list of ingredients that may not be necessary or even harmful to your dog. Some commercial paw balms may also contain artificial fragrances, preservatives, and chemicals that can irritate your dog's skin and cause health problems. By making your own homemade paw balm, you can control the ingredients and ensure that your dog gets only the best, natural and safe ingredients. Plus, it's a fun activity especially when it comes to choosing the essential oils to use.
Why Add Essential Oils to Your Dog Paw Balm?
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that have been used for centuries for their wellness properties. Adding essential oils to your dog paw balm can provide additional benefits, such as soothing dry and cracked paws, promoting healing, and maintaining healthy skin. You can also use essential oils that have a relaxing aroma to help calm your dog and reduce tension.
Are Essential Oils Safe for Dogs?
It's important to note that not all essential oils are created equal, nor safe for dogs, and some can be toxic or cause skin irritation. Always use a pure and premium essential oil and read your labels. I like and use Young Living™ Essential Oils, the world leader in essential oils. With their Seed To Seal guarantee, you know you're getting pure and premium products for you and your dogs health and safety. They also have an AnimalScents™ line created especially for pets, check out those products HERE! In fact they offer a fabulous product call Animal Scents® Ointment. If you're not into DIY, simply grab a jar of this as it works perfectly as a paw balm, and it's toxin free! Here are some of the essential oils that I like to use in my paw balms:
Lavender oil: a tranquil and calming aroma, with many skin care benefits.
Frankincense oil: a woodsy and grounding aroma that can help promote healthy looking skin and help with skin tone.
Tea tree oil: yes-you can use tea tree oil with your dog (read more here), skin cleansing properties that also help to deter pesky annoyances! Also very helpful with odors.
Cedarwood oil: a very mild and balancing aroma that helps to repel annoyances and promote healthy skin and hair.
Peppermint oil: cooling and soothing properties, great for supporting skin when itchy.
Roman chamomile oil: calming and wellness properties, great for sensitive skin and seasonal discomforts.
How to Make Your Own Dog Paw Salve with Essential Oils
Now that you know the benefits of making your own dog paw salve with essential oils, let's dive into the process of making it. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Step 1: Gather the Ingredients
To make a simple dog paw ointment, you will need the following ingredients. These ingredients are easily found in most natural health food stores:
1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
1/4 cup of organic shea butter
1/4 cup of organic beeswax pellets
10-15 drops of essential oil (choose from the list above)
metal tin, glass jar, or lip balm tubes
Step 2: Melt the Ingredients
In a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax pellets until everything is fully liquid.
Step 3: Add the Essential Oils
Once the ingredients have melted, remove the bowl from the heat, as it starts to cool, add 10-15 drops of your chosen essential oil. Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure that the essential oil is evenly distributed.
Step 4: Pour the Mixture into a Container
Carefully pour the mixture into a container of your choice, such as a small jar or tin. Wide mouth jars or tins work best as you'll be dipping your fingers in. Get creative and recycle what you have. Jelly jars and baby food jars work well. You could also search for some inexpensive metal tins or glass mason jars on Amazon. I recently made this and poured it into lip balm tubes I grabbed on Amazon. It made it really easy to apply to my dogs paws like chapstick-lol. I also had several left over to give away as gifts.
Step 5: Let the Salve Cool and Solidify
Allow the salve to cool and solidify completely, which may take a few hours. You can speed up the process by placing the container in the fridge.
Step 6: Apply the Paw Balm
Using the paw balm is easy, simply grab a swipe with your finger and then apply a small amount to your dog's paws and massage it gently into the paw pads. The salve will provide a protective barrier against harsh conditions, moisturize and soothe dry and cracked paws, and promote healing.
A Few Paw Balm Recipes to Try
If you're feeling adventurous and want to experiment with different essential oils and ingredients, here are a few recipes to try. You can swap out cocoa butter for the shea butter, but your balm will have a nuttier aroma and tend to be a bit harder. You can also swap out olive oil for the coconut oil and your balm will be a bit softer. For a paw cream simply omit the beeswax in the recipe and only use the coconut oil and shea butter. The beeswax is what gives the paw balm is harder consistency like a lip balm. If you like the beeswax but want a slightly softer consistency, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you're planning on using the lip balm tubes, keep the beeswax as you'll need that lip balm consistency the beeswax provides.
- Lavender Paw Balm
- 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of organic shea butter
- 1/4 cup of organic beeswax pellets
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
Follow the same instructions as the basic paw salve recipe above.
- Tea Tree and Cedarwood Paw Balm
- 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of organic shea butter
- 1/4 cup of organic beeswax pellets
- 5 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 5 drops of cedarwood essential oil
Follow the same instructions as the basic paw salve recipe above.
- Vetiver and Frankincense Paw Balm
- 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of organic shea butter
- 1/4 cup of organic beeswax pellets
- 5 drops of vetiver essential oil
- 5 drops of frankincense essential oil
Follow the same instructions as the basic paw salve recipe above.
To make a DIY dog paw balm without beeswax, try this recipe:
- 1/4 cup of organic coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of organic shea butter
- 1/4 cup of organic cocoa butter
- 5 drops of vetiver essential oil
- 5 drops of roman chamomile essential oil
Making your own dog paw salve with essential oils is fun and with a little bit of practice, you'll be able to whip up these recipes in no time. You'll have a natural product that benefits your dogs health and well-being, and you could even use it as a homemade gift for your dog mom BFF. By using natural, safe ingredients and avoiding harmful chemicals and additives, you can provide your dog with the best possible care.
Remember to always use pure and premium essential oils and feel free to omit the essential oils if you're not comfortable using them. Homemade paw balms are a natural and safe alternative to store bought paw creams and paw ointments. In fact, try rubbing some into your hands after you apply it to your dogs paws, you might just be amazed!
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