Bath Time

[Sterling Thunder]

I am looking for Turtle Wax...

Sort of...

I am getting ready to take some studio shots of our tortoise and was curious if there are any products that are safe to spiff him up so to speak, obviously I am not going to put car products or even most human products on my tortoise. Typically we just use water and a toothbrush to clean him up once a month or so but I want these shots to really look the business.

Any thoughts?

 

[StarSapphire22]

Organic extra virgin coconut oil!

 

[Sterling Thunder]

Organic extra virgin coconut oil!

My mom suggested that too just now. Great minds think alike! Thanks for the idea, my only concern is if the oil will act as a barrier to the humidity for more than an hour or so... Any thoughts?

 

[StarSapphire22]

Just put a super light coat on him...a dab will do ya! I just barely dip the pad of my finger in the oil, so there's just a little shine, then dab it on the middle of the shell and spread it outwards. It's a great conditioner and can be beneficial for lots of stuff! Done sparingly and only occasionally, it's perfectly safe.

 

[Sterling Thunder]

Just put a super light coat on him...a dab will do ya! I just barely dip the pad of my finger in the oil, so there's just a little shine, then dab it on the middle of the shell and spread it outwards. It's a great conditioner and can be beneficial for lots of stuff! Done sparingly and only occasionally, it's perfectly safe.

Thank you very much for the quick replies. I will be trying it this weekend.

 

[StarSapphire22]

You're welcome and good luck! Just make sure its the extra virgin organic, that's important. Cold pressed, too, if you can find it.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Have you heard of Vitashell? It is a product sold for turtles/tortoises in the reptile section at Petsmart. A small tub costs around $5. I apply a small amount to my leopards before a show and use it 1-2x a month on my youngest hatchling. I have no objection to the occasional use of this product.

I have also tried a dab of oil in the past but didn't like it. I wont do that again.

For the record:
The use of Vitashell is controversial and there are many threads on TFO about it. I suggest we keep this thread from turning into another one of "those". I hope the OP looks into the pros/cons of all recommended products so he can make his own educated decision and be confident in his choosing.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I sure can't wait to see how your pictures turn out! Your little Chuba might just become a poster child for The Hot and Humid Method!

 

[Tom]

I think VitaShell will serve your purposes perfectly.

Like Heather said, there has been much debate about this. I will say that it does no harm. Whether it does any good or not, we could argue all day and never reach a conclusion. I always liked the appearance of the shells that had VitaShell applied to them, so I think it will give you what you want for your pics.

 

[Sterling Thunder]

Thanks for all the input. I am trying both methods and monitoring after each. Is coconut the only oil or will olive oil, etc. work? I picked up the vitashell
stuff as well.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Olive oil is what I used and didn't like it at all.

 

[Tech13]

this is the coconut oil I bought and used it twice on my tort so far, it is cold pressed, organic extra virgin, non-GMO and all of that good stuff...and makes our little Greek's shell look really great! I have not seen any ill effects but i only used a tiny bit and it was a month between uses. I read on a thread here that it is permeable, BeeBee*BeeLeaves posted information on this on 10-19-2013, or just search "coconut oil" to see this and other threads. I personally used it to moisturize and also tried it on toast (butter tastes better but not as good for you), there are many uses for it. Please post your pics, we'd love to see them

 

[Sterling Thunder]

Thanks for the input on the oils everyone.

If you want to see the pictures please visit this thread: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-82894.html

They are the preliminary pictures but they turned out pretty nice.

 

[Tech13]

Aww, your tort is such a cutie! Thanks for posting your pics. My fave is the one where he looks right into your lens! Adorable!

 

[Sulcata_Sandy]

I use olive oil, works beautifully. The store that carries organic coconut oil in town is rather pricey. And since my own EVOO is working nicely, I'm using it as needed. Seems every other month works well and doesn't over due it.