The Healthy Skin Bundle by Augustine Approved: Our Entire Approach Explained, Step By Step

All before and after photos are provided by our customers as illustrative examples of their dog’s experience. They show appearance changes over time with consistent nutritional support. Individual results vary and this is not a claim of treatment, cure, prevention, or medical benefit.

Over the years (and yes, as the grey hairs have slowly crept in), I’ve spoken with thousands of pet parents who share a remarkably similar story. Their dog has struggled with ongoing skin issues for months, or even years. They’ve tried injections, tablets, medicated washes, topical creams, and long-term management protocols. Some dogs appear to improve temporarily, others don’t, and some even got to a stage where all of the above stopped working some time and they felt they had nothing left to try. And yet, many owners are left asking the same questions:

“Why does this keep coming back?”
“Why isn’t this getting better?”
“Why aren’t all these medical drugs helping?”
“Is this what the rest of my dog’s life is going to look like?

At Augustine Approved, we take a different approach and we believe that skin appearance can have multiple contributing factors, and nutrition is one factor worth discussing.”

 

Skin Is Not Separate from Nutrition

The skin is the body’s largest organ. It is metabolically active, constantly renewing, and highly sensitive to what is happening internally.

Skin relies on:
•    Adequate protein and amino acids
•    Essential fatty acids
•    Micronutrients and trace minerals
•    Proper digestion and absorption
•    Normal metabolic function

If any of these systems are under strain, the skin is often where that imbalance becomes visible. This is not a medical statement. It is a biological reality, and it leads to a reasonable question:

If a dog’s skin appearance improves when their nutrition changes, what role might nutrition have been playing all along?

Why “Adding Nutrients” Alone Isn’t Enough

One of the biggest mistakes I see is assuming that simply adding “good ingredients” will solve everything. Nutrients are only useful if the dog can digest, absorb, and utilise them.

Given the number of chemical and environmental exposures dogs are routinely subjected to today, it is my view that a great number of dogs are living with digestive systems that are not functioning optimally, often as a result of:

•    Long-term processed diets
•    Repetitive feeding of the same ingredients
•    Environmental stressors
•    Previous dietary interventions
•    The cumulative impact of medications used over time
•    Routine exposure to flea and tick control products
•    Vaccination schedules, particularly when layered over long periods

Individually, these factors may be well tolerated. But collectively, and over time, they can place additional demand on the digestive system and the body’s normal regulatory processes, including those involved in maintaining internal balance.

When digestion and regulation are under pressure, the body’s ability to efficiently absorb and utilise nutrients can be affected, which is one of the reasons visible changes are so often expressed through the skin.

That’s why the Healthy Skin Bundle is not a single product. It’s a sequence and system.

Foundational Products - Not a “Fix When Something Goes Wrong”

One of the most important things to understand about the Healthy Skin Bundle is this:
•    These are not “problem-only” products.
•    There are no gimmicks.
•    There’s no on–off switch mentality.

They are foundational, food-based products.

They’re the same products I give to my own dogs every day. Not because something is wrong but because this is how I believe dogs are best supported long term.

As a matter of trust, I want to be clear about this: everything outlined here is how I raise my own dogs, even when they are healthy. They receive every product in this bundle as part of their normal daily routine. I would never ask someone to do something for their dog that I wouldn’t do myself, or feed my own animals. This isn’t a short-term strategy - it’s a philosophy of how I believe dogs should be raised and supported from the start.

This is my philosophy of raising dogs:
•    Feed in a way that supports digestion.
•    Provide nutrients that modern diets often lack.
•    Support the body before problems escalate.
•    Support normal elimination and metabolic balance.
That belief underpins everything we do at Augustine Approved.

My approach has always been about foundations and consistency. Using these products as part of a daily routine is my way of supporting the body’s normal processes of balance and renewal over time. Rather than reacting when something appears externally, the goal is to keep the body well supported internally, so it can maintain normal function as intended. When nutrition, digestion, and elimination are consistently supported, the body is better placed to regulate itself and overall wellbeing tends to follow.

Step One: Supporting Digestive Function First

Products:
•    Faith's Cleanse & Detox
•    The Exchange

While we feed more healthy ingredients through all of the supplements in the Healthy Skin Bundle, we also focus on creating the conditions for proper digestion.

Faith’s Cleanse & Detox and The Exchange are both food-based blends designed to:
•    Support normal digestive processes
•    Support normal gut function and comfort
•    Help maintain balance within the digestive environment
•    Support normal liver and kidney function as part of the bigger picture

When digestion is supported, the body is better equipped to do what it already knows how to do. This step is critical because without it, even the highest-quality nutrition may not be fully utilised.

The body’s normal day-to-day metabolic processes rely heavily on the liver and kidneys. These organs play important roles in maintaining internal balance, handling normal metabolic by-products, and supporting overall wellbeing.

As dogs age, it’s also normal for the efficiency of organs such as the liver and kidneys to gradually decline. This doesn’t mean something is wrong - it simply reflects the natural ageing process and the cumulative demands placed on these systems over time. As a result, older dogs often benefit from additional nutritional support to help maintain normal liver and kidney function, particularly nutrients that support everyday metabolic processes. From a food-first perspective, this is about supporting normal function as the body changes, not addressing disease.

When overall nutrition is inadequate, or when digestion and absorption are not optimal, normal liver and kidney function can be placed under additional workload simply because the body isn’t receiving or utilising the building blocks it requires.

From a nutritional-first perspective, this matters because the skin is often a downstream reflection of what is happening internally. This is not a claim of disease or diagnosis. It’s simply acknowledging that the body works as an integrated system, and that nutrition supports the normal function of key organs that contribute to overall balance.

That’s why the Healthy Skin Bundle doesn’t just focus on the surface. It focuses on digestion, nutritional input, and supporting normal biological function so the body can do what it is designed to do.

 

Step Two: Providing Broad-Spectrum Nutritional Building Blocks

•    Augustine’s SuperBoost
•    Little Universe
•    Raw Coconut Oil

While digestion is being supported, we simultaneously introduce foods designed to expand nutritional exposure beyond what most modern diets provide.

Augustine’s SuperBoost, Little Universe and Raw Coconut Oil are formulated to contribute:
•    Whole-food nutrients
•    Naturally occurring vitamins and minerals
•    Fatty acids and phytonutrients
•    General nutritional support for vitality and overall wellbeing

They are not medicines. They do not target diseases. They simply provide nutritional inputs that many dogs are not exposed to through standard feeding practices.
When the body has access to what it needs and can actually absorb it, visible changes often follow.

Raw coconut oil is another product we include because it contributes in simple but valuable ways. From a nutritional perspective, coconut oil provides easily digestible fatty acids and energy, which can be a useful addition to a balanced food-first approach. It is also appreciated by many dogs for flavour, helping them enjoy and readily consume nutritious meals and supplements. Additionally, some research suggests that dietary fats like those in coconut oil can support the normal absorption of fat-soluble nutrients from food and other ingredients, which is why we include it alongside our supplements.

 

Step Three: Keeping the Dog Comfortable During Transition

•    Augustine’s Super Bath
•    Augustine’s Super Balm

Nutrition works from the inside out. But the skin is already there—and it deserves care while internal balance is being supported.

These topical products are designed to:
•    Gently cleanse the skin surface (as part of normal hygiene)
•    Support skin comfort in areas requiring extra care
•    Support the skin’s natural barrier
•    Help keep dogs comfortable during periods of change

We often recommend daily bathing initially, purely as a hygiene and comfort practice, followed by reduced frequency as the skin settles.

The balm can be applied to areas that need extra care—including paws, folds, or the ears to help maintain comfort and moisture balance.

These products are not intended to alter normal physiology. They are intended for topical care and comfort, not therapeutic use. They simply support the skin externally while nutrition supports it internally.

Why Things Sometimes Look Worse Before They Look Better

Skin is not static. It is constantly renewing. As nutrition improves and normal biological processes resume, the body may go through visible changes. This is not unusual when the skin is responding to improved internal conditions.

That’s why comfort, consistency, and patience are essential. We don’t rush the process. We support it.

A common question I am asked is how long it takes to see visible changes. From a general biological perspective, skin and other tissues renew over time, and it’s often suggested that this process occurs over a number of weeks rather than days. In my experience, many dogs begin to show noticeable changes within three to six weeks, although this can vary widely. Some dogs show visible shifts much sooner, while others may take over 12 weeks, particularly when there is a longer history involved. Every dog is different, and it would be dishonest to offer a fixed timeframe - nutrition works in cooperation with the body, and the body sets the pace.

 

A Real-World Customer Experience

Introducing Dallas – 6½ years old.

From around 12 months of age, Dallas spent nearly five and a half years cycling through injections and topical creams as part of various approaches to managing his skin appearance.

Despite those approaches, about 12 months prior to starting on the Healthy Skin Bundle, Dallas was visibly struggling with his skin. After being encouraged to explore a different perspective, Dallas’s mum, Nadine, chose to shift her focus to food-based nutritional support.

No pharmaceuticals were used. No medical claims are being made. These images simply reflect one customer’s experience after shifting focus away from external management and instead prioritising nutritional building blocks — with visible changes observed over just a few weeks.

Our products are foods, not medicines, which naturally raises an important question:
How often are visible skin concerns assumed to be medical, when they may instead reflect nutritional imbalance?

We make no claims to treat, prevent, or diagnose any disease. We simply believe nutrition plays a foundational role in overall wellbeing.

So How Successful Is This Approach, Really?

I’m often asked how well this approach works in the real world.

Based on my own experience over many years with the customers who have followed the protocol and reported back, and across a very large number of dogs, I would estimate that around 95% of dogs show meaningful, visible improvements when their nutrition and digestive foundations are properly addressed.

That doesn’t mean every dog responds in the same way, or on the same timeline. Dogs are individuals. But the pattern is consistent enough that it’s hard to ignore.

In the spirit of transparency, not everyone that has purchased a Healthy Skin Bundle has reported back to me and it is reasonable to assume that for some dogs it worked, for some more learning and digging would have been required.

One thing I also want people to know is that support is part of what we offer. I don’t charge for my time, and I genuinely enjoy speaking with people, answering questions, and helping them make sense of what they’re seeing with their dogs. Every dog and every situation is different, and sometimes a simple conversation can clarify what’s missing or misunderstood. Whether someone is just starting out or feeling stuck, I’m always happy to help where I can - because guidance and support matter just as much as the products themselves.

I’ll also be upfront about the other 5%. In those cases, I will work alongside a veterinarian and other suitably qualified practitioners to run appropriate tests to explore what else may be contributing to poor health - whether that involves further dietary refinement, environmental factors, or additional investigation.

That’s not a weakness of this approach. It’s a strength because it recognises that nutrition is foundational, not exclusive.

Probiotics and Why They’re Not Always the Answer

If you spend any time researching dog skin health and skin problems online, you’ll quickly notice how often probiotics are promoted as the solution.

You’ll see glowing testimonials. You’ll see short-term success stories. You’ll see claims that they “fix the gut” and everything downstream. To be fair, sometimes they appear to help but context matters.

From what I’ve observed over many years, probiotics are often treated as a shortcut rather than part of a broader nutritional picture. They’re introduced into digestive systems that may already be under strain, unbalanced, or poorly supported nutritionally.

In those situations, adding large amounts of isolated bacteria doesn’t always lead to the outcome people expect. In fact, some dogs appear to become less comfortable after probiotics are introduced. That doesn’t mean probiotics are bad - it means they’re not universally appropriate.

There’s also a reality that often gets overlooked:
When you see a handful of positive reviews online, you’re usually looking at a very small number of successes relative to a much larger group of dogs who didn’t see meaningful change or quietly stopped using the product.

While I like probiotics and use feed my dogs pre and probiotics from time to time, they are not the be-all and end-all of digestive support. They don’t replace whole-food nutrition. And they don’t correct foundational dietary gaps on their own.

That’s one of the reasons Augustine Approved does not rely on probiotics as a core strategy. Our focus is on supporting normal digestive function through food-based inputs, rather than forcing a particular outcome by adding isolated organisms and hoping the system adapts around them.

 

Medications, “Symptom Control,” and Why Starting with Nutrition Can Be Easier

I want to be respectful here, because prescription medications exist for a reason and for some dogs they can play a role in short-term comfort and management.

But it’s also important to understand what many pet parents experience in the real world: symptom control is not the same thing as rebuilding foundations.

And like any pharmaceutical, medications can come with potential adverse reactions. For example, some of the most popular veterinary medicines for skin have commonly reported adverse reactions such as vomiting and diarrhoea, with other reported events including lethargy and anorexia. There are also reports of neoplastic conditions (benign and malignant) observed in clinical studies and reported post-approval, and it is worth noting that hypersensitivity reactions (including anaphylaxis, facial oedema, and urticaria) may occur in rare cases.

Everything in life is an exchange. Sadly, to gain short-term comfort, the only thing being achieved is managing signs rather than addressing underlying foundations. This is why so many people are now looking for a foundational and natural approach.

And here’s the honest truth from my perspective:
It’s often easier when people find us first.

Not because we’re doing something magical, but because when a dog has been cycling through many interventions over a long period, our early focus is often simply on re-establishing normal balance, digestive comfort, and nutritional foundations.
That can take time.

Whereas when people start with food-based foundations early, we’re not trying to rebuild from years of nutritional gaps and internal stress, we’re simply supporting normal function from the beginning.

As always, any dog on prescription medication should be managed in partnership with their veterinarian, and any medication changes should be made with veterinary guidance.

 

Diet Still Matters — And It Always Will

It’s also important to be honest about diet. Yes, we regularly see visible improvements in dogs eating processed foods. Nutrition is powerful, even when it’s layered on top of less-than-ideal diets.

But in my experience, results tend to be quicker and more pronounced when dogs are fed fresh diets (whether cooked or raw), simply because we’re no longer working against the food itself.

Highly processed diets are often discussed in nutritional circles as breaking down into simple carbohydrates during digestion. Those carbohydrates are then handled by the body as sugars.

At the same time, many common skin-related imbalances are also frequently discussed in terms of thriving in high-sugar internal environments.

So when you’re trying to support balance, but continuing to feed a diet that may contribute to that imbalance, progress can be slower. That doesn’t mean fresh feeding is mandatory. It means alignment matters.

When nutrition, digestion, and diet are working together, the body has a much better chance of expressing balance, including through the skin.

 

Why Changing the Diet Alone Isn’t Always Enough

One of the most common misconceptions I come across is the idea that simply switching a dog to a raw or fresh diet will automatically resolve long-standing skin concerns.

Sometimes that does happen and when it does, it’s usually for a very specific reason.

In many of those cases, the dog wasn’t lacking nutrition overall — they were reacting to something specific in their previous diet. Once that ingredient is removed, the visible signs settle. That’s not the same as rebuilding nutritional foundations; it’s simply removing a trigger.

But for many dogs, especially those with long histories of cycling through different foods and interventions, the situation is more complex.

By the time these dogs arrive at a fresh diet, their systems may already be under significant strain. Digestion may be compromised, nutrient absorption may be inefficient, and normal biological balance may take time to re-establish. In those situations, changing the food alone doesn’t always provide the level of support the body needs to rebalance on its own.

This is where targeted, food-based supplementation can make a meaningful difference - not as a replacement for diet, but as support alongside it.

 

Why Some Dogs Improve on Augustine’s SuperBoost Alone

Occasionally, we see dogs show noticeable improvements simply by adding Augustine’s SuperBoost.

When that happens, it’s usually a clear sign that the dog was nutritionally depleted, rather than dealing with a more complex, multi-system imbalance. In those cases, providing missing nutritional building blocks can be enough to shift things in the right direction. However, those dogs tend to be the exception and not the rule.

For dogs with longer histories, layered stressors, or digestive inefficiencies, addressing nutrition in isolation is rarely sufficient. That’s why the Healthy Skin Bundle exists as a complete system, not a single product solution.

Digestion, absorption, nutritional input, and external care all work together. When those pieces are aligned, the body has a much better opportunity to express balance, including through the skin.

 

A Final Thought

I’ll leave you with this question—not as a claim, but as an invitation to think differently:
If a dog’s skin appearance improves when their nutrition changes, what does that suggest about the role nutrition may have been playing all along?

At Augustine Approved, we don’t diagnose, treat, or cure disease. We don’t replace veterinary care. We focus on food, digestion and balance - on giving the body what it needs to function as designed.

Sometimes, when that happens, the skin tells a different story.

Important Note

Augustine Approved products are foods and skincare products, not medicines.
They are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Individual responses vary, and visible changes reflect individual nutritional and biological circumstances.