Reviewed & Fact-Checked By
Dr. Lorna Whittemore
Veterinarian, MRCVS
Reviewed & Fact-Checked By
Dr. Lorna Whittemore
Veterinarian, MRCVS
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
The Maltese dog breed is loved for its gorgeous white coats. But in order to maintain these coats, it’s important to have a shampoo that is effective enough to remove any dirt and debris without harming the dog’s skin in the process. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find a shampoo that meets both of these requirements.
We have put together some of the top reviews of the best shampoos for Maltese in 2022. These reviews can help you find the best shampoo for your Maltese based on your budget and specific needs from the shampoo. Scroll down for more.
A Glance at Our Favorites of 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo
Made with colloidal oatmeal to heal dry, irritated skin
pH balanced
No harsh dyes or chemicals
Check Price
Best Value
Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs
Gentle and effective
Readily available
Designed for all dogs
Check Price
Premium Choice
Vetoquinol Sebozole Shampoo for Dogs
Highly potent
Gentle enough for regular use
Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseborrheic
Check Price
Warren London Foaming Dog Facial
Great for quick facials
Fights tear stains
Great smell
Check Price
4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo
Organic and hypoallergenic
Safe for sensitive skin
Fights itchy skin
Check Price
The 11 Best Shampoos for Maltese
- Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo – Best Overall
Check Price on Hepper
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera
Scent: Aloe and cucumber
Maltese dogs are well-known for their gorgeous, long, silky white coats of hair. The fact that they have hair rather than fur also makes them stand out from other breeds. They need plenty of brushing to avoid mats and tangles, and brushing should always occur before a bath.
Check Price on Hepper
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera
Scent: Aloe and cucumber
Unfortunately, Maltese are prone to dry skin because they have a single coat of that silky hair, which doesn’t offer their skin as much protection as that of double-coated breeds. This is why a moisturizing shampoo can come in handy.
The best overall dog shampoo for Maltese dogs is Hepper’s Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. The primary ingredient is colloidal oatmeal, which is known to heal and soothe your dog’s dry and irritated skin.
It only contains natural ingredients and is pH balanced, so it’s gentle and safe to use on your Maltese. It does not contain any sulfates, soaps, phthalates, glutens, DEA, or dyes, and it contains a subtle fragrance of cucumber and aloe (which also does a wonderful job on dry skin).
At PetKeen.com we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest, so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Made with colloidal oatmeal to heal dry, irritated skin
pH balanced
No harsh dyes or chemicals
Gentle and safe to use
- Made with colloidal oatmeal to heal dry, irritated skin
- pH balanced
- No harsh dyes or chemicals
- Gentle and safe to use
Some dogs or dog owners might not like the scent
- Some dogs or dog owners might not like the scent
The best shampoo for Maltese for the money comes from Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey for Dogs. Out of all these shampoos on our list, this one is the most affordable. You can purchase it online or at nearly any store that sells animal products near you.
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Colloidal oatmeal, honey
Scent: Oatmeal and honey
Check Price on Chewy
On top of being affordable, this shampoo is excellent for sensitive skin. It uses colloidal oatmeal and honey to soothe dry skin. It also is suitable for dogs that have eczema and other skin irritations. Furthermore, the pH-balanced formula helps your Maltese have soft and luscious skin.
The only downside of this shampoo is that it is not designed specifically for Maltese. Instead, it is designed for dogs in general. So, the shampoo is not bad for your Maltese, but it isn’t specifically formulated with it in mind.
Gentle and effective
Readily available
Affordable
Designed for all dogs
- Gentle and effective
- Readily available
- Affordable
- Designed for all dogs
Not specifically designed for Maltese
- Not specifically designed for Maltese
If your Maltese has any type of infection, the Vetoquinol Sebozole Shampoo for Dogs is the right pick for them. It includes miconazole nitrate and chloroxylenol, which are designed to provide antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseborrheic properties.
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Miconazole Nitrate, Chloroxylenol
Scent: None
Though strong enough to fight infections, this shampoo is gentle enough for regular use. This is a good shampoo to have on hand if you know that your dog struggles with these sorts of issues and needs an appropriate shampoo. This product is even safe to use on other dogs and even cats.
Of course, this shampoo might not be necessary for dogs who do not have infection problems. Plus, it is expensive. It’s best to only purchase this shampoo if you need something to help fight infections on your dog’s skin as a result.
Highly potent
Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseborrheic
Gentle enough for regular use
- Highly potent
- Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseborrheic
- Gentle enough for regular use
Expensive
Not specifically designed for Maltese
- Expensive
- Not specifically designed for Maltese
Treat your Maltese like the royalty they are with this Warren London Tearless Foaming Dog Facial. This facial wash is specifically designed to help clean stains from your Maltese’s beautiful face. As its name suggests, this product is specifically designed for gently cleaning the face of your Maltese, not its entire body.
Quantity: 8 ounces
Features: Detergent-free
Scent: Cucumber melon
Users report that this product is fantastic for whitening and cleaning up the area around your dog’s face. It effectively removes tear stains, which are a recurring problem for many Maltese and Maltese owners.
That being said, this product isn’t perfect if you want a standard shampoo. This product is specifically designed for gentle facial cleaning. If you want to give your dog a full-body wash, opt for one of our other suggestions.
Great for quick facials
Fights tear stains
Great smell
- Great for quick facials
- Fights tear stains
- Great smell
Pricey
Not a traditional shampoo
- Pricey
- Not a traditional shampoo
If you are specifically looking for an organic shampoo that will not irritate your dog’s skin, try out the 4Legger USDA Certified Organic Dog Shampoo. This shampoo is hypoallergenic and uses natural ingredients to eliminate odor and gently clean your dog’s fur.
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Hypoallergenic, organic recipe
Scent: Lemongrass
This product specifically uses coconut oil, aloe vera, and lemongrass to make your dog beautiful and clean once again. It even offers itch relief and allows your dog to smell nice, even when your dog is still wet. In other words, no more wet dog smell!
Because this product is hypoallergenic and organic, it is a bit more expensive than some of the other products. However, it isn’t outrageously priced for what it offers.
Organic and hypoallergenic
Safe for sensitive skin
Fights itchy skin
Fights wet dog smell after bath
- Organic and hypoallergenic
- Safe for sensitive skin
- Fights itchy skin
- Fights wet dog smell after bath
Pricey
- Pricey
Another great shampoo for Maltese is the Healthy Breeds Maltese Bright Whitening Dog Shampoo. This is a good pick because it is specifically designed for your Maltese’s white fur. All the while, it effectively cleans and moisturizes the coat.
Quantity: 12 ounces
Features: Colloidal oatmeal, vitamins
Scent: Fresh tropical
This shampoo is specifically designed to help enhance the white coat of your Maltese. However, it also works on light coat colors. It will add luster to just about any coat color. It is safe for sensitive skin and uses natural colloidal oatmeal and vitamins to effectively remove tangles and hydrate the skin.
If you are looking for a whitening shampoo that is effective and gentle, this is the product for you. It isn’t too expensive either.
Pros
Specifically for Maltese
Whitens
Effective but gentle
Cons
Not ideal for dark coats
The Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Dog & Cat Shampoo is a good product if your dog has sensitive and dry skin. It is completely soap-free and specifically cleanses your dog’s skin using oatmeal and aloe vera. The product is biodegradable, paraben-free, and phosphate-free.
Specifically for Maltese
Whitens
Effective but gentle
- Specifically for Maltese
- Whitens
- Effective but gentle
Not ideal for dark coats
- Not ideal for dark coats
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Itch-relief
Scent: Peppermint
Because of the care that goes into selecting the ingredients, this is perfect for moisturizing, healing, and soothing dry skin. At the same time, it neutralizes odor and keeps your pet smelling fresh with the vanilla and almond scent.
Regarding the price, this product is a bit expensive and can be difficult to find at stores. At least it is worth the price due to its great ingredients and wonderful smell.
Soap-free
Moisturizes skin
Wonderful smell
- Soap-free
- Moisturizes skin
- Wonderful smell
Expensive
Difficult to find in stores
- Expensive
- Difficult to find in stores
8. BioGroom Super White Coat Brightener Shampoo
Check Latest Price
Quantity: 32 ounces
Features: Coconut oil
Scent: None
The BioGroom Super White Coat Brightener Shampoo is specifically designed to whiten fur without bleaching it. Because it does not contain any bleach, it is safe for all dogs with sensitive skin. Still, it keeps your Maltese beautiful and lustrous.
The product is designed to also leave your Maltese smooth and manageable. It is pH-balanced so as not to irritate any part of your Maltese either.
Overall, there’s nothing particularly bad to say about this product. Some reviewers found the bottle arrived damaged so it may not be as strong as others. This product is on the expensive side, but the bottle comes with a large quantity to make up for the price.
Whitens coat
Gentle enough for sensitive skin
Large quantity
- Whitens coat
- Gentle enough for sensitive skin
- Large quantity
Expensive
- Expensive
The Petpost Whitening Dog Shampoo helps to lighten your pet’s fur. It has one of the strongest whitening formulas, making it a great pick if you specifically need to lighten the coat. It uses coconut oil and aloe to also soothe the dog skin. Users report that this product truly is effective at lightening the dog’s hair.
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Coconut oil
Scent: Watermelon
Although great for whitening purposes, this product isn’t as good at detangling and conditioning the fur. You will likely have to use a conditioner to remove all mats and keep your Maltese soft and fluffy after using this shampoo.
Superior whitening effects
Gentle on sensitive skin and coats
Strongest whitening formula on this list
- Superior whitening effects
- Gentle on sensitive skin and coats
- Strongest whitening formula on this list
Does not detangle
- Does not detangle
10. Healthy Breeds Maltese Chamomile Soothing Dog Shampoo
Check Latest Price
Quantity: 8 ounces
Features: Botanical extracts
Scent: Chamomile
This shampoo is very similar to our top pick, but it is designed for dogs with sensitive skin. Hence, the Healthy Breeds Maltese Chamomile Soothing Dog Shampoo helps to keep your Maltese white and clean. It uses aloe vera, chamomile, coconut oil, and a number of other botanical extracts to help soothe irritated skin.
This product is decent at whitening, but it isn’t quite as good as some of the other products on our list. Because it’s specifically designed with sensitive skin in mind, it isn’t as good at whitening your dog’s coat. Still, it’s a good shampoo if you want something slightly whitening but gentle.
Whitening qualities
Gentle enough for sensitive skin
Affordable
- Whitening qualities
- Gentle enough for sensitive skin
- Affordable
Not outstanding whitening
- Not outstanding whitening
If you liked our premium pick but dislike the price, we recommend trying the Veterinary Formula Clinical Care Antiseptic & Antifungal Shampoo instead. This product helps to fight bacterial and fungal infections, as well as dermatitis and pyoderma. All the while, it is a lot more affordable than our premium pick.
Quantity: 16 ounces
Features: Fights dermatitis and pyoderma
Scent: None
It can treat practically any skin condition your Maltese may have, ranging from skin sensitivities due to allergens to ringworm. It even works on cats.
Unlike our premium pick, this product is specifically designed for treating flare-ups. So, it should not be used as a regular shampoo. Instead, use the shampoo until the condition goes away and then whenever needed. Because this product is not an everyday shampoo, we have listed it at the bottom of our roundup.
Fights infections
Affordable
Suitable for cats
- Fights infections
- Affordable
- Suitable for cats
Not specifically for Maltese
Not a regular shampoo
- Not specifically for Maltese
- Not a regular shampoo
Buyer’s Guide: How to Pick the Best Shampoo for Your Maltese
Picking out the right shampoo for your Maltese can be hard. Even if you know which products work, it can be tough to make the final decision. Instead of picking one of our recommendations at random, use these three factors to determine which Maltese shampoo is best for your dog.
1. Intention
The first thing you need to think about before purchasing a dog shampoo is the purpose or intention of the shampoo. Although all shampoos are designed to wash your dog, you might want special features. For example, do you want a basic, everyday shampoo, or are you looking for a whitening shampoo? Understanding the intention of the shampoo can help you narrow down your choices.
2. Ingredients
Never fail to look at the ingredients in the shampoo bottle. Just like us, dogs have allergies and skin sensitivities. Always select a shampoo that you know will not irritate your dog’s skin. Products with as many natural and botanical ingredients are best.
3. Price
The last thing to think about is price. Because you will have to purchase this shampoo more than once, always go with the shampoo that is within your budget. The good news is that there are tons of great Maltese shampoos that are affordable and able to fit any price point.
Conclusion
After considering all these reviews, our favorite shampoo for Maltese is the Hepper Colloidal Oatmeal Pet Shampoo. It will freshen your dog’s fur, hydrate it’s skin and is gentle enough to use regularly. If you want something more affordable, we recommend the Burt’s Bees Oatmeal Shampoo with Colloidal Oat Flour & Honey for Dogs instead.
Regardless of our top recommendations, purchase a Maltese shampoo once you have considered your desired intention, ingredients, and price so that it is right for you and your dog.
Featured Image Credit: Monika Wisniewska, Shutterstock
