One of my favorite things to do on black, brown, and golden dogs is to add EarthBath Orange Peel Oil shampoo to their bath. Usually I add a glob of it (using my technical terms here.) to the 15:1 diluted Fresh shampoo, or Oatmeal shampoo. I did recently try it on my Zabu by itself, to satisfy my curiosity and for the purpose of this blog, but we'll get to that later.
Adding the Orange Peel Oil shampoo to our baths brings out the natural highlights on the dogs, it's fantastic! This is a great way of making dogs with red highlights seem more saturated and vibrant. It is worth mentioning that the shine on the dog's coat is phenomenal using this product. Like, blinding passing vehicles with an unholy sheen phenomenal! ok... maybe a little over exaggerating there, but you get the picture. You'll love love love the smell of it in the bath too, so very citrus! Like, blinding passing noses with an unholy waft of oranges! Ok... that analogy didn't work quite as well as the first one.
Another benefit of Earthbath's Orange Peel Oil shampoo is that it has d'Limonene. D'Limonene is the major component extracted from the oil of an orange peel rind, it is a natural degreaser, stain remover, deodorizer and insecticide. D'Limonene kills larval and adult fleas. The citrus fragrance is also a natural insect repellent. . On that note, cats hate citrus, so it is also a cat repellent in theory. Probably don't use it on your cat. and by probably don't I mean certainly don't.
Being a degreaser, d'Limonene has the potential to dry out sensitive skin. The Earthbath people thought ahead on that one and added Olive Oil to this shampoo to restore the skin.
Now, as I said, I had tried this shampoo straight on my border collie, Zabu. The shine was just as 3-car-pile-up amazing, and his bronzing and reds became more prominent. It cleaned him very well indeed, he felt soft and squeaky clean to the touch, and looked like a shimmering black diamond. So shiny I fell to my knees and wept for the beauty of it all. The citrus smell does not stick around, at least not enough for us humans to catch . I'm sure it still would have served as a decent repellent for insects but Zabu is on Advantix , so I can't say for sure that it was the shampoo keeping him flea and tick free.
At first glance, the Earthbath Orange Peel Oil shampoo may seem at the pricy side of economic for a shop at $40 - $50 a gallon, or $6 - $10 for a 16oz , but keep in mind that you can use it as an additive to your other shampoos. If you chose to use it straight, it dilutes at an impressive 33:1 ! If you are using it for just your own dog, I think this price range is absolutely great!
As is the Earthbath rule of thumb, the Orange Peel Oil shampoo has no parabens, phosphates, pthalates, DEA, synthetic dyes or perfumes. The listed ingredients are Purified water, renewable coconut-based cleansers, d'Limonene (orange peel oil), olive oil squalene (natural preservative). All ingredients are natural, 100% biodegradable, and gentle.
The Bottom Line.
Earthbath's Orange Peel Oil shampoo cleans great, leaves fur shiny, and is a natural flea killer and flea repellent. The price range is affordable , and the product is well worth it! Gentle and effective, whether you use it as an additive to your baths or use it on its own, it is a great product. Might want to couple it with a cologne though to add a lasting scent if you chose to fly solo with it!
oO Bubblecollie Oo
