The 8 best dog paw balms and waxes for 2023

Balms protect dog paws against the elements and can help heal dry, cracked paw pads. For pet parents shopping online, it’s hard to determine which balms stay on paws or stain fabrics. So our team tested the most popular paw balms on the market. We reviewed these best dog paw balms against the following criteria: ingredients, smell, lickability, application, staining, and packaging. Browse our top eight choices below for the best balm for your budget — these picks run between $10 and $25 — and your pup’s paws!

Paw Soother is a vegan paw balm that’s made entirely in the USA. Using dog-friendly ingredients, this balm moisturizes and heals irritated, cracked paws. We like that Paw Soother comes in several sizes and is easy for pet parents to apply. One downside — we didn’t love the yellow residue that this balm left behind when we tested it on fabric. So you shouldn’t apply Paw Soother to your dog’s paws on your white sofa or rug.

• Ingredients. Paw Soother contains organic, vegan ingredients that are safe for dogs. The balm hydrates with coconut oil, mango butter, and jojoba oil. Paw Soother’s formula also includes chamomile and natural vitamin E to heal and soothe.
• Smell. The product has a pleasing herbal scent.
• Lickability. While it wasn’t the most lickable balm we tested, the smell piqued our dogs’ interest. We give it a high to moderate score on the lickability scale.
• Application. Thanks to the balm’s handy stick container, pet parents can place their dog’s paw directly on the stick to apply. You can also remove the product from the container with your fingers and then apply.
• Staining. Paw Soother leaves a yellow residue on fabrics. In our test, it was most apparent on white fabric, but it washes off easily with soap, water, and light rubbing.
• Packaging. It comes in a clear stick container that twists up like a container of deodorant.

With ingredients like wheat germ oil and unique sources of vitamin E, this nontoxic paw saver heals and protects paws. In our tests, Vets Preferred Paw Balm absorbed into paws better than other balms. It has the right malleable consistency but isn’t too greasy or waxy. If you’re unsure whether your dog will tolerate a balm on their paws, this is a good starter option for pet parents to try out before investing in the fancy stuff.

• Ingredients. This option contains dog-friendly ingredients to hydrate and soothe paws. It’s made with mineral oil, waxes (paraffin and beeswax), and three kinds of butter (cocoa seed, shea, and cocoa).
• Smell. The balm has a light, clean aroma, with subtle hints of marjoram and patchouli.
• Lickability. This balm has a low lickability score. Our dogs weren’t very interested in licking this product off.
• Application. It rubs and absorbs into dogs’ paws nicely. The absorption may also be why dogs were less interested in licking this balm off — there wasn’t much left behind.
• Staining. It left no residue in our fabric swatch test.
• Packaging. The balm arrives in a simple metal tin.

Musher’s Secret is a simple, no-nonsense wax that protects dogs’ paws against wintery and dry conditions. For dogs in cold climates, this wax creates a barrier between paw pads and salty streets. It also has the lowest price per ounce of all the balms on our list. Our product researcher and vet agree that Musher’s Secret is a must-have for winter.

• Ingredients. Musher’s Secret is made with an all-natural wax blend. It’s safe and nontoxic for dogs. It hydrates paws with three waxes: beeswax, carnauba, and candelilla. It also contains vitamin E to soothe paws.
• Smell. Musher’s has a light waxy smell.
• Lickability. This balm has a moderate lickability score. Because of the wax’s subtle smell, our dogs weren’t dying to lick it off their paws.
• Application. It’s easy to scoop this wax from the container. Just rub it between your fingers before applying it to your dog’s paw pads.
• Staining. When tested on cloth, this balm initially left residue. But it seemed to disappear after a few minutes.
• Packaging. It comes in a basic blue and white plastic container. The lid is easy to twist on and off.

For eco-conscious dog owners, Paw Nectar is our favorite organic balm. During testing, we liked that this balm left zero stains on our fabric swatches. The balm has a light lavender scent that’s very appealing to dogs. It may be a little challenging to keep on your doggie’s paws, so try to distract them with a treat or toy after applying to allow the balm’s hydrating ingredients to take effect.

• Ingredients. Made with organic ingredients that are safe for dogs (in case they lick it). Paw Nectar hydrates with cocoa and shea butter and heals with vitamin E and aloe vera. Rosemary seed extract and lavender oil give this balm its light scent.
• Smell. It has a light lavender scent that isn’t overpowering.
• Lickability. Due to its yummy smell, Paw Nectar does have a high lickability score. Our dogs were very interested in licking this balm off of their paws.
• Application. To apply, we rubbed a little bit of Paw Nectar between our fingers, then rubbed the formula on our dogs’ paws.
• Staining. When rubbed between your fingers, it leaves some residue behind. But this residue didn’t show on white or gray fabric.
• Packaging. This balm comes in a small metal tin that’s easy to store. 

If your dog is a super-smeller, Dermapaw’s Skin & Paw Treatment is a good option. Dermapaw is our only no-scent pick. While it has lavender oil in its ingredient list, we couldn’t smell it. There’s only one thing we didn’t love about this balm: Because of its thick consistency, it was a little challenging to apply to wiggling paws.

• Ingredients. Dermapaw has a short ingredient list, and each one is safe for dogs. This balm hydrates paw pads with a blend of beeswax, carnauba, and candelilla. It also contains vitamin E, an essential ingredient for soothing. For dogs with allergies, it doesn’t contain any nut, soy, or flax oils.
• Smell. This balm has no smell despite having some lavender oil in its formula.
• Lickability. Dermapaw has a low lickability score because of its lack of scent.
• Application. This balm is thicker than others on this list. We discovered in testing that it’s best to rub some between your fingers before applying it to your dog’s paws.
• Staining. It left no residue or stains behind on our fabric tester.
• Packaging. The balm comes in a small container with a twist-off lid.

Our favorite on-the-go balm, Handy Hound’s Paw Butter is the perfect size to slip into a purse or backpack. Pet parents can also easily apply the product with its twist-up stick. While it has a thick buttery consistency, it absorbs nicely into paws.

• Ingredients. It’s formulated with vegan, dog-safe ingredients, like coconut oil, candelilla wax, and cupuacu butter to hydrate. We like that this balm also contains hemp oil and calendula oil for their antifungal and healing properties.
• Smell. It has faint hints of lemon and lavender, but the smell isn’t overwhelming.
• Lickability. This balm has a moderate lickability score. Dogs were interested in the smell but didn’t rush to lick the balm off.
• Application. This balm was thicker than most on our list. But it’s easy to swipe on paws — and it absorbs nicely!
• Staining. During our fabric swatch test, Handy Hound left no residue behind.
• Packaging. This balm comes in a roll-up tube, making application a breeze.

4-Legger Nose & Paws Healing Balm is designed to hydrate paws AND noses. We love that the brand responsibly sources shea butter from land that also houses a hippo sanctuary in West Africa. In our tests, 4-Legger did leave residue on test fabric but rubbed into dog paws easily. One note for pet parents: Don’t be alarmed if it leaves your dog’s toe fur slightly yellow. We noticed this went away after a few minutes.

• Ingredients. The ingredients in this balm are safe for dog paws (and licks). The balm gets its color from organic hemp oil, which soothes skin. 4-Legger also hydrates paws with organic shea butter and carnauba wax.
• Smell. It has a grassy, hemp smell.
• Lickability. 4-Legger’s balm has a moderate lickability score. The scent does seem to entice dogs but also won’t have them licking it off right after application.
• Application. It rubbed into our dog’s paws nicely, but it did leave the fur on their toes slightly yellow for a bit.
• Staining. This balm left yellow-green residue on our fabric tests.
• Packaging. It comes in a small clear container with a twist-off lid.

Pet Head’s Oatmeal Paw Butter is the most affordable balm on our list — but there are a few drawbacks. The packaging was a bit cumbersome for our team. The balm had made its way onto the seal, so our hands were very greasy after opening it. Because of its warm, oatmeal scent, our dogs were also very interested in licking it right off their paws. However, we do like Pet Head’s ingredient list.

• Ingredients. While Pet Head has the most ingredients of all the balms on our list, they’re all safe and nontoxic to dogs. Some of our favorite healing ingredients in this balm are vitamin E, aloe vera, and cupuacu seed butter.
• Smell. It has a fairly strong but pleasant smell, like oats and honey.
• Lickability. This balm has the highest lickability score on our list. Our product researcher’s dog immediately wanted to eat this balm and attempted to lick it off right after application.
• Application. It’s easy to apply but greasy.
• Staining. This balm left some residue behind on our gray and white fabric test. But it disappeared after a few minutes.
• Packaging. Some of the product was on the balm’s seal. Our hands were very greasy after trying to open the container.

We scoured the internet for the most popular paw balms for dogs. We skipped over any product that contained highly-debated ingredients (synthetic fragrances, silicones, PUFAs, formaldehyde releasers, etc.) and chose six criteria to test against: ingredients, smell, lickability, application, staining, and packaging. 

• Dr. Erica Irish helped us formulate this list — She reviewed each product on this list to check for safety and effectiveness. Dr. Irish assisted us in developing rankings and shared her candid opinions about each balm. We reviewed the ingredients list on every balm to ensure all formulas were dog-friendly and nontoxic. If a balm used natural ingredients, that was a bonus.
• We ordered and paid for these products — None of these balms were sponsored or gifted to us. Our team used our resources to buy these products so we could review them objectively.
• We sent them off with our product researcher to test in the field — One of our product review experts, Sara Ondrako, reviewed and tested each of these balms with her dogs. We coined the term “lickability” for these reviews. Lickability refers to how likely a dog is to lick the product off their paws. High lickability = very likely to lick it off. Low lickability = not as likely to lick it off. Low lickability is preferred. We tested this by observing how quickly dogs tried to lick the balms off their paws.
• We tested these products in the betterpet lab — Our team put hands on each product to give accurate feedback and reviews. We smelled, opened, and tested every paw balm on this list. Strong smells can make dogs more interested in licking, while odorless products are less interesting. We rubbed balmed paws on white and gray fabric, looking for extra residue and staining.

The best balm depends on what your dog needs — some balms are best for snow, while others are designed for very dry paws — and what extras matter to you as a consumer (smell, vegan, organic, USA-made, etc). After testing, we believe all these balms are safe and effective — and we like and dislike elements about each one. The best dog paw balms:

• Protect your dog’s paws against daily wear and tear — Dogs’ paws weren’t meant to run on concrete. If you and your canine have an active lifestyle, balms will help keep your dog’s paws healthy and strong.
• Help against cold weather and chemical irritants — Nothing dries out skin like cold weather. Plus, chemicals used to deice roads and sidewalks can irritate your dog’s paws. Balms help protect against both by trapping moisture inside the paws and keeping chemicals out.
• Can be used all over your dog — Just because a product says “paw balm” doesn’t mean you can’t use it on your pooch’s nose or hot spots. All our favorite paw balms are safe to use anywhere on your dog (except their eyes, of course). 
• Soothe irritation and damage — Thanks to all-natural healing ingredients, paw balms are perfect for treating blisters, cracks, hot spots, cuts, burns, and irritation due to allergies.

👉All dog balms, lotions, and waxes work much the same with a base mixture of water and oil that creates an occlusive layer on the skin.

1. Rub or dab the balm onto the surface of the paw with clean hands or gentle cloth.
2. Immediately reward your dog with a treat or distract them with a toy to keep them from licking the balm off.
3. Wait a few minutes before letting your dog play or run around the house. If your home has hardwood or tile floors, paw balms may make their paws slippery until the balm fully absorbs.

Apply a balm a couple of times throughout the day and, most importantly, every night before bed. If you notice a crack or irritated spot when examining your dog’s paw, balms and waxes are a great way to help moisturize and heal the skin. However, if the crack or irritated spot is large or worsens after several weeks of treating it, call your veterinarian.

👉 Want to make a paw balm at home? Here’s how to make a DIY dog paw balm.

Hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, and Clorox wipes are all toxic to pups. These chemicals aren’t just irritating to your dog’s skin, they can be harmful when ingested. The following categories aren’t necessarily harmful but may be less effective as dog balms.

Cooking oils

Coconut oil and olive oil are popular choices as organic, natural balms for dogs, but there are some drawbacks. Both olive oil and coconut oil are high in oleic acid. Oleic acid makes for shiny, sleek hair, but doesn’t contain complementary moisturizing agents, meaning it can create microscopic holes in the outermost layer of your skin and even induce dog acne. Instead, use an oil that is high in linoleic acid, which is a much more effective moisturizer — and moisture is the key to healthy paw pads. Argan oil and grapeseed oil are two of the best options you can swipe on your next grocery run.

Petroleum jelly

Vaseline is technically nontoxic for dogs, but we don’t recommend it. Dogs seem to enjoy eating Vaseline, and according to our vets, it has a reputation for causing tummy aches. It’s not an exact science, but most vets will advise you to bring your pet in for an examination if you think they’ve eaten a decent amount of Vaseline.

If you’re concerned about sanitizing your dog’s paws for their benefit, consider this:

• Dogs have a much stronger stomach and immune system than humans. Their bodies can handle way more than you can. The average bacteria don’t stand a chance in your dog’s gut.
• There are other, safer ways to disinfect your dog’s paws. If you’re concerned about tracking bacteria into the house, rinse your dog’s paws with warm soapy water before letting them indoors. Distilled vinegar is another good option since it’s a natural antifungal. Finally, there are dog-safe wipes available on Chewy and Amazon powered with natural antibacterial oils and ingredients.

It’s often possible to prevent draw, cracked paws from happening in the first place. Watch out for:

1. Cold weather and wintery conditions can quickly dry out your dog’s skin. On top of that, the rock salt and other chemicals used to deice roads during winter can severely irritate a dog’s paws.
2. Hot pavement can burn and blister a dog’s paws much easier than you think. Burned paw pads may look swollen, red, or blistered. If the sidewalk or pavement is hot to the touch, then it’s too hot for your dog.
3. Allergies are a big cause of skin problems for dogs. When dogs have itchy paws, they bite and lick for relief, which can make things worse and even lead to a secondary bacterial or yeast infection.
4. Cuts, punctures, and abrasions are part of life, but if left untreated, can lead to secondary infections. Make a habit of checking your dog’s paws for blood, foreign objects, and loose flaps of skin when you’re going in or out of the house.
5. Hyperkeratosis is a health condition that causes the skin on a dog’s paws (or nose) to thicken and crack. It’s also referred to as “hairy paw.”
6. Pemphigus is an autoimmune skin disease that usually occurs later in a dog’s life. The severity and frequency of symptoms can vary wildly, but the one commonality is that dogs often experience blisters and scabs on their face, nose, and paw pads.
7. Zinc-responsive dermatosis is a rare disorder that prevents zinc from being absorbed into a pup’s body. The most common symptoms are crusty skin lesions around the eyes, mouth, and scrotum, as well as skin abnormalities, digestive issues, and a host of other problems for your dog.

Either due to allergy considerations or personal preference, there are some popular alternatives to products like the dog paw balms and waxes that we’ve listed here. Our favorite? Booties are another great way to protect your dog’s paw pads.

It might take a while for your pet to get used to them, but booties work incredibly well. Plus, they’re super cute. If you live in a cold climate, they’re a no-brainer. These fleece boots from Ethical Pet are a sub-$10 option (at the time of publishing) that are great for casual walks, or if you just wanna see how your dog reacts before investing in tougher booties. Check out something like the XSY&G Dog Boots if your dog is extra active or frequents rough terrain.