There are many reasons your dog may have dry skin. Whether it’s from allergies, minor skin conditions, living in a dry climate, or frequent indoor heater use, you may notice that your pup has flaky skin, or a dull, dry coat.
As a Colorado resident, I notice that my dogs’ skin gets quite dry during the winter—especially my short-coated dog, Miso. We lack moisture in our climate, and with the cold temperatures, my heater is on full blast pretty much all the time. A similar thing happens in the summer, where our dry climate and frequent sun exposure can dry skin out.
A gentle, moisturizing shampoo typically helps alleviate this dryness and can make my dogs’ coats feel softer and more moisturized.
The best dog shampoo for dry skin can help ease dandruff, mild itching, and more. Chat with your vet about your dog’s specific skin health and read on for how to pick the best dog shampoos for dry skin, itchy skin, sensitive skin, and oily skin.
Traits We Want in the Best Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin
Skin-friendly ingredients: If your dog has sensitive skin or preexisting skin issues or allergies, look for soothing ingredients that will keep their skin and coat moisturized and irritant-free. Ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, ceramides, vitamin E, and aloe will keep dogs’ skin barriers soothed and healthy. Opt for dog shampoos without soaps, parabens, silicones, colorants, or sulfates as these ingredients can all be irritating to dry, sensitive skin.
Medicated ingredients: Talk to your vet before choosing a medicated shampoo for your dog. If your vet recommends a medicated shampoo, chlorhexidine, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid are all medicated ingredients that can help certain skin conditions.
The Best Dog Shampoos for Dry Skin
| Whole Dog Journal Rating | Product and Maker | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Douxo Skin & Coat SPA Ultra-Safe Itch Relief Dog Shampoo | $23 for 16 oz | A sensitive skin and allergy-friendly formula that hydrates your pup’s skin and relieves mild itching. |
| Cindra Moisturizing Shampoo | $40 for 32 oz | A professional-grade shampoo that doesn’t strip moisture from your dog’s skin and leaves their coat hydrated and shiny. |
| Virbac Epi-Soothe Shampoo | $30 for 16 oz | This vet-recommended dog shampoo was made to help dogs with allergic dermatitis and yeast/bacteria issues, but it’s soap-free colloidal oatmeal formulation is great for dogs with dry, sensitive skin too. |
| DermaBenSs Shampoo | $25 for 12 oz | This shampoo contains both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which can be useful for dogs with oily, dandruff-prone coats. |
| Pet Honesty Chlorhexidine Shampoo | $21 for 16 oz | If your dog has frequent hot spots, mild skin infections, or allergies, your vet may recommend a chlorhexidine shampoo. This option also contains aloe, which can help soothe red, itchy skin. |
Best Dog Shampoo for Dry, Itchy Skin: Douxo Skin & Coat SPA Ultra-Safe Itch Relief Dog Shampoo
Want a safe dog shampoo pick that’s unlikely to cause any skin issues? Go for the Douxo Skin & Coat SPA Ultra-Safe Itch Relief Dog Shampoo. This gentle, itch-relieving option is free from soap, sulfates, parabens, colorants, phthalates, silicones, and pretty much any other ingredient that could possibly irritate your pup’s skin.
The hypoallergenic formula is pH-balanced for dry, itchy skin, and contains plant-based extracts which help to moisturize your dog’s skin and keep their skin barrier healthy.
During testing, this shampoo lathered decently, though it takes quite a bit of product to distribute it evenly. It has a wonderful coco and vanilla scent, and it left my dog’s coat feeling clean, though I think I’d add a conditioner with regular use for a softer coat, especially for long-coated dogs.
Best Moisturizing Dog Shampoo: Cindra Moisturizing Shampoo
Cindra is a favorite of dog show exhibitors and professional groomers and the Cindra Moisturizing Shampoo is a great option for keeping both your dog’s skin and coat feeling soft and luscious. This is my preferred shampoo to use between dog shows on my Rough Collie, as it thoroughly hydrates her skin and coat.
During testing, this shampoo lathered wonderfully and has a light, pleasant scent. I put a small amount in a dilution bottle and diluted it with water to get the right ratio. This is a highly concentrated option, so you run the risk of using too much product and not distributing it well if you don’t use a dilution bottle.
It does tend to weigh down the coat a bit, since it doesn’t strip as much moisture out of the coat as other options do. If you live in a dry climate, regularly have the heat on in your house, or have a dog with a dry, dull, coat, this is a great pick. It’s also highly recommended for drop coated breeds like Havanese, Maltese, Yorkies, and Shi Tzus, as it helps to lay the coat down towards the body and make it less puffy/unruly.
Best Dog Shampoo for Dry, Sensitive Skin: Virbac Epi-Soothe Shampoo
Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and hydration properties, colloidal oatmeal is one of the top ingredients to look for when choosing a shampoo for pups with sensitive skin. The Virbac Epi-Soothe Shampoo contains colloidal oatmeal and spherulites which help to continuously release ingredients after use, so your dog gets the benefits of the colloidal oatmeal long after bath time.
Because of the spherulites, it’s best to avoid intensely towel or blow drying your dog after using this shampoo, if you’d like the extended benefits. That means it’s best suited to very short coated dogs.
During testing, this shampoo lathered wonderfully and left my dog’s coat looking shiny and feeling soft. The scent listed is green apple and the actual fragrance is very light and fresh.
Best Dog Shampoo for Dry, Oily Skin: DermaBenSs Shampoo
If your dog’s skin and coat seem simultaneously oily and dry, the DermaBenSs Shampoo with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid could help your woes. It’s a favorite for use on dogs with frequent dandruff, excess yeast, and oil buildup, thanks to these two antibacterial and antimicrobial ingredients.
My Border Collie/Amstaff mix has an oily coat that seems to get dirty fast, but she also has frequent dandruff. This shampoo has helped decrease the oil buildup in her coat while also moisturizing her skin so that it doesn’t flake so much.
This shampoo doesn’t lather much, but it did leave my short-coated dog’s skin without dandruff and left her coat looking shiny and feeling smooth. The after-scent that it leaves is a bit medicinal, but not unpleasant.
Best Medicated Dog Shampoo for Dry Skin: Pet Honesty Chlorhexidine Shampoo
If your dog’s skin seems dry due to hot spots, rashes, or skin allergies, talk to your vet about using a chlorhexidine shampoo like the Pet Honesty Chlorhexidine Shampoo.
