Many commercial ear cleaners, fold creams, and paw wipes are water-heavy and filler heavy (cheaper ingredients) and full of harsh chemicals, making them unsuitable for chronic use in dogs:
Water itself traps moisture in folds, ears, and paw pads. Warm, damp environments allow yeast (Malassezia) and bacteria to overgrow, producing odour, redness, inflammation, and infections. In addition, a broken skin barrier cannot support healthy flora, so repeated wetting weakens natural defences.
Alcohols (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol) dry out and irritate skin.
Surfactants (sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium laureth sulphate, cocoamidopropyl betaine) strip protective oils and disrupt the microbiome.
Strong biocides (chlorhexidine, benzalkonium chloride, triclosan) kill both harmful and beneficial microbes indiscriminately.
Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben) and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, imidazolidinyl urea) can trigger allergies or contact dermatitis.
PEGs, propylene glycol, and other humectants can trap moisture and aggravate inflamed areas.
Why this matters:
These chemicals may temporarily reduce odour or microbial load, but they damage the skin barrier, disrupt healthy flora, and worsen yeast/bacterial overgrowth in folds, paws, ears, and tear-stain areas.
Water-heavy products make the skin more hospitable to pathogens, perpetuating chronic inflammation and flare-ups.
In contrast, a water-free, botanical/lipid-rich balm contains actives like apigenin, bisabolol, chamazulene, thujone, camphor, rosmanol, azadirachtin, nimbin, plus vitamins A, B-complex, E, F, K, minerals, and antioxidants, which:
- Soothe redness and itch
- Neutralise odour
- Fight yeast, bacteria, and fungi
- Repair and protect the skin barrier
- Support a healthy microbiome
- Reduce allergen-triggered flare-ups
- Suffocate mites