I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful company within the natural pet skincare world: Anicura Natural Pet Solutions!
Let me rewind real quick and explain what prompted me to give them a try back in 2015.
And yes, spoiler alert, years later I still use their products!
Anicura Natural Shampoos & Insect Repellents: Why I Gave Them A Try And Still Use Them
2015 began with my girl Missy kicking cancer’s butt! I was so relieved that her tumor was removable and that no metastases were found inside her body.
Missy underwent 4 preventative chemotherapy sessions at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Cary, NC. Since then, I’ve implemented some major changes in her and her brother Buzz’s lives.
Those Changes All Have One Common Denominator: Getting Rid of Harmful Chemicals in The Pups’ Lives.
I understand that this approach is no guarantee for eliminating cancer from the pups’ lives once and for all. However, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be more mindful about what we surround the pups and ourselves with.
Update 2021: Missy got her wings after a second cancer diagnosis in April 2018. That said, she outlived her oncologist’s life expectancy by 2.5 years. I absolutely attribute those additional 2.5 years I had with my little girl to the new raw dog food diet I put her on as well as the natural skin care and pest repellents.
Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2021. It contains affiliate links I may earn compensation through at no additional cost to you.
No more chemical pest preventatives/dog shampoos
Besides transitioning the pups from a kibble and wet dog food diet to a raw one, I also stopped using chemical pest preventatives and dog shampoos.
The topical pest preventative I religiously applied once a month since the pups were 3 months old was K9 Advantix.
I will say that it’s incredibly effective against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, but unfortunately, it also contains incredibly harsh chemicals.
When I shopped for dog shampoo, I never used one particular shampoo brand on the pups.
Instead, I always purchased a bottle of shampoo at one of the larger US pet retailers.
Honestly, I just bought whichever bottle design spoke to me the most. In retrospect, I’m YIKES-ing at myself.
I don’t want to read made in China on my dog shampoo bottles
It never occurred to me to take a closer look at the ingredients listed on the label and/or the country of origin (you might be quite surprised!!) until just several months ago.
Let me tell you that the shampoo made in China ended up in the trash can very quickly.
I’ll be honest and admit that at first, I was worried about bringing pests into our home once I’d stop applying K9 Advantix. However, I was pleasantly surprised in finding natural, yet effective, alternatives to the chemical pest treatments!
It’s been a combination approach of using those in addition to:
- Keeping my lawn trimmed
- Grooming the pups on a regular basis and
- Washing all their bedding on a weekly basis to keeps pests out!
Now without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to a wonderful company within the natural pet skincare world: Anicura Natural Pet Solutions!
About Anicura
Anicura Natural Pet Solutions is based in the UK and also has distributors here in the US. They make high quality, natural pet skincare products that are 100% free of the following:
- Steroids (itch-relieving hormones)
- Paragons (chemical preservatives)
- Lanolin (relatively common allergen)
- Phthalates (chemical plasticizers)
- Sodium laurel sulphate (SLS ~ chemical detergent)
- Antibiotics and cortisones (used to treat inflammation, allergies, itching with many side effects)
- Paraffin (mineral oil derived from petroleum) ~ essentially nothing hard to pronounce!
All of Anicura’s skin care products are developed to help animals prone to:
- Skin allergies
- Dry and flaky skin
- Itchy and chapped skin
- Those suffering from sores, scabs and other skin illnesses
Thankfully, Missy & Buzz have no skin issues.
However, I was very interested in trying out Anicura’s Natural Insect Repellent as well as their Natural Dog Shampoo since I stopped using chemical grooming and pest prevention products.
Anicura Natural Insect Repellent
Anicura’s Natural Insect Repellent offers long-lasting protection from insects’ stings & bites, and is very easy to apply. Shake well, then spray liberally onto skin & coat. It’s that easy!
The bottle we received back in 2015 contained 75 ml (2.53 oz) and retailed for $23. It’s small enough to take along on a hike. Should your pups carry their own backpacks, simply add it to their pack!
Update 2023: The Insect Repellent is no longer available, which is a bummer because it worked well!
Anicura Insect Repellent Ingredients
Anicura’s Insect Repellent is water-based, meaning it does not contain any alcohol. Besides repelling insects, its natural oils, minerals, and vitamins care for your pets’ skin and coat:
- Water
- Dead Sea Salt (Flea Repellent)
- Citronella Oil (Flea, Tick, & Mosquito Repellent)
- Rosemary Oil (Flea Repellent)
- Carnation Oil (Mosquito Repellent)
- Patchouli Oil (Improves chapped/dry skin)
- Cedarwood Oil (Flea Repellent)
- Lavender Oil (Insect Repelling/Enhances Smoothness of Coat)
- Lemon Grass Oil (Insect Repelling)
- Eucalyptus Oil (Flea Repellent/Soothes Skin)
- Peppermint Oil (Insect Repelling)
- Tea Tree Oil (Soothes/Protects Skin)
I personally love essential oils, and think it’s wonderful that they are also beneficial to our pups!
Suitable For All Pets
If you’ve ever used K9 Advantix on your pups, you know that it can only be used on dogs and never ever on cats. It shouldn’t even be applied NEAR cats!
Anicura’s Natural Insect Repellent is suitable for ALL pets, including puppies & kittens ~ it’s that gentle!
The brand adds that it’s also safe for use around humans, and I definitely spray it on me whenever we go for a summer walk or hike.
Anicura Dog Shampoo
Anicura’s Dog Shampoo is 100% free of steroids, hormones, cortisones, peroxides, alcohol, paragons, and antibiotics!
It gently cleanses both skin and coat/hair with its non greasy, omega rich formula. That’s unlike most dog shampoos that contain harsh detergents and chemicals, leaving the dog’s skin dry and itchy.
Anicura’s Dog Shampoo is so gentle that it’s safe for use on chapped, flaky, dry, itchy, and inflamed skin including eczema. It has actually been specially formulated to help with any skin and coat problems a dog might have.
Missy enjoyed taking a bath with her new shampoo! Apparently she also liked the refreshing smell as she was more than interested in tasting it, ha! Of course that didn’t happen, but she DID get a treat for being such a good girl in the tub!
Anicura Dog Shampoo: Naturally Proven Ingredients
Anicura’s Dog Shampoo contains naturally proven ingredients which are highly effective for deep hydration and skin nutrition:
- Water
- Sodium cocoyl glutamate (cleansing agent derived from coconut oi)
- Acrylates/Steareth 20 Methacrylate copolymer (Viscosity Increasing Agent)
- Cocomidopropyl betain (safer, more natural alternative to SLS)
- Cocoamphoacetate (foam stabilizer/organic compound derived from coconut oil)
- Calendula Extract (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant)
- PEG-7-Glyceryl Cocoate (good conditioning effect for soft & smooth skin)
- Lavender Oil (enhances smoothness of coat)
- Safflower Oil (contains essential fatty acids for shiny coat)
- Sea Buckthorn Oil (leaves skin soft & healthy)
- Roman Chamomile Oil (relaxing, calming, soothing for skin)
- Phenoxyethanol (common, safe cosmetic preservative used in all types of water-based cosmetics)
- Piroctone Olamine (anti-dandruff active ingredient, soothes inflamed skin and reduces flaking)
- Benzoic Acid (treats skin irritation & inflammation)
Anicura sent us the 300 ml size (10 oz), which used to retail for just shy of $22.
Update 2023: The Dog Shampoo is still available in a 10 oz bottle, but the price has decreased to $19.99 (on Amazon).
Anicura Gives Back
The staff at Anicura are big supporters of Ziggy Trixx, a talented Staffordshire Bull Terrier. His mission is to get rid of all the prejudice against so called ‘dangerous breeds’!
Back in 2015, they were the official sponsors of Ziggy’s UK tour, which is a mission to change the way people perceive his Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed.
Ziggy Trixx was (R.I.P buddy) a very talented trick dog who took home 1st place at the London Pet Show in 2015! He (still, in memoriam) has his very own Facebook page with over 28K fans! Check it out!
Side note: Anicura’s CEO Bella is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Rottweiler mix.
Bottom Line
Our pack very much enjoyed learning about Anicura’s Natural Pet Product Line and trying out their Insect Repellent & Dog Shampoo.
Most importantly, we LOVED the peace of mind knowing that both products are free of harsh chemicals & detergents.
Learning about their fight against breed discrimination was certainly the cherry on top of everything!
Missy & Buzz give Anicura 8 enthusiastic paws up!
Update 2023: I still love using their products and use them on my current pup Wally too.
Is your dog bothered by skin problems such as dry, itchy, and flaky skin? What is your go-to remedy? As always, we’d love to hear from you in our comment section!
Related Reading:
- Our 3 Favorite Natural Pest Preventatives for Dogs + Bonus Tip
- Cruelty-Free Products: Non-Toxic Dog Shampoos & Skincare
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