Are Pet Shampoos Different Than Human Shampoos?
In our mobile pet grooming travels we’ve come across pets in Menifee, Murrieta, French Valley, Temecula, lake Elsinore, Fallbrook, Wildomar and Wine Country that have something in common. They share shampoo with their owners. You may probably wonder if there is a major difference between pet shampoos and human shampoos. Yes, there are. Human shampoos have more additives. Some premium pet shampoos are seeing more additives in them in recent years. Shampoos generally contain water, surfactants to act as a cleansing system, a foam building system of more surfactants, a preservative system, and then the additives. Shampoo’s unique character, including the fragrance and color, come from the additives. Additives comprise from 2% to 5% of the product itself.
While pet shampoos were initially simple formulas, they have now grown to have as many as 10 ingredients. Cetrimonium Chloride and Dimethicone are conditioning ingredients that are functional because of their anti-static, softening, and detangling benefits. Most human shampoos have a conditioning additive, so it is just normal for dog shampoos to follow suit. Pet shampoos often contain oatmeal, which is not often found in human shampoos.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein has become a popular ingredient in pet shampoos. It helps to fill the hair cuticle’s cracks and crevices offering a temporary soothing solution and greater hair volume. Fragrance additives have become a popular addition in both human and pet shampoos, but these additives are also the most common cause of allergic reactions. Another thing to consider is that most fragrance additives are phthalates, which may be possible cancer-causing substances.
We hear a lot about pH and how products designed for pets have a specific pH and using anything different could have harmful results. The actual measurement indicates that more than 60 pet shampoos compared to more than 45 human shampoos show that each group had more significant differences in it than the two groups had between them. So, pet and human shampoos aren’t that different.
Pet shampoos are more concentrated, but that is still not the biggest difference. The most significant difference isn’t what you pour out of the bottle but what you read on the bottle. Human shampoos must have labels that clearly disclose all the ingredients in descending order of volume. Pet products aren’t required to have such labeling. Manufacturers have the leeway to either disclose or not disclose any, some, or all ingredients, which helps maintain the cloak of secrecy in which many pet shampoo manufacturers don’t want to reveal their main ingredients. For this reason, the actual comparison of products is extremely difficult.
When it comes to your pet’s grooming needs, including baths, you can depend on It’s a Dog’s Life Spaw. We use high-quality organic pet shampoos (specifically Nature’s Specialties), so you can rest assured your dog’s skin is getting the best treatment available. Call us now at 855-774-SPAW (7729).
