Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

These products are geared towards novice owners and have no benefit to your turtle. A turtle's shell is a living, breathing tissue. The top layer is called keratin, which is the same makeup as your hair, nails and the top layer of your skin. The keratin is porous where both gas and liquid transfers take place. Waxes found in Vitashell (Lanolin especially) cannot break down or be absorbed. This also (along with diasolinyl urea and stearamidopropyl dimethylamine lactate)blocks absorption of most of the oil contained in the mixture, negating their potential benefits. The wax clogs the pores, aiding in several health problems including several types of infection. For aquatics and semi-aquatics, the presence of wax underneath and around the scutes can cause retained scutes. The "shine" you see when applying Vitashell is nothing more than the presence of the oil and wax and has no relation to the applied area itself. Do not get the impression that because it is sold in stores makes it a safe product. Truth be told, there are no regulations that govern these types of products. A turtle/tortoise kept on a proper diet with clean water will have a healthy, vibrant appearance. If kept in more arid climates and poor soil the shell will appear dry. For them, weekly-monthly baths/soaking will suffice. If you are hard-set on "pampering" your turtle/tortoise then get organic, cold-pressed argan oil. It has all the benefits of any other botanical oils combined as well as being 100% absorbent. Argan oil is also very light and will not clog any pores. You can find bottles here on Amazon for a reasonable price.