Bathing your dog is an important grooming ritual. As a pet owner, you'd obviously want what's best for your pet, and that automatically includes grooming products. You would ordinarily find a variety of dog shampoos and conditioners in pet stores, and you could even have your favorite brand.

However, there are several pet owners across the world who express concern over the chemicals used in these products and the long-term effects of using them on their beloved furries. Even otherwise, wouldn't it be great if you could whip up a nice cleanser at home?

A perfect shampoo would be the one that gets the cleaning done, without a trace of strong chemicals. So here are some shampoo recipes that are easy to make and work fabulously well on your dog.

Natural Shampoo
Ingredients:
1 cup mild dish washing liquid
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup glycerin
1 quart water

Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a container. Store this mixture in an old shampoo bottle. Use this shampoo while bathing the dog and rinse well. Make sure you shake the bottle well before every use as the glycerin tends to form a layer on top of the liquid.
*Do not use it on the ears or near the eyes.
Oatmeal Shampoo
Ingredients:
Oatmeal, as required
Warm water, as required

Directions
The measure of the ingredients would depend on the size of your dog. Combine the two ingredients to form a starchy mixture. Pour it into a sock and apply it over the dog's coat. Keep it on for 5 minutes and rinse with warm water. Oatmeal shampoo is ideal for relief from dry and scaly skin, mosquito bites, to remove fleas and also for cleansing and deodorizing.
Shampoo for Dry Skin
Ingredients:
1 box cornstarch
10 drops of essential oil
(choose from tea tree, lemon, lavender or rosemary)
1 and 1/2 cup cornmeal

Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a container and store. When giving your dog a bath, apply this shampoo and massage it well into the skin. Let it stand for around 5 minutes and then brush it away, followed by a good rinse.
Flea and Tick Shampoo
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp peppermint oil
2 tbsp eucalyptus oil
2 tbsp white cedar oil
cup white vinegar
cup citronella oil

Directions
Mix all the ingredients and store it in a bottle. This shampoo works well to remove tick and flea infestation in dogs. Other than that, it also has a cleansing and deodorizing effect.
A Few Conditioner Recipes...
The regular grooming routine for a dog would suggest a conditioning treatment after a shampoo. Using homemade dog conditioner after shampooing will give a healthy shine and soft feel to the dog's coat, along with leaving a pleasant, lingering smell.
Rosemary Conditioner
Ingredients:
Rosemary seeds
Water

Directions
Add some rosemary seeds to boiling water and boil for a minute or two. Remove this mixture from heat, let it cool down. After ten minutes, strain the rosemary seeds and pour the solution into a bottle. Use this conditioner after shampooing and rinse well.
Egg Conditioner
Ingredients:
Eggs
Warm water

Directions
Whisk some egg yolk with warm water until it turns creamy, then add the egg whites and whisk well. Apply this to the dog's coat and let it stay for around two minutes and then rinse out with lukewarm water. Ensure that the final rinse does not leave any egg residues on the dog's coat, as it may result in itching and leave an unpleasant odor.
Homemade dog shampoos and conditioners will keep the dog's fur and skin healthy, soft and shiny. They will prevent flea infestations and skin disorders. What's more, they are also easy on your pocket and completely safe to use. You'll begin to notice the difference soon after you start using these shampoo and conditioner recipes.