Paw Spa: EarthBath Oatmeal and Aloe Conditioner

I've raved about Earthbath's awesome-smelling shampoos before, and now it's time to rave about their Oatmeal & Aloe Conditioner as well. Not that every Earthbath grooming product is scented, they actually make a fragrance-free version of this conditioner and also the matching shampoo. Not everyone can handle even nature-scented bath products, and that's ok.

Earthbath

Despite a somewhat excessive use of the naturalistic fallacy ("natural"=good), I like the Earthbath company because their products work well and smell fantastic. Like most grooming product companies, Earthbath makes a dozen different kinds of shampoo, and three conditioners. I like making scents match between products, and there is a shampoo that matches this conditioner. However, if I want a conditioner that matches the amazing orange shampoo, I'm out of luck.

Does It Work?

This conditioner works like I expect conditioner to work, it leaves the hair soft and brushable. It also has a very nice vanilla almond scent. There are a few reports of Earthbath products causing allergic skin reactions, but those seem to be few and far between. Brisbane has no problem with the Earthbath products despite his many allergies. 

Final Verdict

I like this conditioner a lot. It smells nice, and it's not a giant pain in the butt to rinse out.

Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs Everyday Elements Collection

When I ran out of evening primrose-scented signature Isle of Dogs shampoo and conditioner, I decided to give their less fancy stuff a try. The Everyday Elements stuff comes in bigger bottles, costs significantly less, and I love the jasmine and vanilla fragrance.

Isle of Dogs

I obviously like this company a lot. Their Coature collection of products is just so fancy! They're also pretty pricey, so I thought I'd give their bottom of the line value shampoo an conditioner a try. As much as I'd like to have the matching silky coat spray, I can't justify buying it when I've got most of a bottle of evening primrose spray left. (Actually I can't justify buying any more dog beauty products for a while as everyone has given me dog shampoo lately and now my bathroom looks ridiculous.)

Does It Work?

This stuff smells amazing. It got Brisbane and Sisci both very clean, and also left their coats smooth and soft. Everyone who touches Brisbane exclaims at how soft he is. The effect lasted more than two weeks before he started getting slightly greasy and ready for another bath. The products are both very thick and potent, I could easily dilute them quite a bit for easier and more economical bathing. Isle of Dogs suggests up to a 10 to 1 dilution.

 As Brisbane is prone to skin issues and does best with frequent baths, I am pleased that Isle of Dogs states that their products can be used every day. There have been times when Brisbane needed to be washed every other day, and aside from human baby shampoo it's nice to know there's something specifically formulated for this.

Final Verdict

I like it. Also, I will probably never need to buy dog shampoo again.

Paw Spa: Isle of Dogs Coature Collection

Isle of Dogs is a company that makes grooming products and dog treats. They're known for making really high-end shampoos and conditioners, and their Coature line is the best of the best. The company recommends bathing dogs weekly with these products, and that is just fine with me. I like clean dogs.

Coat Check

The Isle of Dogs website has a product selection feature they call the Coat Check. This tool asks about the dog's age, lifestyle, coat length, and any skin problems (along with some questionable personal information including your name, address, and phone number). The tool then gives you a set product recommendations specific to your dog. Theoretically it should advise a shampoo, conditioner, and coat spray, but for Sisci it just suggested conditioner, spray, and a food supplement. I guess she doesn't need shampoo?

Our Isle of Dogs bath suite was ordered for Brisbane right before he began having massive skin issues, so these are the ones recommended specifically for him. The Coature line includes eight different shampoos, most for specific coat colors or hair types. Ours is the No. 10 Evening Primrose Oil shampoo, which has a subtle but pleasant fragrance and is supposed to help manage skin issues.

The Coature product line only has three conditioners to choose from. I guess the conditioning needs of various coats aren't that different. They seem to go in order of conditioning power, with the strongest being the No. 52 Nutrient Masque and the lightest being the No. 50 Light Management conditioner. Brisbane's Coat Check results included the Light Management stuff, but I went with the No. 51 Heavy Management conditioner to help keep his glorious long tail tangle-free. 

The last item in our Coature collection is a spray bottle of No. 62 Conditioning Mist. Like the rest of Isle of Dog's products, it's full of evening primrose oil. This is a hydrating spray that's supposed to sooth skin and make hair shiny and beautiful. It certainly makes Sisci's hair downright sparkly, but I think I'd have to use a really crazy amount of it to actually get it down to her skin.

So What's It Like?

Isle of Dog products smell nice but aren't heavily fragranced. The shampoo lathers up nicely, but isn't terribly easy to spread around. I like to dilute it a little bit for convenience. The shampoo and conditioner rinse out easily and the conditioning spray bottle is very high-quality and doesn't feel like it's going to break anytime soon.

It's worth noting that the Coature Collection is pretty expensive compared to other shampoos, and the bottles are pretty small. They do sell larger ones, and those are crazy expensive. I'm not someone who spends a ton on bath and beauty products for myself, they may not give you sticker shock if you're a bath product connoisseur. There are two more affordable product lines, NaturaLuxury and Everyday Elements. There is also a Salon Elements line for professional groomers. For show groomers and very silly people, there is a Vanity Series of styling products for smoothing curls, adding volume, holding hairstyles in place, etc. I am not making this up.

Final Verdict

Isle of Dogs Coature products are little too expensive for me to be using on a weekly basis. I do love having matching shampoo and conditioner, and I love the way conditioner makes their coats feel. I think we will save these for times when I'm planning for them to stay clean a little bit longer, rather than right before a big hike or a trip to the beach.