8 best paw balms and waxes of 2024

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. We reviewed these best dog paw balms against the following criteria: ingredients, smell, lickability, staining, and application.

Browse our top eight choices below for the best balm for your budget and your pup’s paws!

Paw Soother contains organic, vegan ingredients that are safe for dogs to lick. The balm hydrates with coconut oil, calendula oil, and jojoba oil. The rosemary extract contains antibacterial and antifungal properties and gives the product a fresh, herbal scent. Paw Soother’s formula also includes chamomile and natural vitamin E to heal and soothe.

We like that Paw Soother comes in a stick-like deodorant. It’s available in several sizes and is easy to apply. One downside — pet parents caution that this balm left behind yellow residue when tested on fabric. So you shouldn’t apply Paw Soother to your dog’s paws on your white sofa or rug.

Vets Preferred Paw Balm contains dog-friendly ingredients to soothe paws. It’s made with olive oil, organic coconut oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, beeswax, jojoba oil, and vitamin E oil to hydrate your dog’s paws. The balm has a clean, herbal aroma, with subtle hints of marjoram and patchouli. The malleable consistency isn’t too greasy or waxy, soaking right into your dog’s paws without leaving residue.

The only negative is that the formula changed at some point. At the current time, Chewy and Amazon list different active ingredients, and there hasn’t been clarification on which is the updated version.

Musher’s Secret is a simple, no-nonsense wax that protects dogs’ paws against wintery and dry conditions. Beeswax, carnauba, and candelilla wax form a protective barrier between your dog’s paws and the pavement, which is especially critical during icy weather, while vitamin E acts as a moisturizer.  This fragrance-free formula also has the lowest price per ounce of all the balms on our list. Our writer and vet agree that Musher’s Secret is a must-have for winter.

Made with organic ingredients that are safe for dogs, Paw Nectar hydrates with cocoa butter and shea butter and heals with vitamin E and aloe vera. Unlike most paw balms, this formula uses nourishing avocado oil, which is full of healthy moisturizing fats. Rosemary seed extract and lavender oil give this balm its light, refreshing scent.

Pet Nectar comes in a small tin that’s easy to store. While it leaves a slight residue on your fingers, pet parents note that it doesn’t stain fabrics.

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. Through the rice bran oil, this product also contains vitamin E, an essential ingredient for soothing. Great for dogs with allergies, it doesn’t contain any nut, soy, or flax oils.

While human and animal skin treatments use emu oil, some pet parents might disagree with its inclusion on ethical grounds concerns.

Our favorite on-the-go balm, Handy Hound’s Paw Butter is the perfect size to slip into a purse or backpack. The twist-up stick allows for easy application. While this formula has a thick buttery consistency, it absorbs nicely into paws.

Handy Hound’s Paw Butter is made 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. The essential oils give this balm faint hints of lemon and lavender, but the smell isn’t overwhelming.

4Legger hydrates paws and noses with organic shea butter and carnauba wax. The organic all-natural ingredients are safe to lick, too. The balm gets its color from organic hemp oil, which soothes skin, and it’s unscented, making it ideal to use on your dog’s cracked, dry nose.

A word of caution: pet parents noted that it temporarily turned their paws yellow for a few minutes after application. You’ll also want to make sure that the solution absorbs completely before letting your dog on fabric surfaces since the formula might stain.

Amongst all the excellent ingredients that this rockstar organic formula offers, like soothing aloe vera and coconut oil, the plant-based collagen stands out as the most unique feature. Petsmont is the only product on our list that uses plant-based collagen, which promotes skin healing. This solution comes in a 2-ounce jar and is easy to apply.

Since Petsmont is unscented and contains all-natural ingredients, it’s safe to apply to your dog’s nose and won’t hurt them if they lick it off. While it costs a little more than most solutions, pet parents often find that it’s worth their investment.

The best balm depends on what your dog needs — some balms are best for snow, while others are designed for very dry paws — and your top priority as a consumer (smell, vegan, organic, USA-made, etc). After thorough research, we believe all these balms are safe and effective, and we like and dislike elements of each one.

While choosing a dog paw balm, here are some things to take into consideration:

• Protection 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 pet’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.
• 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.

Apply a balm a couple of times throughout the day and, most importantly, every night before bed. Balms and waxes are a great way to help moisturize and heal cracked or irritated spots in your dog’s paw. 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.

Whether 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.

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. 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 want your dog to practice wearing boots before investing in tougher booties.

Wanting to upgrade to a sturdier option? Check out something like the XSY&G Dog Boots if your dog is extra active or frequents rough terrain.