“When you go into a pet store, it almost feels patronizing — the colors, the prints, the font,” said Cara Santana Leto.
The branding on most dog care items, in her estimation, tends to range from blandly utilitarian to “ugly” and “loud,” usually emblazoned on large plastic bottles.
“I’m not really sure who the products are being designed for or marketed to, because it certainly isn’t us,” said Stephanie Suganami.
Ms. Santana Leto and Ms. Suganami, longtime friends, created Lil Luv Dog in August as a corrective for what they called “vibeless” dog grooming products. Their target Gen Z or millennial customer buys her smoothies at Erewhon, loves beauty brands like Rhode and spends more on her dog than on herself.
To achieve this goal, Lil Luv Dog is borrowing heavily from the beauty industry, using sleek branding and so-called clean ingredients in less wasteful packaging. The founders cite Goop and Coterie, the baby care company, as inspirations. The company’s packaging features muted colors and tasteful small illustrations on a clean white background.
“It really is a beauty brand for dogs,” said Ms. Suganami.
The first offering from the company is a dry shampoo that is meant to freshen up the coat, condition the skin and fur and extend the time between baths. (To answer the most common question they get: Yes, people can use it.) Depending on the packaging and size, it costs between $26 and $36.
The founders have plenty of experience in the lifestyle space.
Ms. Santana Leto, 40, is an actor who has appeared in multiple projects and recently directed her first documentary. She founded the now-defunct Glam App in 2015 and then helped develop beauty products at its competitor, Glamsquad.
Ms. Suganami, 36, best known as Steph Shep on social media, is an actor and influencer. She spent several years as Kim Kardashian’s assistant and then as her brand’s chief operation officer, helping to start Ms. Kardashian’s beauty line and fragrances. She has a deep interest in the environment, and she has worked with eco-friendly beauty brands and with Kourtney Kardashian to push for safer cosmetics.
“A lot of that design and development was through learning and watching some of our friends and peers create and launch their own brands,” said Ms. Santana Leto.
Because Ms. Santana Leto and Ms. Suganami are in the same social circles, they have tapped into notable lifestyle founders and creatives in Los Angeles. Jen Atkin of the hair care brand Ouai, is an investor. Aaron Harvey, the head of creative at Flamingo Estate, has acted as a “silent adviser” on packaging ideas. Olivia Culpo’s dog has appeared in the brand’s content, as has the stylist Rob Zangardi’s.
Lil Luv Dog products are sold on the company’s website, at Pop Up Grocer in New York and at the popular L.A. cafe Community Goods. Products will also be available at the online fashion retailer Revolve, and at a handful of human hair salons, including Crane, where both of the founders get their hair done.
“We’re just trying to meet the consumer where they’re shopping for their dry shampoo,” said Ms. Suganami.
The ‘Humanization’ of Pets
Ms. Santana Leto owns two rescue dogs: a rat terrier/Chihuahua mix named Sheppy and a golden doodle, Mercer. The brand’s name came from the term of endearment that her husband, Shannon Leto, who is the drummer for Thirty Seconds to Mars and the brother of the actor Jared Leto, uses for Sheppy.
Ms. Suganami’s rescued poodle mix has “an extensive hair routine” to go with his regal name, Sir Binxington Jon Bon Jovi Jackson, or Binx for short.
“He’s my soul dog. He’s my son, the love of my life, the reason I get up every day,” she said.
This kind of “humanization” is influencing the modern pet product market, especially among younger generations, said Rebecca Watters, the insights director of wellness at Mintel, a market research firm.
“That emotional bond is really driving younger generations to look for those premium, wellness-oriented and even design-forward products that really mirror their own types of purchases,” she said.
‘Clean’ and Eco-Friendly
The dry shampoo powder comes in two scents, cactus and oat, and in two container options. One is a compostable bamboo shaker and the other is a box of sugar-packet-like sachets made of dissolvable wood pulp material.
It was the first pet care product to be verified by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that publishes product safety databases.
“What was trending in beauty and personal care was this push for clean and this push for sustainability in packaging format,” said Ms. Santana Leto, who wanted the same for Lil Luv Dog. (The word “clean” is used often in beauty, but there is no legal definition.)
The pet care industry is sparsely regulated, and E.W.G. saw an uptick in searches for “safe” pet products, which prompted it to publish pet grooming standards this August, said Jocelyn Lyle, the group’s executive vice president of mission and partnership.
Over 40 percent of Gen Z and millennial pet owners also “prefer pet care brands that work to limit environmental impact,” according to data from Mintel.
Next year, Lil Luv Dog plans to roll out poop bags made of recycled material, a paw balm, apple cider vinegar paw cleaning spray, liquid shampoo and leave-in conditioner in recycled aluminum bottles, and scented wipes made of compostable wood pulp.
Premium Dog Beauty
Lil Luv Dog has raised $1 million from investors, including the venture capital firm AniVC, which exclusively invests in pet brands like Dog PPL (a Soho House-like members club for dogs and their humans) and RetrievAir (an air service that allows dogs to fly next to their owners).
Anna Skaya, a partner at AniVC, believes that Lil Luv Dog could find an audience.
“There’s not really been a lot of elevated pet grooming products and services,” she said, calling it a “sleeper category.”
“You want to create a beautiful home and a beautiful bathroom, or wherever you wash your dog,” she said. “And this just looks nice.”
The competition for Lil Luv Dog thus far comes from human beauty brands, which have been dabbling in the canine market for a while. Kiehl’s and Ouai both make dog shampoo; Hermès has one for $100. Last year, Dolce & Gabbana unveiled “Fefé,” a scented dog mist. DedCool, a fragrance brand popular with Gen Z, has pup shampoo and a perfume, and suggests, “Your pets should smell as good as you.”
Former beauty editors are behind newer dog-first brands Artemis, which sells a “powder-to-lather” wash, and Biche, which officially will launch next year, is working with a perfumer. (Both come in bottles that are reminiscent of the luxury hair brand Oribe’s elegant flasks.) The only other E.W.G.-verified pet brand, Welltayl, began in October. It uses human skin care buzzwords like “skin barrier” and “hyaluronic acid.”
Nicer brands come with a higher price tag. Standard dog shampoos at Chewy cost about $7 to $20. Lil Luv Dog’s dry shampoo shaker easily tops that at $36, but the founders say it will last for six months if used once a week on a medium-size dog. They argue it could save money by extending the time between grooming sessions.
On a recent sunny fall weekend, Carli Cottee, 24, an event planner and florist, was strolling with her toy poodle, Bennie, in Madison Square Park. She called the Lil Luv Dog products “cute,” noting the makeup-like packaging, but she pointed out a budget concern that may resonate even with indulgent pet parents.
“To me, that’s kind of expensive,” she said. “I don’t buy shampoo for myself that’s $36.”
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