Tortoise shell and skin cream

[tamarathetort]

Hey everyone,

I have noticed that recently my tortoise's shell and skin has been getting dry and I saw Tetrafauna Turtle vitashell tortoise and turtle shell and skin conditioner. It looks like good stuff and I want to buy it but I was wondering what you guys think about it. If you don't know what I am talking about just search tortoise shell cream on amazon and scroll down. Thanks

 

[Tom]

Some people use it and swear by it. Others try it and don't see much difference.

Just beware of the people who have never used it but will quickly tell you how bad it is and nothing like that should ever be applied to a tortoises shell. Its not true. The stuff is at least harmless, and possibly beneficial.

 

[tamarathetort]

thanks

 

[lismar79]

Have you tried bumping up the humidity in your enclosure? It may be too dry in there.

 

[Elnewman622]

When I first got my tortious he had a very dry shell and I used the vita shell and it worked very well, I also would recommend bathing your tortious that helps as well!

 

[glitch4200]

I have been using cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil on my Russian and his shell looks amazing and I used it on top of his little head, he loved coconut oil massages. After reading some peeps on here tried it, I wanted to give it a shot, with his permission of course I applied it and instantaneously saw the shell absorb the oil. It's not hurting him it's all natural, and I am seeing improvements in his shell color and the little dent he has seems to be straightening out. I'm currently running an experiment, provided with my personal observation over a good few weeks of applying this oil 2-3 times a week to him. I'll post in a new thread once I gather my data

 

[glitch4200]

Nice and shiny

 

[smarch]

I have some, and used it a few times in the past (when I got him his shell was dry and brittle) Be sure not to use it more than the instructions say to and only use a little. But I've also read like said above about coconut oil, and I even have some and if i'd known then I would have used that instead: more natural.
Just be sure your not using it as a solution if its a recurring problem, Nank's shells been fine since (it was the life before and pet store that had him dry) make sure your humidity isn't bone dry, and do your weekly soaks.

Basically: yes it works, im supportive of it and the concept, coconut oil has more for what you pay (and if you like DIY body products in in most of them too!! ... yeah that's me lol )
Sometimes out nails get dry or brittle and need moisturizer, its the same concept.

 

[smarch]

as for skin use I never did: dry skin was shed and that was that for me.

 

[Sarahp1234]

I have an ongoing hatred and rant against vitashell. The stuff in it is nasty and I wouldn't use it on my skin so I don't use it on my torts. I like argan <sp> oil, it's all natural and safe and wonderful on my skin and nails and just as nice on a shelled friend. Please, please, just use olive oil or coconut oil or something like that. It's cheaper, nicer, safer, healthy and lovely. Olive oil has been used on skin and nails for centuries. Coconut oil too. Vita shell is filled with preservatives and coloring, it uses lanolin and other pore clogging items. I hate it! hate hate hate it... lol

 

[Tom]

I have an ongoing hatred and rant against vitashell. The stuff in it is nasty and I wouldn't use it on my skin so I don't use it on my torts. I like argan <sp> oil, it's all natural and safe and wonderful on my skin and nails and just as nice on a shelled friend. Please, please, just use olive oil or coconut oil or something like that. It's cheaper, nicer, safer, healthy and lovely. Olive oil has been used on skin and nails for centuries. Coconut oil too. Vita shell is filled with preservatives and coloring, it uses lanolin and other pore clogging items. I hate it! hate hate hate it... lol

Have your ever used it on a tortoises shell?

Many here have, and nobody has anything bad to say about it. I used to think the way you do too, but time and experience showed me I was wrong. It doesn't hurt them, and some people really feel that it helps in some situations. I'm not an advocate of the product, but I know it is harmless.

 

[Sarahp1234]

This is what's in Vita Shell: Purified softened water, sunflower oil, emulsifying wax NF, cetyl alcohol, coconut oil, pal oil, soybean oil, glycerine, lanolin, cotton seed oil, stearamidopropyl dimethylamin lactate, protein conditioners, diazolidinyl urea, rosemary oil, methylparaben, propylparaben, FD&C yellow 6 The water, sunflower coconut palm soybean cotton seen oils? Yeah not so horrid but you can go to your kitchen cupboard and find at least the soybean or sunflower oil more than likely! A drop or three rubbed into the shell will do the same thing. Wax? Ah no. emulsifying wax? wax doesn't allow anything breathe and it can clog pores. cetyl alcohol? That's only added to keep the product looking nice and not something you'd ever add if you made this on your own. glycerine? Not so worried about that, it's good for human skin and generally safe but again, not sure I would use it on my nails or a shell. lanolin? NOPE really unnecessary and again can clog pores and cut down on the breath-ability of tissues. It used to be used in cosmetic lotions but there is a reason it's fallen out of favor with human skin care. Also, its a by-product of the wool industry (not a concern for me) but if you're vegan or have a wool allergy it could make you have a reaction. stearamidopropyl dimethylamin lactate this one is new to me... the first part minus the lactate is added to conditioners because it coats hair and makes it smooth, it also makes products blend together better so oil based and water based mix. THe lactate part I'm confused by but it sounds like a dairy based item? Either way none of it is needed! protein conditioners could be many things, it's like saying 'meat protein' but not saying if it's fish or beef. It's generally used to reduce brittleness but I don't like not knowing just what they're using.... diazolidinyl urea is another one that could be from animal urine...or it might not be, they aren't required to tell us which is an issue for vegans and such. This one is on my 'no no' list for animals because it's straight up a preservative, that's all it's for, but it preserves things by releasing formaldehyde. Mind you it's in small amounts and it's most likely in about a dozen cosmetics we all use daily but I don't want to put that on my pets... Rosemary oil? That actually isn't bad, it's a natural product for skin care and has anti-microbial properties. I'm guess here they put it in for the scent because a little bit makes everything smell 'natural and clean' without having to be overly worried about us noticing all the useless chemicals. These next two are something I rant over. methylparaben and propylparaben... are, obviously, parabens. Parabens are used in cosmetics to preserve them. However, they're absorbed into skin. It's been linked to cancer and breast cancer tumors that have been biopsied have shown paraben concentrations at about the same level as used in consumer products. This isn't added to make it better for us, it's added to EVERYTHING cosmetic to make it have a longer shelf life and while yeah maybe it is safe, the studies so far say it really most likely isn't. I've switched my lotions to paraben free products because of how readily it absorbs into our bodies and how many studies have linked it to cancer. I am not going to put that on my torts! And lastly, a few drops of color. Ya know I'm not a whacko, I am sure the colors aren't wonderful for us but I wouldn't not use something because of it. It's just that it's not needed, it's just there to make it pretty to our eyes. I know this is a rant but I think things like vitashell are as dangerous as, oh I don't know, keeping a russian tort in a glass house. Might not kill them, but it might or might make them sick sooner, or it might not, but it's such an easy thing to avoid! Warm soaks, soft scrubbing with a toothbrush, good food and I have no issues with lotions but right lotions. I use argan oil, cold pressed and organic but really sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut, soybean, if it's 100% it's good to go but check the ingredients. Mine love being oiled and rubbed and my one russian had such horrid skin when I got him and he's soft and happy now. Don't use sesame oil as it can be used as a natural sunblock and stop them from absorbing the UV they need.

 

[Tom]

Well that was a whole lotta info. I've no doubt that you know about those ingredients, but you didn't answer my question.

Have you ever used it on a tortoise? Have you ever heard of any harm coming to a tortoise that had the product on them?

There are no "pores" on a tortoise shell. At least not the way there are on human skin. And I've never heard of any tortoise anywhere being diagnosed with any kind of cancer.

I don't mind if you hate it and choose not to use it. I used to share your feelings on the matter. My point is simply this: The product has been in use for decades and no one anywhere can produce a single case where it has done harm. By contrast there are several members of this forum that have been using it for many years and report very positive results. In trying to keep an open mind about it, I actually tried it myself. I did not find any magical benefits to it, but it also did no harm. Years later those tortoises are doing well and thriving.

 

[puffy137]

Thanks for all that, well done, It seems the age old recommendation of olive oil was right after all!

 

[Sarahp1234]

I've never tried mercury to brighten my eyes either but I'm not going to because I know it's not good for me. And yes, torts can get cancer and keratin is keratin, even if the shell is skin, believe it or not, it's mineralized skin, over the bones under it. Interestingly, the edges of the scutes don't line up with the plates of bone underneath which I think is cool because it seems like that gives it more strength. And why do you think torts can't get cancer? Of course they can and do. http://www.livescience.com/9680-cancer-kills-wild-animals.html that's an awesome article and worth a read.

Frankly I don't care if you use a product like vita shell but be aware that it's full of stuff that is questionable at best, risky at worst and of absolutely no benefit for the job it's being used for.

Oh and yes, some turtles do have pores on their shells and most do on their skin. I say most because I haven't read enough to say all. http://www.ivis.org/advances/wyneken/13.pdf?LA=1 (Not for the faint of heart, think autopsy photos but of a sea turtle) page 8 shows pores on its shell.

Again, use what you will, but if someone asks people's thoughts I will offer mine. If you're going to buy a commercially produced product, be aware of what you're buying. If knowing the ingredients annoys you, don't read my posts. I stopped using lotions for my own skin that have some of these ingredients because they're so risky. Our skin is our largest organ, if I can avoid absorbing some of this into my system, I will. Being careful costs me nothing. Likewise, I won't take a risk for my critters as, again, it costs me nothing to be careful.

I'm sorry if defending myself annoys you.

 

[glitch4200]

Check out my debate on extra virgin coconut oil http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/103782/

 

[Tom]

I've never tried mercury to brighten my eyes either but I'm not going to because I know it's not good for me. And yes, torts can get cancer and keratin is keratin, even if the shell is skin, believe it or not, it's mineralized skin, over the bones under it. Interestingly, the edges of the scutes don't line up with the plates of bone underneath which I think is cool because it seems like that gives it more strength. And why do you think torts can't get cancer? Of course they can and do. http://www.livescience.com/9680-cancer-kills-wild-animals.html that's an awesome article and worth a read.

Frankly I don't care if you use a product like vita shell but be aware that it's full of stuff that is questionable at best, risky at worst and of absolutely no benefit for the job it's being used for.

Oh and yes, some turtles do have pores on their shells and most do on their skin. I say most because I haven't read enough to say all. http://www.ivis.org/advances/wyneken/13.pdf?LA=1 (Not for the faint of heart, think autopsy photos but of a sea turtle) page 8 shows pores on its shell.

Again, use what you will, but if someone asks people's thoughts I will offer mine. If you're going to buy a commercially produced product, be aware of what you're buying. If knowing the ingredients annoys you, don't read my posts. I stopped using lotions for my own skin that have some of these ingredients because they're so risky. Our skin is our largest organ, if I can avoid absorbing some of this into my system, I will. Being careful costs me nothing. Likewise, I won't take a risk for my critters as, again, it costs me nothing to be careful.

I'm sorry if defending myself annoys you.

I'm not annoyed, and there is no need to defend yourself. You are not being attacked. I am merely questioning your assertions that:
A. VitaShell is harmful.
And B. VitaShell does no good.

If you had said, "I don't like those ingredients and wouldn't use that on my tortoise.", I wouldn't be typing right now. But you are saying that its bad for tortoises and offers no benefit. Both statements are false, and have been repeatedly demonstrated to be false here on this forum, and in my own enclosures.

Your article is interesting, but it does not give an example of a tortoise with cancer. I did not say tortoises can't get cancer. I said I've never seen a tortoise with cancer. Not in all my years in several countries and having seen thousands upon thousands of tortoises and tortoise vet cases. If they do get cancer it is not very common. Sort of like sharks. That's all.

I'm just discussing the issue with you. Point, counterpoint.

 

[turdle yerdle]

This was helpful

 

[CoopScoopMe]

Hey everyone,

I have noticed that recently my tortoise's shell and skin has been getting dry and I saw Tetrafauna Turtle vitashell tortoise and turtle shell and skin conditioner.

I would recommend that you create your own shell and skin conditioner for your tortoise. I used to use just pure argan oil, but now I make a mixture that includes argan oil. It's basically one part pure aloe vera from a few plants that I have, pure organic coconut oil, organic pure argan oil, then a bit of lavender oil. I run it on my tortoises every couple days or as often as I have the change, although I believe that every day is excessive. It's important to be careful where you get your argan oil from because most you see are full of chemicals and watered down, so just be sure to get a 100% pure argan oil.

 

[CoopScoopMe]

Have you tried bumping up the humidity in your enclosure? It may be too dry in there.

I would recommend this as well.