It is SO important to protect your dog’s skin, it is after all their (and our) biggest organ! It is thinner and more sensitive than our skin as a dog's epidermis (skin) is 3-5 cells thick where as a humans is at least 10-15 cells thick.
This means that toxic chemicals will impact them more and faster than you.
Here are our top tips on what to look out for in a pet shampoo from our founder, Dani and chemist, Roy:
Rule 1.
Don’t use a human shampoo, as a dog’s skin is more alkaline than humans this is a no go as it can damage the skin surface. The dog has a skin pH that tends to be mildly alkaline, about 7-7.5 but human skin is much more acidic pH, around 5.2- 5.5. Therefore, shampoo designed for human skin, even baby shampoo will be too acidic for dogs’ skin and can damage the surface of the skin. This damage can make dogs prone to skin infection. You can read more about the matter on Vet Help Direct.
Rule 2.
Avoid artificial ingredients like parabens, sulphates and formaldehydes. Parabens and formaldehydes are a group of preservative ingredients and sulphates are chemicals used as cleansing agents. Although there is limited research available on the impacts these ingredients have, the effects of these ingredients leading to being endocrine disrupting or carcinogenic are concerning and we at FURR Collective feel that it is best to avoid them as there are other safer options on the market for your pooch.
When looking on the ingredient listing of products - check and avoid these:
Parabens
- Methylparaben
- Ethylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Butylparaben,
- Isobutylparaben
- Isopropylparaben
- Any other ingredient which ends in –paraben
Sulphates
- Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate.
- Ammonium or Sodium Xylenesulfonate.
- Ethyl PEG-15 Cocamine Sulfate.
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate.
- TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate.
- Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate.
- Sodium Laureth, Myreth, or Lauryl Sulfate.
- Ammonium Laureth or Lauryl Sulfate.
Parabens
- Methylene Glycol
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Quaternium 15
- Bronopol
- 5-Bromo-5-Nitro-1
- 3 Dioxane
- Hydroxymethylglycinate
Rule 3.
Avoid artificial fragrances or dyes.
Research has noted that artificial fragrances and dyes are the biggest cause in allergies for humans, although it hasn’t been done on animals it would make significant sense that this would be the same for our furry fam members.
If you see the word “fragrance" on a shampoo label or it gives off a strong scent (which is not essential oils), it is highly likely that phthalates are in your shampoo. Phthalates are an ingredient used to bond the fragrance to other ingredients. They are also known as hormone disruptors meaning they can have a negative impact on your dog's endocrine system and have been linked to cancer.
Rule 4.
Now that you know what to avoid, what should you use? Opt for products that contain ingredients like aloe oil, oatmeal and essential oils which are natural and have great benefits like being anti-bacterial, odour eliminating, natural cleansers and skin soothing.
Shop Mane Gloss Natural Conditioning Shampoo to find out more.
For a more visual view on this topic, check out this video on what to look out for in a pet shampoo.