Our Ingredients
Safe for dogs, straight from the earth, with absolutely no processed, harmful toxins. We pride ourselves on the carefully chosen ingredients in all of our dog products, from balms to shampoo, gnawers, and everything in between. After extensive research, we select only the highest-quality essentials to craft our healing solutions for your loyal friends.
We care about where our ingredients comes from and how they are grown. Pesticides, chemically-enhanced fertilizers, and other harmful additives are never a part of our process. We use organic ingredients whenever possible!
Free of chemicals, with only all-natural ingredients from our earth. We mean it when we say we use nothing but 100% pure, natural ingredients to formulate products for your pup.
We craft our products with care, intention, and plant-based ingredients. All of our balms are vegan, loaded with natural, green essentials.
Our products are never tested on any laboratory animals. We conduct thorough research on each and every ingredient to ensure they are safe for all dogs.
German Chamomile
German Chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilla)
Chamomile is one of the most commonly thought about supplements used with modern tea, especially in portions of the United States. Whenever someone thinks about chamomile, they might not even consider that it can be used topically to treat a range of skin conditions. Even for dogs that are suffering from dry, cracked paws, chamomile has some potent properties that make it an important ingredient for dry, cracked paws.
Why do dogs lick their feet? Mostly it’s because they are painful. This is often the result of dried skin, cracking, and possibly even bleeding.
Chamomile has been used for millennia in numerous cultures, for medicinal purposes and as a mild sedative. It’s one of the main reasons why it is commonly used in tea, especially during the later evening and nighttime hours. It has been used to treat a range of health issues, including heartburn, nausea, upset stomach, and vomiting.
It can also be effective at helping the skin to heal more effectively when used in topical form, which is what paw soothers do for dogs.
Why Use German Chamomile for Dogs
There has been more research being conducted in recent years about the positive effects of chamomile for various skin conditions. In fact, some research is now indicating that it can be just as effective as hydrocortisone cream for treating eczema, a dry skin condition.
Dogs don’t have the ability to produce fatty acids in their body, which is an important component of healthy skin, a strong, healthy snout, and even strong, healthy paws. When they don’t get the right supplements of these fatty acids, it can lead to a dry condition and even cracking.
Essential Properties of German Chamomile
There are numerous chemical compounds that make up chamomile, including some of the following:
- Apigenin
- Alpha-bisabolol
- Sesquiterpenes
- Terpenoids
- Falvonoids
- Coumarins
- Phenylpropanoids
- Polyacetylenes
When used as a topical cream, or in a topical cream with other ingredients, it can be highly effective at providing comfort and improving healing. This helps dogs to feel better and have healthier paws in a shorter amount of time.
History of Chamomile
Chamomile is derived from daisy like plants that are commonly found throughout the world. There is some documentation that highlights the uses of chamomile throughout history as a mild sedative, for treating certain allergies, alleviating muscle spasms and more.
Today, chamomile is commonly used as a supplement or as a tea, but it can also be applied topically. When a dog’s paws become dry and cracked, it’s important to treat them as quickly as possible as that can bring comfort and healing more rapidly. With chamomile as an active ingredient in the right ointment, healing will come faster and that will result in a more active dog and comfort for both dog and its best friend.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamomile
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-chamomile
Srivastava, JK; Shankar, E; Gupta, S (November 2010). “Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future”. Molecular medicine reports 3 (6): 895–901. doi:10.3892/mmr.2010.377. PMC 2995283.PMID 21132119.
Organic Calendula Extract
Organic Calendula Extract (Calendula Officinalis)
Calendula is also commonly referred to as pot marigold and comprises 15-20 species of annual and perennial plants. They are indigenous to a variety of locations around the world, including southwestern Asia, western Europe, and the Mediterranean region. It can be derived from plants known as corn marigold, desert marigold, marsh marigold, and other marigold plants. The extract from this plant can provide healing to raw paws and other damaged paws for dogs.
The calendula extract has been used in medicinal herbs for thousands of years. It is most commonly used to help healing wounds.
Why Use Organic Calendula Extract for Dogs
When a dog has raw paws or any other type of damage that has occurred with its paws, that can be extremely painful. It’s akin to dealing with dry, cracked skin on the bottom of one’s feet as well as the palms of their hands. These are the parts of the body that are commonly used for walking and carrying out any number of ordinary tasks.
If a dog has raw paws and isn’t finding any comfort or relief, it can make it more difficult for that animal to walk around, run, or even feel energetic. The dog may prefer to remain in place rather than getting up to go outside for a walk if the discomfort or even pain is too severe.
By relying on the anti-inflammatory properties possessed by calendula extract, it helps to promote healing, thus allowing other active ingredients found in solution to help bring those paws back to good, normal health.
Essential Properties of Organic Calendula Extract
While the pedals of a marigold plant are often consumed as part of a salad in many cultures and throughout thousands of years, the benefits of the extract is still being used today.
The flowers that produce calendula extract contain:
- Flavonol glycosides
- Triterpene
- Oligoglycosides
- Oleanane-type triterpene glycosides
- Saponins
- Sesquiterpene glucoside
Research has indicated that calendula extract is a potent anti-inflammatory and even possesses some antiviral and antigenotoxic properties that promote better healing.
History of Calendula Extract
The term ‘marigold’ is actually a derived name referring to Mary’s Gold, which was part of the early Catholic Church’s traditions when using this type of plant. In Hindu cultures, the flowers of this type of plant were commonly used to ordain statues and was also used for cosmetic purposes. Eventually it was used to add color to cheese in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Until relatively recently, calendula extract was being used to treat a variety of conditions, including cuts, scrapes, fever, bruises, burns, and minor infections of the skin.
Today, when used with other ingredients, this one can help combat a dog skin infection, and it can provide comfort and relief for dogs whose paws are raw, cut, and dried out.
References:
http://wellnessmama.com/7648/calendula-herb-profile/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula
Ukiya, M., et al. (2006). Anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor-promoting, and cytotoxic activities of constituents of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) flowers. J Nat Prod. 69 1692-96.
Rosemary Extract
Rosemary Extract (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary is a perennial herb with fragrant needle-like leaves and produce white, purple, pink, and blue flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean region of the world. The name is derived from Latin and ultimately means ‘dew of the sea.’ It is an aromatic evergreen shrub and its needles are commonly used as an herb in food preparation. Recently, though, some new medicinal uses are becoming more widely known, especially for helping to soothe painful paws and allow damaged paws to heal.
Commonly, rosemary is used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including heartburn, intestinal gas, gout, cough, a loss of appetite, and more. Most of these issues are addressed by taking rosemary or an extract internally. For topical use, it has been relied upon to help treat baldness (though that effectiveness is in question), improving circulation along the skin, to cure toothaches, and even for treating eczema, which is a serious skin condition.
Why Use Rosemary for Dogs
Some of the phytochemicals that comprise rosemary make it ideal for some medicinal purposes. When a dog is experiencing painful paws, it could be the direct result of external forces, such as running around on hard concrete surfaces, for example.
It could also be the result of a lack of certain nutrients in the body that normally help to promote health skin. Dogs can often deal with dry snout, damaged paws, and other similar conditions as a result of poor nutrition in the diet. By adding a topical cream to the paws and even the snout, these animals can begin the healing process.
Essential Properties of Rosemary
The most important properties for healing with regard to rosemary include phytochemicals. These include:
- Rosmarinic acid
- Camphor
- Caffeic acid
- Ursolic acid
- Betulinic acid
It also contains some important antioxidants:
- Carnosic acid
- Carnosol
The antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components of the phytochemicals of rosemary make it beneficial for improving the immune system and boosting circulation throughout the body. Antioxidants become important in neutralizing the harmful effects of free radicals in the body.
There are numerous research studies that indicate rosemary can be effective at improving digestion, protecting against memory loss, and more.
For dogs that are dealing with any type of dry paws, snout, or other similar skin conditions, rosemary can also promote healing and help the paws and snout retain moisture.
History of Rosemary
Rosemary has been used as a cooking herb for thousands of years, especially throughout the Mediterranean region where it is native. It has the ability to withstand droughts and cold weather. It can grow upright or in a trailing pattern along the ground. The plant has also been known to flower well outside its normal flowering range.
For any dog lover who is concerned about dry paws, cracked paws, dry snout, or other skin related issues with their beloved pet, rosemary is a potent ingredient that can make a world of difference for them.
References:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266370.php
Benzoin Resin
Benzoin (Styrax Benzoin)
Benzoin can often be confused with some other substances, but it’s a sap that comes from trees belonging to the Styrax family. There is a particular substance that is called Siam benzoin, which is not used for any type of medicinal or healing properties, so it’s important to understand the distinction. When a dog balm consists of all natural ingredients, benzoin can be a great asset. Benzoin can be used to help heal cuts and abrasions and to fight off germs. It can also be effective to some degree at reducing swelling.
Why Use Benzoin for Dogs
When a dog’s paws are dry, become cracked, and maybe even painful, getting relief as soon as possible is important. Dogs can’t produce fatty acids like humans can, and it’s those fatty acids that become so important for protecting skin.
A dog’s snout and paws can become dry and painful. When the dog’s paws are dry, it may be difficult for the animal to feel comfortable walking around, especially if they have a tendency to walk on concrete or pavement, such as sidewalks and streets. If the dryness is severe enough, it can lead to cracking and even cuts forming along the pads of those paws.
Relying on an ointment or cream that contains benzoin can be a great asset because of its antiseptic qualities.
Essential Properties of Benzoin
Benzoin constitutes the following chemical properties:
- Benzaldehyde
- Benzoic acid
- Cinnamic acid
- Styrene
- Vanillic acid
It can have a vanilla type aroma, but is generally quite subtle. It can help to heal minor skin irritations and is effective as an anti-inflammatory. When a dog’s paws become dry and has minor abrasions or is under strain, it can cause some level of inflammation. This ingredient added to a paw protector helps to alleviate those inflammations to some degree.
Benzoin can also be an effective preservative, which adds shelf life to the products in which it is used. It is an all natural ingredient and when it comes to any dog balm, relying on all natural is the best way to go.
Dogs have a tendency to lick their paws when they experience pain and they may also lick their paws when an ointment, cream, or salve is added to them, which is why it’s so important for many dog owners to have all natural ingredients.
Benzoin is a great addition to any dog balm.
References:
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/benzoin-gum-powder/profile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzoin
http://www.medicinenet.com/benzoin-topical/page3.htm
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-351-benzoin.aspx?activeingredientid=351&activeingredientname=benzoin
Natural Vitamin E
Vitamin E is found in many foods and is extremely important for a variety of health issues. For dogs, Vitamin E is essential at helping to protect the skin and other cells throughout the body from free radicals. When the food a dog eats is converted into energy, free radicals are formed. If your dog isn’t getting enough Vitamin E in his diet, it could lead to lower quality skin, dry paws, and potentially even cracked and damaged foot pads that can be extremely painful to deal with.
Vitamin E is also used by the body to fight off infecting bacteria. When dogs walk around outside, they are being exposed to a wide range of bacteria, germs, and other foreign contaminants. If their paws are dry, if they are damaged, they are increasing their exposure to these foreign contaminants.
Why Use Natural Vitamin E for Dogs
There are an increasing number of supplements that contain vitamin E for men, women, children, and even pets like cats and dogs. Focusing on all-natural ingredients should always be a priority as any vitamins or supplements that are chemically modified may not be doing the body the same good as all natural ingredients.
Vitamin E is commonly used to help promote immunity and encourage healthy skin and eyes. Vitamin E is also being more commonly used as an antioxidant.
Currently, most research on Vitamin E is showing that there will only be a benefit for those individuals or animals that have a specific Vitamin E deficiency. Due to the processed nature of dog foods today, many dogs are simply not getting the right level of Vitamin E in their diet. That is helping to degrade the quality and condition of their skin, including their snout and paws.
Essential Properties of Natural Vitamin E
Most Vitamin E that is taken as a supplement today is done so internally, through a supplement or with an increased focus on nutrition and diet. However, topical application of Vitamin E can also be highly beneficial for the skin as it allows the skin to absorb the nutrient directly.
When dogs have raw paws and dry skin conditions, it could be the result of a number of other factors or deficiencies. It may also be the direct result of a diminished Vitamin E quantity in the body.
There is currently no research to indicate that consuming too much Vitamin E is harmful, and when applied directly to the dog’s paws, can begin to provide healing, especially when used in conjunction with other active ingredients.
History of Natural Vitamin E
Vitamin E is found naturally in a wealth of foods throughout the world. Because it is such an important nutrient for animals from all walks of life, it is abundant. However, in today’s modern society with so many processed foods, those processes actually remove a high percentage of the positive nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from the foods.
You dog’s Vitamin E requirements will likely vary from another dog’s, but when you notice his paws becoming raw, cracked, and damaged, the skin is likely suffering the same. It can be painful for the animal so healing is essential as soon as possible. A topical ointment that contains Vitamin E is going to provide better healing because of the skin’s need for this vitamin.
References:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02813/facts-about-vitamin-e
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-Consumer/
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/supplement-guide-vitamin-e
