This Spa Kit Helps Clean Up Your Pup — and the Planet

Modern Herb: Pet’s Sweet Sassy Lavender set offers an all-natural and eco-friendly dog pampering process.

August 18, 2022

Anyone who has ever been confronted with the lofty “What are we?” relationship question knows the weight that labels can carry.

As more ethical and sustainable pet brands continue to gain popularity, you’d be forgiven for taking them at their word. The unfortunate truth is that many companies and products that claim to be organic or environmentally friendly are, err, not. Hell, even most compostable poop bags are, in fact, not compostable. This recent surge in greenwashing is exactly what Modern Herb: Pet hopes to combat.

In 2013, Desh Rain opened Applehead City Pet, a holistic dog grooming salon and boutique in Bellevue, Kentucky. However, she quickly realized there were minimal options available that checked all her eco boxes. But rather than settle, Rain decided to create her own line of grooming products and, thus, Modern Herb: Pet was born. The brand promotes ethically-sourced and sustainable products above all else. The pièce de résistance? Its Sweet Sassy Lavender spa kit.

Like every Modern Herb: Pet product, this advanced set is entirely vegan and features only organic ingredients, with no fillers and no artificial chemicals. The kit includes four distinct eight ounce bottles offering an option for each step of the bathing process. There’s a shampoo, conditioner, and two-in-one for pet parents who like to streamline bath time (unruly dog dads know). For dogs who would rather climb up their parent’s body before they are forced to take a bath, there’s the brand’s No Bath Spray, which is perfect for a quick freshening up or extending the time in between washes.

All four items feature a blend of essential oils and other nontoxic materials, with the core ingredient being, of course, lavender — a plant well documented for its slew of health benefits. The beauty products not only cleanse fur and eliminate stink but can also help combat anxiety by calming and soothing jittery pups. Not to mention, lavender is an A1 natural flea and tick repellent. It can even help alleviate dry skin and reduce itching. Much like Gary Oldman or Cate Blanchett, the essential oil is incredibly versatile.

But Modern Herb: Pet was designed with the environment in mind and this desire can be felt from the products themselves to the containers that hold them. Unlike traditional spa fixings, the Sweet Sassy Lavender set opts for glass holders rather than plastic ones. They’ve even suggested a few ways to reuse the bottle once empty, such as reappropriating it as a candle holder or flower vase.

If you chose to buy any Modern Herb: Pet products with the ‘Louie Label’, one dollar of your purchase will be donated to LuvFurMutts, an animal rescue out of Ohio that saves small breed dogs from high-kill shelters.

Tbh, that sounds about as good as lavender smells.

Modern Herb: Pet Sweet Sassy Lavender Advanced Set

$60

$60 at Modern Herb: Pet

Sean Zucker

Sean Zucker is a writer whose work has been featured in Points In Case, The Daily Drunk, Posty, and WellWell. He has an adopted Pit Bull named Banshee whose work has been featured on the kitchen floor and whose behavioral issues rival his own.