Earlier this week, I ran out of the Aesop Equalising Shampoo that I bought in Melbourne (where Aesop was born—I love a beauty souvenir when I travel) and needed to take a shower ASAP. I didn’t have time to run to the pharmacy, so I looked at what else I had in the bathroom. Nothing else—except for my dog’s shampoos and conditioners. I almost considered reaching for one of those, but instead I found some very old Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Pure-Castile Liquid Soap and added “shampoo for me, not the dog” to my shopping list.
It would be very easy to confuse your dog’s soaps with your soaps these days. Luxury beauty brands like Aesop, Kiehl’s, and Malin + Goetz sell bath washes and even conditioners for your dog. Celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkin makes a limited-edition dog shampoo over at her haircare brand, Ouai. These washes are specially formulated for pet hair, fur, and skin, and you can rest assured that they’re made with human-grade ingredients. Here at Argos & Artemis, we’re all about the human-dog relationship after all—what better to demonstrate this than by sharing your love of luxurious bath products?
By the way, I should add that Artemis hates bath time, and if your dog hates bath time too, no luxe grooming product will make them love it. This morning, I discovered her rolling in the mud at Central Park. Great, I thought, we’re due for a bath anyway. When we got home, I carried her into the bathroom and shut the door. I drew her a warm bath and lit a scented candle while she glared resentfully at me.
“Oh, woe is you,” I said. “You have a little lady who gives you full body massages and kisses in the bath while you get clean and pretty so that you can have more kisses when you’re dry.” She continued to look at me like I had betrayed our trust and understanding. For the rest of the day, she will continue to avoid me and treat me with suspicion. But tonight, when she has forgotten about the bath because I will bribe her with frozen peanut butter, she will smell like a spring garden and her fur will be shiny and soft again, and we will cuddle in bed.
These are the four dog bath products made by human beauty brands that Artemis and I interchangeably use during her bath time:
Good for: strengthening fur coats without added irritation or chemicals
Smells like: a fresh burst of sunshine in the Mediterranean to motivate you to go on a longer walk with your fur baby (neroli extract)
Kiehl’s Cuddly-Coat Grooming Shampoo
Good for: anxious dogs in need of a gentle soap-free alternative
Smells like: the herbal tea you drink at night, just before you snuggle up in bed with your fur baby (chamomile flower extract, lavender)
Kiehl’s Cuddly-Coat Conditioning Rinse
Good for: a post-shampoo rinse for extra shine and softness, even if you don’t wait the recommended three minutes before rinsing (we never do because Artemis is trying to jump out at this point)
Smells like: almost nothing once your fur baby is rinsed and toweled, which means it’s great with any shampoo of your choice
Good for: dogs with sensitive skin and dogs who’ve rolled in something smelly
Smells like: the incense you recently burned to cleanse your home of bad spirits because your fur baby was barking at the wall and you swear it was a ghost (lemon rind, tea tree leaf, spearmint leaf)
Photography by Sylvie Rosokoff