You may be used to using organic shampoo on yourself or your family, but what about your dog? Discover the advantages of using organic dog shampoo in this article.
WHY SHOULD I BUY PET SHAMPOO?
Pets are not only considered family members; they are family! However, you should only bathe your dog with a natural, dog-specific shampoo.
This is because specific components in human bath care products are hazardous to dogs and can irritate their skin or make them sick.
WHAT EXACTLY IS ORGANIC DOG SHAMPOO?
A certified organic dog shampoo must fulfill specific standards to demonstrate that it is truly natural, eco-friendly, and pet-safe.
Organic pet shampoos, which are often plant-based and cruelty-free, cannot include some of the synthetic components found in non-organic pet shampoos.
Buddha Bubbles is BARKING BUDDHA’s organic pet care line. Our animal bath care line is certified organic and produced with natural, non-irritating products that gently wash and care for all breeds of dog and cat.
WHY SHOULD I USE ORGANIC DOG SHAMPOO?
- Gentle and safe. Certified organic dog shampoos are soft on the skin and do not include SLS, a substance that can disrupt the delicate balance of the skin and cause itching and scratching in dogs.
- Excellent value for money. Because these non-irritating shampoos have a high concentration of pure and natural components, they are frequently more expensive than their synthetic equivalents, yet they really provide good value for money. You just need a small amount of organic dog shampoo to clean, shine, and fragrance your pet’s hair without exposing its skin and fur to harsh, synthetic substances.
- Excellent for their coat. Organic dog shampoos offer a healthy, clean coat without harsh chemicals by using natural components meant to improve coat quality.
Barking Buddha’s Shampoo and Conditioner are manufactured with Certified Organic ingredients and botanicals, making them a safe and natural method to clean and condition your dog’s delicate skin and coat. Our products eliminate smells by blending notes of lemongrass and tropical plant scents in the odor control.
It is rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9, as well as Vitamin E, and is made with pH balanced Organic Aloe Vera and natural ingredients such as Argan Oil, Shea Butter, Organic Oats, and botanicals to help return the dog’s skin to a natural equilibrium. Other components include Methylene Blue, an antifungal and antibacterial, as well as Organic Neem, Rosemary, and Lemongrass, which act as insect repellants.
WHICH ORGANIC DOG SHAMPOO IS BEST FOR MY PET?
Dogs, like people, have various lifestyles and are susceptible to a range of skin diseases. These vary not just from dog to dog but also based on the breed of your pet.
Labradors and lively young Spaniels, for example, love to play in muddy puddles and require a deep-cleaning shampoo that gently detangles knots in their coats and freshens their stinky fur.
An elderly, short-haired Bassett Hound may suffer from yeast infections and sensitive skin, necessitating the use of a specialized dog shampoo that washes their painful skin without causing irritation and aids in the management of bacterial odors.
To assist you in selecting the finest organic shampoo for your dog, our products are organically customized to be suited for all dog breeds.
INGREDIENTS TO AVOID IN DOG SHAMPOO
Are you concerned about the ingredients in the dog shampoo you use? If you aren’t already, you should be.
Because your dog’s skin is her greatest organ, everything you apply on her skin and coat can be absorbed into her body. So you don’t want to bathe your dog with anything potentially hazardous.
But, let’s be honest, reading the ingredient list on your dog’s shampoo or soap is a difficult endeavor – and not only because the lettering is so small. It’s also difficult to grasp the names of the chemicals. Here’s how to determine which dog shampoo components to avoid.
Ingredients That Are Good Or Bad
The labels are riddled with ambiguous meanings, making it difficult to know what to look for. Depending on the production procedure, the same component might be classed as a moderate skin irritant or one known to cause cancer.
If we could audit the facility and the manufacturer’s books to see if they spend the extra time and money to eliminate the impurities left behind after synthesis… We might more readily define components as “good” or “poor” after seeing how they dispose of pollutants.
Complicating matters even further is the fact that many manufacturers purchase the raw components and then combine them to create their products. As a result, the maker of your dog’s shampoo is unlikely to purchase coconut oil and synthesize it to create sodium lauryl sulfate.
They purchase sodium lauryl sulfate and combine it with additional ingredients to create the final composition. Where they got the sodium lauryl sulfate and how it was made may not have been on their due diligence radar.
If the producer of your dog’s shampoo does not do their homework and spends the extra money for contaminant-free sodium lauryl sulfate, they may be introducing harmful byproducts into your dog’s shampoo.
Greenwashing Is Here
The sole “ingredient” likely to be stated on the label is “all-natural coconut-based cleanser,” regardless of whether the dog shampoo producer acquired clean or contaminated components.
Welcome to the world of greenwashing: Marketing a product as natural, regardless of how flimsy the claim, in order to increase sales. Some of the worst dog shampoos employ this marketing trick to trick you into thinking they’re natural!
While no studies have been conducted to test dog shampoo companies for pollutants, we can obtain a basic impression of the product and corroborate the “natural” claims by looking at the components.
The TOP 15 Bad Dog Shampoo Ingredients
These substances may be used as a litmus test to see if a product is natural, safe, and non-toxic. If your dog shampoo or dog soap contains ANY of these substances, do not use it on your dog.
1. Exclusive coat and skin conditioners and moisturizing formulation. “That isn’t an ingredient!” you may be thinking. You are correct. However, it is regularly mentioned on dog shampoo packaging. Do not buy this product if you see this statement. When producers don’t want you to know what’s in the bottle, they say this.
2. Artificial scent can be made up of hundreds or thousands of different substances, none of which must be specified on the label. Cancer, as well as reproductive and developmental harm, have been linked to several synthetic perfumes.
3. Pthalates are most certainly not stated on the label. If you notice the word “fragrance,” pthalates are very certainly present. They’re utilized to hold the aroma along with the other components. Phthalates are hormone disruptors, which means they disturb the endocrine system.
4. Artificial colors are petroleum-based and have been linked to organ damage, cancer, birth abnormalities, and allergic responses. Artificial colors are not made from “pure” ingredients. Many of them are tainted with waste and are utilized to cosmetically improve the product by the producer.
(What? Did you believe your shampoo was naturally flaming pink?)
5. Preservatives containing formaldehyde. Although “formaldehyde” is not listed as a component, it is still there. After receiving a lot of negative criticism, formaldehyde was modified into a “slow-releasing” chemical.
While it emits less formaldehyde than its predecessor, it is nonetheless formaldehyde… It has also been linked to an immunological response, which might involve skin burning, itching, blistering, or scaling.
Because these chemicals have not been properly investigated, the judgment is still out on whether they are connected to cancer.
Avoid products that include any of the following ingredients: Bromopol, Doazolidinyl urea, DMDM Hydantoin (frequently misspelled on dog shampoo packages as DHDH hydantoin), Imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-7, -15, -31, -61, and Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.
6. Preservatives containing isothiazolinone. Both methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone are recognized skin irritants that have been linked to severe allergic responses. There is compelling evidence that methylisothiazolinone is neurotoxic.
7. Paraben preservatives are believed to be “stored” in the body, bringing health dangers such as hormone disruption, cancer, and reproductive difficulties. Butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben are among the examples.
8. Cocamide-MEA is a surfactant that is banned for usage in cosmetics due to nitrosamine contamination issues. Nitrosamines are pollutants that can occur under particular conditions, such as high temperatures or acidic pH levels (3-5 or lower).
They are a kind of chemical that is considered to be carcinogenic and to have reproductive, developmental, and organ system toxicity.
Nitrosamines can pollute wastewater as well. Believe it again if you think the nitrosamine warning is alarmist.
Cocamide-MEA is an ingredient in one of the most popular “natural” dog shampoos on the market. This product’s pH was 3.5 when tested… Nitrosamines can form in this environment.
9. Triethanolamine is quite similar to Cocamide-MEA and may be referred to as Cocamide-TEA. It’s a surfactant and a pH adjuster. It, like Cocamide-MEA, is very susceptible to nitrosamine contamination.
10. Mineral oil in dog shampoo helps the skin maintain moisture by acting as a protective barrier. Isn’t it fantastic? It also prevents the skin from producing its own natural oils and removing impurities, which is undesirable.
It is a liquid hydrocarbon mixture derived from crude oil. It has the potential to be a poison and an allergen. Many publications on the internet recommend that pet owners put a drop of mineral oil in their dogs’ eyes before bathing them, claiming that the mineral oil would prevent the eyes from stinging if they get detergent or soap in them. Don’t do it!
Only pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil has been cleaned of contaminants such as complex hydrocarbons and benzene. Other grades of mineral oil do not have any pollutants.
11. SD Alcohol 40 (also known as isopropyl or SD-40) is damaging to skin and hair oils. SD-40 also improves skin absorption, which means that it is easier for other harmful chemicals to enter the body via the skin when SD-40 is present. SD-40 is the main ingredient in many ear-cleaning solutions.
12. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a humectant, which means it helps the skin retain moisture. While PEG is a recognized skin irritant, it is also a “penetration enhancer,” which means it acts as a carrier for other compounds, allowing them to pass through the skin and into circulation. And it just gets worse. It might also contain dioxane and ethylene oxide!
13. PEG-40 Lanolin polyethylene glycol is a lanolin derivative. There is little evidence that it can cause organ toxicity. The greater risk is that it may include dioxane and ethylene oxide.
14. Propylene glycol functions as a skin conditioner, solvent, and humectant. It works similarly to polyethylene glycol as a penetration enhancer. It is also thought to be an immune system toxin, neurotoxic, reproductive toxin, and skin toxin.
15. Preservative (sodium benzoate). Many dog owners wonder if sodium benzoate is safe for their pets. It isn’t. When sodium benzoate and citric acid or ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are combined, they can combine to form benzene, a cancer-causing chemical linked to leukemia and other blood diseases. Sodium benzoate is deemed harmless when not coupled with citric or ascorbic acid.
The Safest Dog Shampoo Is Certified Organic
You place your confidence in the maker of your dog’s grooming products, yet there are no laws requiring manufacturers to meet requirements for ingredient purity, verification of “natural” claims, or disclosure of production practices.
USDA-certified organic dog shampoo and dog soap are subjected to a considerably greater level of investigation. Throughout their existence, all components are examined… including where they are cultivated, harvested, processed, transported, packaged, and delivered.
Certified organic dog grooming products also include no GMO materials, pesticides, herbicides, artificial colors, or scents.
Conclusion Regarding Dog Shampoo Ingredients
You may take your magnifying glass to the store to study the ingredient list when looking for your new dog shampoo. But that is quite difficult.
Instead, look for “certified organic dog shampoo”… nevertheless, not “natural dog shampoo.”
If you search for “natural dog shampoo,” avoid products that include any of the 15 substances mentioned below! Keep your dog’s bath time free of dangerous chemicals that masquerade as natural!