Tear staining is mostly a laundry problem rather than a health one, which is why most of what's sold for it is a wash rather than a medicine.

This facial wash is left on for 3 minutes after lathering, then rinsed thoroughly, and Bugalugs say heavily stained areas may need daily use while a weekly wash helps prevent future staining once things are under control. It's made with glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine and decyl glucoside as the cleansing base, alongside oat kernel flour, blueberry fruit extract, Indian lotus flower extract, evening primrose seed extract, ginseng root extract and passionflower flower extract, and is manufactured in the UK by Lakeland Cosmetics in Workington, Cumbria.

• 500ML bottle
• 3-minute contact time before rinsing
• Daily use for heavily stained areas, weekly for maintenance
• Suitable for dogs from 8 weeks old
• Contains glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine and decyl glucoside plus botanical extracts
• Manufactured in the UK

One thing worth knowing. This is a wash, not a treatment for the underlying cause of tear staining — diet, tear duct shape or allergies can all be behind it. If staining appears suddenly, only affects one eye, or comes with soreness, that's worth a vet visit rather than reaching straight for the bottle.

Who it's for: owners of pale or light-coated dogs prone to tear staining who want a routine facial wash rather than a one-off fix, from 8 weeks old.