Unleash Your HOWND Review 2023: Our Vet’s Opinion

When there are literally hundreds of different dog shampoos out there, it can be pretty daunting to know which one is going to be best for you and your dog. When I’m looking to try something new, the main things I want to know are:

HOWND is a relative newcomer to the dog grooming market, and since their inception, they have branched out into food as well. Boasting planet friendly, ethically produced, cruelty free, vegan products, this company prioritizes product quality and ethical standards.

With this in mind, you might assume that HOWND will have a price tag to match, but they are actually sitting in the middle of the pack in terms of retail price. In addition to this, the products we tried smelled amazing, are very safe, and super easy to use.

At a Glance – What We’ve Reviewed:

	Image	Product	Details
Our Favorite		Yup You Stink! Conditioning Shampoo	pH-balanced, antibacterial, and delicately fragranced Cruelty-free all natural ingredients Accredited by PETA Cruelty Free	Check Price
		Playful Pup Refreshing Body Mist	Super sensitive to suit more fragile skin Vegan formula Accredited by PETA Cruelty Free	Check Price

There are a number of different varieties in the HOWND range of conditioning shampoos and body mists. None of the products are medicated, nor do they make any claim to be, but they do address a few common canine complaints:

Being that I have bigger dogs that are obsessed with rolling in fox poo, and two teeny chihuahuas less than 12 months old, I tried these products and was delighted with both.

About HOWND

Who Makes HOWND and Where Is It Produced?

HOWND products are manufactured in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, by Power Pet Brands Ltd, trading as HOWND. The company was founded in 2020 by Jo Amit and Marc Hirschel, with the following mission statement:

“We began by making the best grooming products on the market: the most ethically certified, adopted and loved by professionals. We’ve never deviated from these early principles and never will.”

Their products are designed to promote:

“Healthy skin, healthy weight, healthy joints. Shiny coats, happy tummies and lots of energy: unleashing the power of dogs to live up to their full canine potential.”

At present, the majority of their business is trade based, with around 250-300 dog groomers in the UK using their shampoos and body mists. There are only a handful of shops in the UK stocking their products, so most of their retail market is internet based.

Who Is HOWND Best Suited For?

HOWND was founded by people who wanted to make good quality products that are completely cruelty free and vegan, which is going to appeal to anyone wanting to use a product that uses ethically sourced ingredients with a reasonable price point.

The appearance of the bottles strikes a nice balance between cutesy/tacky and plain/clinical. If they were human products, they wouldn’t look out of place at a day spa; they look expensive, but they’re not.

The grooming products made by HOWND would suit just about any dog, apart from those with specific sensitivities or skin conditions. The one and only criticism I could make about HOWND is that there is no caution on the labeling with regards to speaking to your vet first if your dog has a skin problem, or not using on broken, inflamed or infected skin.

Quality

I want to come back to my list of main concerns when choosing a shampoo for my dog. In fact, this list largely applies to purchasing products for myself too! Let’s take a look at the Yup You Stink Conditioning Shampoo, and Playful Pup Body Mist, and see how they measure up to my list of demands.

In Summary

Reviewing the Most Popular HOWND Products

Let’s take a look at two of the most popular HOWND products: their conditioning shampoo and body mist

1. Yup You Stink Conditioning Shampoo Reviewed

Does It Smell Nice?

Definitely. I was a bit skeptical about the Eucalyptus & Cedarwood, but the combination is really lovely, without being overpowering. I would quite happily use it on myself!

Is It Easy to Use?

Yes. Personally, I hate pump dispensers, so I was thrilled that the bottle didn’t have one! There’s a cap covering the top of the bottle which is great for avoiding spills if you haven’t closed the lid properly! The actual lid is the rocking type, so there’s nothing to unscrew or easily lose. The bottles are just soft enough to make it easy to dispense the shampoo, so even people with arthritic hands or dexterity issues should find it easy to use.

Is It Safe?

Yes. The first point to address here is the use of essential oils, which in undiluted form, can be harmful to dogs when ingested, inhaled, and applied to the skin. However, the dilutions used in these products are just enough to produce a pleasant smell, and not at levels that will cause harm.

In fact, when compared with some other dog shampoos, the warning of “Caution around the eyes & nostrils. If in eyes, rinse with warm water” indicates that this shampoo presents much less of a safety risk than some other dog shampoo brands that have half their label taken up by a safety warning!

A complete listing of the ingredients can be found here.

Is It Expensive?

No. Retailing at around £9/US$11 for a 250ml bottle, HOWND sits somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of price, and a little goes a long way.

Is It Cruelty Free?

Yes. HOWND products are certified cruelty free and vegan.

2. Playful Pup Refreshing Body Mist Reviewed

Does It Smell Nice?

Yes. The zestiness of the lemongrass contrasts really nicely with the rose, and again, the scent is not overpowering.

Is It Easy to Use?

Yes. Like the shampoo, there is a cap covering the top of the bottle, with a second, smaller cap covering the spray pump. These features suggest that they were designed by people who have actually used these sorts of products, and know what works.

Is It Safe?

Yes. There is the obvious instruction to avoid the face when applying, but otherwise, the points mentioned with the shampoo all apply here.

A complete listing of the ingredients can be found here.

Is It Expensive?

No. Just like the shampoo, the body mist costs around £9/US$11 for a 250ml bottle, and a little really goes a long way.

Is It Cruelty Free?

Yes. HOWND products are certified cruelty free and vegan.

Our Experience with HOWND Body Mist & Conditioning Shampoo

I have to be honest here; I hadn’t heard of HOWND before using these products, but I will definitely be using (and recommending) them in future.

My parcel arrived by Royal Mail the day after ordering, in simple, no-nonsense packaging with plenty of recycled cardboard protecting the bottles. What I immediately liked was the clear outer cap that covered the top of the bottles, meaning that any spills and leakages, which inevitably happen in my house, would be contained in the outer cap – no more sticky bottles! The cap also seemed to be a source of great amusement to Fred, the chihuahua.

The second thing to catch my eye were the Vegan Approved and Cruelty Free leaping bunny labels, displayed on the front of the bottles, and in fact, HOWND has endorsements from:

The scent of the shampoo is really lovely, and not what you would expect from Eucalyptus & Cedarwood. It smells clean and fresh, but not perfumey or like baby powder, and based on the interest shown by my ever-curious duo, Ned and Fred, it didn’t smell too bad to them either!

Initially, I tried the body mist on my Shepherd/Malinois, Kodah, to get an idea of what difference it might make to his dull coat, and was pleasantly surprised. The only downside was that Kodah was really suspicious of the spray bottle, but I think this was more to do with his personality than the product itself. He smelt lovely and his coat was a lot shinier and felt softer, not at all greasy.

The mist is a great option for those who want to give their dog that “just shampooed” look and feel, without the faff, or extend the smell after a shampoo. It works really nicely when you’re giving your dog’s coat a good brushing out as it helps reduce the amount of fur flying around. Although Kodah’s coat is too short to worry about knots, the silky texture it creates would undoubtedly make detangling hair a lot easier.

The following day was sunny, so we headed outside to the garden for a bath day. What I was most worried about was whether the shampoo might cause irritation for the tiny chihuahuas, especially if I managed to get any in their bulgy little eyes! Fortunately, I needn’t have worried. Despite a few suds landing on Fred’s face, there were no signs of redness or irritation. The shampoo lathered up nicely, but also rinsed off easily; there’s nothing worse than having to spend ages getting all the shampoo off!

Whilst the dynamic duo were drying off in the sunshine, it was time to tackle Kodah, who can be a bit funny about different smells. Once he stopped trying to eat the hose, he seemed to really enjoy being lathered up, and made no attempts to get away, which he does if he doesn’t like something.

Again, even though it felt really thick and luxurious going on, the shampoo lathered nicely and rinsed off easily. Once he was dry, Kodah looked and smelled amazing! And the pleasant smell lasted well into the following week, which was very impressive.

I will absolutely use the body mist regularly, and based on how well all the dogs did with the shampoo, would have no hesitation using any of the other types on the tiny chihuahuas, even on Fred, who is only 8 months old.

With the mist, it’s really handy to have something easy to give the dogs a quick spruce up before guests come round, when they don’t need a full on bath. For the price, I’d be happy to keep one bottle at home, one in the car.

Conclusion

The HOWND shampoos and body mists do what they claim to, and don’t cost the earth. I like that they don’t pretend to be something they’re not, when a lot of pet shampoos claim to be antibacterial with absolutely no antimicrobial activity, or effective against fleas & ticks without any ingredients that would achieve that. The ingredients that HOWND uses are effective enough to give your dog a proper clean and leave them smelling fresh and feeling soft, but are also mild enough to be used frequently if needed.

Being a conditioning shampoo means that it shouldn’t cause flakey skin, and you also don’t need to purchase a separate conditioner. Quite frankly, if I was in a shampoo-deficient emergency, I would quite happily use it on my own hair.

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