The girls at La Fresh Group sent me a HUGE box of Wag Wash & Go / Divas & Studs dog grooming wipes. We tried some and are giving the rest away and prizes.
When I agreed to review these paraben-free dog grooming wipes, I expected a little tub or a travel pack to arrive. Instead, they sent me a tremendous stockpile. Holy cow! So, I gave a few of the products a try.
Dog Product Review: Wag Wash & Go Bath Wipes for Dogs – Dog Grooming Wipes
I tried these disposable wash cloths / wipes in two ways:
- As an overall clean-up, freshening swipe at the end of a normal dog day
- As an attempt to mitigate a muddy swamp beast before letting her inside
While the wipes weren’t nearly as damp as I would expect, they worked well in both uses. I needed 5-6 of them to wipe down all of Ginko’s large surface area, and he did indeed seem much fresher smelling, and his coat seemed much less grungy. (He hasn’t had a real bath in ages.) I only needed 2 wipes to give Lilly the once-over at the end of a normal day.
BUT, when she needed more than simple freshening, after swamping around in the pond, it took quite a few more to clean her up.
The wipes did the job, but I didn’t much like how my hands felt after using them. My skin felt tight and dry … and kind of oddly shiny. The dogs’ coats felt OK, but not that fluffy, fresh they get after a real bath.
Dog Product Review: Divas & Studs Ear Buff Finger Mitts
Typically, I squirt a little ear cleaner in, then gently / carefully wipe out the gunk with cotton swabs. So, I gave the little finger mitts a try. Again, they came out of the container almost imperceptibly damp, but I got a good amount of dirt out of both Lilly’s and Ginko’s ears.
Ginko hated it and got very grumpy about me poking around in his ears … until I found the itchy spot … then he made happier grumbling noises.
Lilly took to the mitts fine, but after I cleaned her ears, she would NOT stop shaking her head. So, cleaned them again the “normal” way, and she stopped fussing.
Dental and Eye Wipes
Since I brush Lilly’s teeth and Ginko merely clamps down his lips at any attempt with any tool, I did NOT try the dental wipes.
And, since both dogs are black, we don’t have the eye staining issue that folks with white dogs face, so I also did NOT try the eye wipes.
Dog Product Review: Dog Grooming Product Ingredients
Lately, I’m much more cautious about what products I put on and in the dogs. So, I asked Alexandra Grabbe, a friend who runs a green B&B called Chez Sven in Wellfleet, Masachusetts, for advice on how to research ingredients. She is my go-to source for info on the onslaught of chemicals in our lives. Thanks to her tips, I can share the following details about the ingredients used in these dog grooming wipes.
If you ever want to do this kind of research yourself, check out this “Skin Deep” database from the Environmental Working Group … to find out what things are, why they are used, and any known health risks.
Here is a chart showing what’s in each of these products:
First, let’s talk about parabens since these products are paraben-free. Parabens are typically used as preservatives in cosmetic products. They can mimic estrogen and cause what’s known as endocrin system disruption. So, three cheers for none of that.
Here are details on the various ingredients used. You can click through to read details from the Skin Deep database:
Polysorbate 20: fragrance ingredient; emulsifying agent; solubilizing agent
Witch Hazel: astringent agent
Aloe Vera: fragrance ingredient; skin conditioning
Lanolin: emulsion stabilizer; hair conditioning agent; skin-conditioning agent; skin protectant; emulsifying agent; antistatic agent
Citric Acid: chelating agent; fragrance ingredient; pH adjuster
Phenoxyethanol: fragrance ingredient; preservative … some research shows a non-reproductive organ system toxicity and some eye / skin irritation
Potassium Sorbate: fragrance ingredient; preservative … some research shows a non-reproductive organ system toxicity
Benzyl Alcohol: external analgesic; fragrance ingredient; oral health care drug; preservative; solvent; viscosity decreasing agent … some research shows neural and organ system toxicities
Tocopherol: antioxidant; fragrance ingredient; skin-conditioning agent … One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses.
Fragrance: scent
Boric Acid: buffering agent; cosmetic biocide; denaturant; antimicrobial … some research shows endocrine disruption and organ system toxicity
Sodium Chloride: flavoring agent; oral care agent; viscosity increasing agent
Propylene Glycol: fragrance ingredient; humectant; skin-conditioning agent; solvent; viscosity decreasing agent … also used in “non-toxic” antifreeze
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): abrasive; buffering agent; deodorant agent; oral care agent
Final Word: Dog Grooming Wipes
These products absolutely perform as expected. They work. The dogs smell nice, seem clean, etc. I would probably use them on a limited basis.
My two concerns are simply these:
- It seems wasteful to use disposable wipes regularly. In most instances at home, I’d rather get a towel or microfiber cloth a little damp and soapy to clean up the dogs. But, if you’re running around and on the go, I can see how having a pack of these in the car or your hiking backpack can be a good idea.
- A couple of these ingredients give me pause, after digging into the database. I’m sure each of them in tiny doses are probably OK, but I do worry about all the tiny exposures we have in life adding up to something big.
What do you think? Do you use grooming wipes? If so, when? Which ones?
Dog Grooming Wipes Giveaway!
I’m going to keep the bath wipes I opened and some kitty ones for Tom’s mom’s cat. BUT, I have a boatload of these Wag Wash & Go and Divas & Studs wipes / mitts left over, and I’m happy to share.
I’ve divided them into three prize packages:
The White Dog Special
(So if you have a white dog, please say so in your comment.)
- Small jar of eye finger mitts
- Big tub of eye wipes
- Small tub of bath wipes
The Puppy Special
- Small jar dental finger mitts
- Small jar ear finger mitts
- Travel pack of puppy bath wipes
The Big Special
- Big tub of puppy bath wipes
- Big jar of ear wipes
- Big jar of dental wipes
Let’s just do our usual thing. To enter the prize giveaway, simply comment to this blog post before midnight (Mtn Time) Sunday, August 14, 2011. I’ll number up all the comments and use Random.org to chose 3 winners. Thanks!
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FTC Disclosure
Susan Jack, La Fresh Group national sales manager, sent me all these products for free … to try and give away. Otherwise, I was not compensated in any way for this review.
I don’t have a pet but I admire the valuable advice you’ve given dog owners in this post. It’s amazing the care and vigilance required these days when using any type of product for animal or man.
My dog is in need of a good bath, so I’d love wipes like these. Sadly, I’ve tried the dental wipes before and my dog WOULD not open his mouth. His teeth are so sensitive! I guess that’s typical of lap dogs. And he’s the ultimate lap dog. Great giveaway!
I appreciate all the good work you put into this! But the bottom line for me is that I think disposable is never good. A cotton rag is so much better for everything, no chemicals in it of any kind, and it doesn’t go into the landfill. I know cotton takes pesticides and water to grow but if you buy all of your clothes/wipes/etc used then you aren’t contributing to that harmful cycle either…
After just having a dog at the ER for environmental allergies, I can see where disposable wipes would come in handy – at least during allergy season. I normally keep a towel by the door for wet paws, but the vet said that wiping Buster off after each walk could help his skin allergies by removing the pollen/mold he picked up along the way. Makes perfect sense, but if I removed the pollen with a towel and then wiped him with the same towel the next time, that would seem to defeat the purpose. Considering the use of water, laundry soap, and time to wash the towels, it seems like disposables would be the way to go.
Amy, I was so sorry to read about Buster’s sudden environmental allergies in Oregon. Poor boy. When I suffered so many allergy symptoms after our herding lessons with goats, Anna (@HappyHealthyPup) recommended wetting down a microfiber cloth and wiping Lilly down … essentially front to back. So, that’s what I’ve been doing for my own allergies. Perhaps a modified version of that would work for a dog’s allergies too. If not … then, yes, I can see how disposable wipes would help get things off Buster so that he doesn’t have another bout of skin troubles and misery.
We have senior rescue Collies and Shelties, so someone is always needing a “touchup” or two. Have one elderly Collie whose right eye weeps when he eats, despite adjusting his food, so am sure he’d appreciate eye wipes! Thanks for the thorough review and the giveaway!
Never thought of using wipes for my pooch. Just plain old baby shampoo and old towels for my little aging Whitey.
I’m still trying to brush Frankie’s teeth. He tolerates the finger wrapped in gauze but it’s hard to keep it intact after the first few swipes. Maybe the dental finger mitts would work. So a puppy packet please for my 12 year old!
Yes, Edie. These little finger mitts are pretty sturdy. I bet they would hold up better than gauze.
I didnt know they made these disposable wipes for dogs either. might love to try the eye one, as one of my cockers get those wet dark stains from eyes draining a lot. the feet ones could come in handy in the car though if anyone were to get particularly muddy or dirty after an outing. those cocker paws get fur growing down between the pads too! in fact, they are pretty much an all-around mega grooming nightmare between eyes, ears and paws! lol.
What you’ll find particularly interesting, Jennifer, is that they are made by a company that makes all kinds of women’s skincare things, including makeup wipes and such.
I don’t have a dog, so you can take me out of the running on the contest. Just wanted to say this is a great, in-depth review of these products. I’m sure pet owners are thanking you muchly!
Thanks for the shout-out. Glad you were able to obtain so much information and share with your readers!
Yeah, I just use good old fashioned towels on my dog. We keep two sets of towels– dog towels and people towels. That’s because I’ve learned the hard way that all of the dog hair doesn’t come off the towels in the wash. It’s not really fun to dry off after a shower and realize the towel you just used got dog hair all over you. So our dog gets all of our gently used people towels. When it’s rainy or muddy outside, I just keep one by the door to wipe him down when he comes in. I can’t imagine ever feeling I need to use disposable wipes on my dog. Maybe for little dogs? I don’t know.
I didn’t even know they made disposable wipes for dogs. These would have come in handy for us last week. We gave both dogs a bath then the next day, our gardens were mulched with black mulch. Both dogs somehow managed to get out there and roll in the mulch. One of them came in with black stripes all over him. It didn’t come off with a towel. Sigh.
I have a dog that gets in the lake all of the time. While I agree with you on the environmental effects of having disposable wipes, these might be nice when we cannot give our “Stinky Abbi” a full bath!
Yay – giveaway! My dog does not get tearstains either (he white with brown spots and most of the fur under his eyes is brown).
I usually just keep a towel around to wipe off whatever he gets in if it isn’t too gross. Or we have bath time in the tub if it comes to that (ie after rolling in the low-tide mud). All on an as-needed basis. 🙂
We MUST put ourselves in the running for the WHITE DOG giveaway. We love your honest review, too!
I use Nature’s Miracle grooming wipes on an occasional basis. But mostly, I just wet a wash cloth or piece of paper towel to wipe any nastiness off of Marge.
Wouldn’t mind winning a pack of these and giving them a try, though! I like your idea about keeping them in the car for hikes, though I have found that wipes dry out pretty quickly in a hot car.
That’s a good point, Sam. They might get dried out, if you leave them in the car all the time.