🌿 Aromatherapy & Hydrosols: A Natural Way to Gently Calm Pets

More and more groomers are incorporating gentle, natural approaches into their daily practice. Among them, aromatherapy and hydrosols stand out for their ability to create a calm and trusting environment—when used with care and precision.

🌸 A helpful tool to reduce stress

Scents play a key role in an animal’s sensory world. Certain plants, in the form of essential oils or hydrosols, can support relaxation, enhance focus, and even help build a trusting connection between the groomer and the animal.

👉 When used appropriately, these natural supports can help:

• Set a soothing tone in the grooming space

• Encourage acceptance of handling and procedures

• Provide emotional comfort, especially for sensitive or nervous pets

💧 Essential Oils or Hydrosols: What’s the Difference?

It's important to distinguish between the two:

• Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts — powerful, but requiring in-depth knowledge to use safely with animals.

• Hydrosols are gentler, water-based distillates of plants, generally better tolerated and often safer for use, especially with sensitive animals and cats.

⚠️ Natural does not mean risk-free. Each animal is different, and some species (especially cats) require special caution.

🧴 Proper use requires method

The goal is not to "perfume" or mask odors, but to support emotional balance.This can be done through:

• The overall grooming environment

• A gentle welcome ritual

• Complementary calming care during the session

But to be both effective and safe, it’s important to know:

• The right product for the animal

• The appropriate dilution

• When to use it—and when not to

🌿 In wellness grooming, less is often more

Using plant-based products mindfully means above all respecting the animal’s emotional and sensory sensitivity. It’s not a gimmick or miracle solution. It’s a delicate, intuitive, and respectful approach, grounded in observation and professional knowledge.

📚 Want to learn how to do this safely and effectively?

A new online course entirely dedicated to stress management in grooming is coming soon. It will cover:

• The different types of stress in dogs and cats

• How to use aromatherapy and hydrosols safely in a grooming context

• Specific techniques from the DAATA method to help reduce emotional tension during grooming sessions

👉 The course will be available soon at www.daatacertification.com

Subscribe to the newsletter to be the first to know when it launches.

Coming up...

In the next article, we’ll explore another key to animal comfort: water and air temperature. Often overlooked, it directly impacts the skin, emotional reactions, and the animal’s perception of the grooming experience.