I’ve been on the lookout for the best chinchilla dust baths and sand baths and my favorite is Poof! Chinchilla Dust from Oxbow.
When I first owned gerbils, dust and sand baths were entirely new to me – I had absolutely no idea how important they were to a gerbil’s overall wellbeing and it’s exactly the same for chinchillas too.
However, it can be confusing trying to find a suitable chinchilla dust bath when there’s so much conflicting information out there. Should you choose sand or dust, and what is the difference anyway? How long should I bathe them for? Will the dust irritate my chinchilla’s skin or lungs?
That’s why I particularly like Poof! Chinchilla Dust. Sticking with a trusted brand always gives me confidence that they have the research and knowledge to back up their products. I also like a product with multifunctionality and Poof! Chinchilla Dust is ideal for a range of small pets including my aforementioned gerbils.
Poof! Chinchilla Dust is also responsibly sourced, a big bonus in today’s eco-conscious market, and encourages a chinchilla’s natural bathing instincts by mimicking the dust found in a chinchilla’s natural habitat.
Whilst Poof! Chinchilla Dust is a great all-rounder product, it might not be the best choice if you have more specific needs in mind. That’s why we’ve searched out the best chinchilla dust baths to suit all of your chilly’s requirements.
If time is never on your side, save precious minutes with Kaytee’s pre-packaged Chinchilla Sand Bath. Rip open a single-use sachet and get your chilly’s bath ready in an instant. Or, if you’re new to chinchilla ownership and safety is your number one priority, check out ChillDust Chinchilla Dust Bath for a premium dust approved by the most discerning of chilly owners.
Read on to discover the very best in chinchilla dust baths as well as a useful guide that explains everything you need to know before making your choice.
Contents
- The Best Chinchilla Dust and Sand Reviews
- Oxbow Poof! Chinchilla Dust — Best Chinchilla Dust Overall
- Sunseed Natural Dust Bath — Best Quality Chinchilla Dust
- Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Bathing Sand — Best Chinchilla Sand Bath
- Lixit Blue Beauty Chinchilla Dust — Best Chinchilla Dust Bath
- ChillDust Bathing Dust — Best Baby Chinchilla Dust Bath
- Petpost Chinchilla Bathing Dust — Best Sustainable Dust Bath
- Kaytee Chinchilla Bath Sand — Best Chinchilla Sand for Owners in a Hurry
- What to Look For When Buying Chinchilla Dust: a Guide
- How to Use Chinchilla Dust
- Choosing the Best Chinchilla Dust for Your Pet FAQs
- Buying a Chinchilla Dust Bath or Sand Bath: What Next?
The Best Chinchilla Dust and Sand Reviews
When browsing our favorite chinchilla dust and sand baths, remember to keep your chilly’s own unique needs in mind. Whether they’re young, old, or have sensitive skin, we’ve got a chinchilla dust bath to suit!
Oxbow Poof! Chinchilla Dust — Best Chinchilla Dust Overall
Oxbow is a firm favorite amongst small animal owners and produces some of the best products for your furry friends, including my favorite chinchilla food. That’s why it’s a safe bet to turn to Oxbow for a quality dust bath for your chilly too.
If this is your first time trying a dust bath out on your chilly, choosing a product from a trusted brand is a great first step. On chewy.com, 100% of reviewers recommend the product, so you know you’re in safe hands! One reviewer who has tested a variety of dusts on their chilly said:
“I have tried several top name brand dust baths and Oxbow is definitely the best. Very soft and fine, my Chin loves it!”
Poof! Chinchilla Dust is responsibly mined in Southern California without any use of explosives tunneling or strip mining. This means you can rest easy knowing your chilly’s dust does not come from a harmful source. Oxbow promises that a layer of dust is always left where they’ve harvested to promote plant growth, too, which is a bonus for any eco-savvy shoppers.
Not only this, if you own other small animals that enjoy a dust bath such as gerbils, Poof! Chinchilla Dust is perfect for them too!!
The 100% Blue Beauty Dust mimics the dust and ash found in the Andes Mountains, the chinchilla’s natural habitat. The texture and consistency encourage natural grooming behavior, relieve stress, and are a stimulating alternative to a toy!
It’s an extremely fine silicate powder so is easy to shake off but is still great at removing any build-up of dirt and oils on your chilly. This dust also has no additives so you know exactly what your delicate chilly is playing in without worrying that it will irritate skin, fur, or eyes.
House-proud pet owners will also love that this dust has been finely extracted so won’t make a mess of your home.
Poof! Chinchilla Dust sits nicely in the mid-price range, so you won’t worry about wasting money on a product that doesn’t agree with your pet.
The only downside that has cropped up with reviewers is that the jar is not very durable. However, this is easily remedied by tipping into a mason jar and storing it alongside your pet’s treats and food so it’s a small downside when compared with the glowing reviews it receives.
Recommended Usage:
- Use between 2 and 4 times a week for a healthy, shiny coat. Allow your chilly to bathe for between 3 and 5 minutes and then remove to prevent soiling and overuse.
Pros
- 100% Blue Beauty Dust
- Responsibly sourced
- A favorite amongst chinchilla owners
Cons
- The jar is less durable than other options
Sunseed Natural Dust Bath — Best Quality Chinchilla Dust
- Premium Quality Natural Dust That Encourages Natural Grooming Habits In Chinchillas and Degus
- The Completely Natural Dust Cleans Their Skin Of Excess Dirt and Oils
- Mined Sustainably In The Usa No Chemicals, Colorants Or Extenders
- Natural volcanic ash dust similar to what is found in their native environment
Sunseed Natural Dust Bath is supersoft and is perfect for chillies who find that coarser, cheaper dusts irritate their skin. While one of the more expensive dust baths on the list, it’s worth paying that extra to know your chilly is bathing in only the finest volcanic ash with no colors or additives included during processing.
Sunseed’s Dust Bath is also mined in the USA from the same Blue Cloud Dust as the Poof! Dust Bath, though this formula is less grainy. In comparison, it provides a smoother bathing experience for sensitive chillies.
As said, Sunseed Natural Dust Bath is one of the pricier chinchilla dust baths around so might not be your go-to product if you and your chilly are new to dust baths and want to test the waters.
However, if you have a chilly that adores their bathtime, the superior quality of the dust really works in your favor. Unlike other chinchilla dusts on the list, you can allow your chillies to bathe for up to half an hour at a time without worrying about dust irritation. This is considerably longer than some other brands which recommend a maximum of 5 minutes at a time.
This premium product has less than premium, plastic packaging. If you’re wanting a more eco-friendly choice with packaging to match, consider options further down the list.
Recommended Usage:
- Use 3 to 5 times a week and allow your chinchilla to bathe for between 15 and 30 minutes each time for shiny fur and a happy chilly. If the weather is humid or your chilly’s fur is still looking dull or oily, increase the frequency.
Pros
- Ideal for chinchillas with sensitive skin
- No added chemicals or colors
- Extra-long bathing time allowance
Cons
- More expensive than other options
- Plastic packaging
Supreme Tiny Friends Farm Bathing Sand — Best Chinchilla Sand Bath
Tiny Friends Farm Bathing Sand from Supreme is my favorite chinchilla sand bath. The brand has gone to great lengths to produce a product that is safe, fun, and has excellent cleaning results for your chilly.
This chinchilla sand bath contains 100% natural sand and is bacteria-free. Rest easy knowing you aren’t accidentally introducing any irritants or bugs into bathtime. This sand is totally dust-free too so bathtime is a less messy activity. If flying dust particles make your inner clean-freak squirm, a sand bath rather than a dust bath is a sensible choice.
Tiny Friends Farm has gone above and beyond to ensure their sand is the ideal bathing material for your small animals. They test the grains for size and density to ensure that the particles work perfectly into even the densest fur to remove oil, dirt, and grime.
The texture and size of this sand also make it ideal for a variety of small animals including hamsters, degus, gerbils as well as chinchillas. Unlike dust baths, sand baths are also safe for hedgehog use. Save yourself the hassle of buying different products for different animals and opt for a sand bath that will please them all.
Tiny Friends Farm Bathing Sand is a cheaper option than some on the list and, as such, the quality is noticeably cheaper according to some pet owners.
The packaging of this sand has recently undergone a revamp so that it is more eco-friendly. However, some reviewers have reported that the new packaging is much less sturdy and does not always withstand rough shipping.
Recommended Usage:
- Use 2 or 3 times a week and let your chilly bathe for between 10 and 20 minutes. Remove any soiled patches and keep the remaining sand for the rest of the baths for that week. Replace used sand weekly.
Pros
- Made from 100% dust-free sand
- Suitable for most small animals including hedgehogs
- Bacteria free
Cons
- Coarser consistency than dust
- Easily-damaged packaging
Lixit Blue Beauty Chinchilla Dust — Best Chinchilla Dust Bath
- For use in the Chinchilla Dry Bath
- For small animals that enjoy grooming in dust
- 100-percent natural dust, sustainably mined from the Blue Cloud Mine in Southern California
- Very fine aluminum silicate powder that contains no limestone, glass, or sand and shakes completely out of fur
- Jar contains 3-pound of dust and a scoop
Made from 100% aluminum silicate powder, Lixit’s Blue Beauty Chinchilla Dust will keep your chilly’s fur and skin soft and healthy and is a great price too.
Lixit sustainably mines their dust in the USA and promises no limestone, glass, or sand will feature. Rest assured your chilly will have a super-safe bathtime without fear of harmful inclusions.
The consistency of this powder is super-fine so chilly’s can easily shake the dust off without leaving any messy residue on their fur. Your chillies will emerge from their bath looking their very best! Because of its ultra-soft consistency, Lixit’s Blue Beauty Dust has countless positive reviews online with one owner on chewy.com saying:
“Blue Beauty is super fine and gets in between the chin’s fur to keep it healthy and smooth! My guy loves it.”
If you’re new to chinchilla dust bathing and are looking for a positively reviewed product that is a staple for countless chilly owners, Blue Beauty Dust is a must-try. It comes in a range of sizes including a 3lb tub. This is perfect if you have several chillies and you get through dust at a faster rate than a single chilly owner.
If you do own only the one chilly, the large tub is still a great value option. It will last you for months and give you one less thing to remember on your shopping list. It also comes with a handy little scoop for easy distribution when it comes to setting up bathtime.
Some owners report that their dust has a shimmer to it that they don’t like. If you don’t want your chilly to have a touch of sparkle, it is worth considering other options on the list.
Recommended Usage:
- Use between 2 and 4 times a week and allow your chillies to bathe for around 15 minutes.
Pros
- Bulk sized tub
- Free of limestone, glass, and sand
- Super-fine consistency
Cons
- Shimmery residue
ChillDust Bathing Dust — Best Baby Chinchilla Dust Bath
When you’re looking for dust that is suitable for even the most sensitive of baby chillies, you want to choose the very best on the market.
It’s every new owner’s worst fear – unwittingly giving your pet something that does them harm, despite your best intentions. That’s why we love ChillDust’s Bathing Dust. It’s Empress Chinchilla approved which means the country’s best chinchilla breeders endorse this bathing dust. They only choose the best products that help you give top-quality care to your precious babies.
ChillDust Bathing Dust contains only the purest white pumice and the particles have no crystalline structure. This means it is safe for both human and animal respiratory systems so you needn’t worry about harming your baby chilly’s lungs.
Due to ChillDust’s density, it kicks up less dust both when you’re setting up a bath and your chilly is enjoying their bathtime. This makes clean-up quicker and easier and stops dust from spreading as far in your home.
It’s also available in a variety of bag sizes to accommodate various budgets and the number of chillies you own.
Unlike some options on the list, ChillDust Bathing Dust is only suitable for chinchillas and not other small animals. If you want to buy bathing dust that works for other small pets too, check over our other options to find something more suitable.
Recommended Usage:
- Use twice a week for up to 15 minutes per bath to keep your chinchillas looking and feeling fantastic.
Pros
- Empress Chinchilla approved
- Premium-quality and safe for any age chinchillas
- Huge range of size options
Cons
- Not suitable for other small animal use
Petpost Chinchilla Bathing Dust — Best Sustainable Dust Bath
If you’re trying to make sustainable choices and cut down on plastic usage, choose Petpost Chinchilla Bathing Dust.
It can be a difficult balancing act when trying to make eco-conscious decisions and also find products that your pets enjoy and thrive on. Petpost understands that you shouldn’t have to compromise and has produced a bathing dust that ticks all of these boxes.
Made from 100% pure pumice and sourced in the USA, this dust is suitable for chinchillas, hamsters, gerbils, and degus.
Petpost as a brand continuously looks for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. They only use responsibly sourced materials and all their packaging is 100% recyclable. This means you needn’t feel bad about stockpiling plastic tubs with every purchase.
Reviewers are generally positive with a chilly owner on chewy.com saying:
“I couldn’t find a dust that didn’t make my chinchillas itchy or sparkle. This is finally that dust. It’s very fine and powdery. They love it.”
Petpost is so proud of their product that they offer a 100% satisfaction money-back guarantee. They say that their chinchilla bathing dust will work better than any other dust, sand, or ash that your chilly has previously used. If this isn’t the case, or you simply don’t like it, get in touch and they’ll refund 100% of your money.
The one bugbear with this bathing dust is that because it’s made from pumice, many would class this as sand rather than dust. Therefore some chilly owners might find the name of the product a little misleading.
However, dust or sand, you can try it out with your chilly and see the results for yourself with the risk-free guarantee.
Recommended Usage:
- For best results, use twice a week and allow your chinchilla to clean and play for 15 to 20 minutes. Discard any used dust.
Pros
- Recyclable packaging
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
- No sparkle
Cons
- Made from pumice – not technically a dust
Kaytee Chinchilla Bath Sand — Best Chinchilla Sand for Owners in a Hurry
If you were wondering how we’d got this far in a small pet review without a Kaytee product – here it is!
Kaytee is one of the best-regarded makes of small animal products and their Chinchilla Bath Sand is a tried and trusted favorite amongst chilly owners who want a great value product they can rely on.
Made from volcanic pumice found in the Andes mountains, their chinchilla bath sand mimics a chinchilla’s natural dust bath choice in the wild. Virtually dust-free, this is another great alternative to dust options if you or your chilly are prone to allergies.
Kaytee’s Chinchilla Bath Sand is another great option if you’re looking for a sustainable choice. The packaging is entirely plastic-free and made from cardboard and paper.
The other packaging point that sets this choice apart from the rest is that rather than one big package, it comes in 5 pre-measured pouches. Simply rip off the top, pour into your chilly’s bath and go!
If you have limited time, this option will result in fewer minutes wasted measuring, scooping (and spilling when in a rush) and more time spent enjoying your chilly’s rolling, scrabbling, and playing in the bath!
While these packets certainly save time when it comes to setting up, any unsoiled sand is more difficult to reuse. You’ll also need a separate storage container if you do want to reuse any sand for future baths.
Recommended Usage:
- Simply tip out the pre-measured pack and allow your chillies to bathe for around 15 minutes twice or three times a week.
Pros
- Pre-measured packages save time and effort
- Trusted brand
- Plastic-free packaging
Cons
- Less cost-effective than bulk tubs
- No option to store clean but used sand
What to Look For When Buying Chinchilla Dust: a Guide
It can be overwhelming when trying to choose a suitable chinchilla bath dust. Read on for a useful guide and find out everything you need to know about chinchilla dust and sand baths.
Source of Dust and Sand
Choosing a responsibly sourced sand or dust is an important step when buying a dust or sand bath for your chilly. Most manufacturers proudly display where they source their dust from and many originate in the United States.
Bonus points go-to brands that also use responsible techniques in harvesting the dust, without the use of explosives, tunneling, or strip mining. This doesn’t affect how your chilly enjoys their bath but it’s always good to make environmentally responsible choices when possible.
Materials
Make sure the dust or sand you choose contains 100% single ingredients such as ash or pumice. Any extra additives such as colorants could be harmful to your pet so are best avoided.
Amount
About an inch of sand or dust in your dust bath is sufficient for your chilly to get a thorough cleaning while having a whole lot of fun!
Price
The cost of your chinchilla dust or sand will vary depending on the material and the amount purchased. Prices for products on this list start at under $10 for a 3lb bag but generally, the price will increase with more premium quality materials.
Dust vs Sand
Whether to use dust or sand is a contentious issue for chilly owners. Some recommend only using sand as it is finer and believe it is better at absorbing oils. Other owners swear by sand as it is generally less dusty and so easier to clean up.
Generally, dust is volcanic ash and is of a finer consistency than the particles found in sand. Sand is usually ground pumice and is coarser.
The issue gets more complicated, however, when different brands use dust or sand interchangeably. If there are particular materials you know irritate your chilly or you wish to avoid, make sure you check the ingredients list before purchase.
How to Use Chinchilla Dust
Fill a chinchilla dust bath or suitable container about 1-inch deep with chinchilla dust. Allow your chinchilla to play, roll and shake in the dust for around 15 minutes two or three times a week.
The guidance about how long and how often a chinchilla should bathe varies between products so always check the label. If in doubt, give your chilly fewer rather than more baths to prevent their skin from drying out.
Choosing the Best Chinchilla Dust for Your Pet FAQs
Buying a Chinchilla Dust Bath or Sand Bath: What Next?
Frequent baths are a must to keep your chilly happy and healthy. Avoid water as chinchillas’ fur is much too dense and that’s why a quality dust or sand bath is an essential part of your chilly’s hygiene routine.
If you’re new to chinchilla dust baths and want to try and perfect all-rounder, try Oxbow’s Poof! Chinchilla Dust. It’s responsibly sourced, reasonably priced, and recommended by countless chinchilla owners. However, if you want second to none quality assurance, opt for ChillDust Chinchilla Bathing Dust for a tried and tested dust approved by experts in chinchilla breeding and care.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that your chilly will love your favorite choice – we all know what picky critters chillies can be! Try experimenting with a few different options on our list to find a dust or sand that will have your chilly desperate for bathtime!
Looking for more Chinchilla tips? Check out our guides below!:
