dog shampoo-I know random

[xkitxgirx]

I was just looking for shampoo for my dog and I was thinking that it seems like its so much better than our own human shampoo sometimes. Am I wrong? Many of the ingredients I see are the same things that people would put into a hair treatment. Here's the ingredients to some of the different natural types that I've seen:

1)BLUE botanicals conditioner: Purified water, green tea extract, aloe vera, jojoba oil and water softeners.

2)Dr. Jeff Werber's Aromatherapy White Willow Shed Control Shampoo: Willow, lavender, jojoba, aloe, chamomile, evening primrose, coltsfoot.

The only ingredient in all of these that I'm not sure about is the willow. That is the only ingredient I can find that I don't know if it would be good for your hair or not. But I find it weird that the rest are great. So would it be weird to wash your hair with a dog shampoo??? lol. I get into all these curious thoughts all the time so sorry if this just sounds stupid. I just thought it was interesting how many good things are in dog shampoo if you buy the right kind. I wouldn't have even thought of this if I didn't have a dog. haha.

[kwaniesiam]

That sounds like an excellent list of ingrediants, where do you get it? I'd be willing to try it and I don't even have a dog! Worst case scenario, my grandmother does and I can pass it on to her if it doesn't work.

Only thing I'd be concerned with is its cleansing properties, since dogs do not produce nearly as much oil as humans, and do not need washed that frequently, so it may not clean your hair as well as you'd like. It'd be worth a shot though, it certainly won't hurt your hair if its safe for the pooch ;)

[ktani]

Willow contains salicylic acid for the aspirin sensitive and coltsfoot is toxic but it looks like it is in a very small quantity.

What is missing from the shampoo is the surfactant, or cleanser, from the list.

[xkitxgirx]

lol, good to hear, I may even try it for myself. I can't do CO but maybe I could if I used this with it. Though I guess it wouldn't be considered an actual CO but at least it's not as harsh of a shampoo!
They carry both of these at Petco actually..

Here's the conditioner: http://www.petco.com/product/106318/BLUE-Botanicals-Dog-Conditioners.aspx

The same brand also makes this shampoo but I'm not sure what they mean by "nonionic surfactants and water softeners."

And the other one, the shampoo: http://www.petco.com/product/106027/Dr-Jeff-Werber-s-Aromatherapy-Shampoos.aspx

[ktani]

lol, good to hear, I may even try it for myself. I can't do CO but maybe I could if I used this with it. Though I guess it wouldn't be considered an actual CO but at least it's not as harsh of a shampoo!
They carry both of these at Petco actually..

Here's the conditioner: http://www.petco.com/product/106318/BLUE-Botanicals-Dog-Conditioners.aspx

The same brand also makes this shampoo but I'm not sure what they mean by "nonionic surfactants and water softeners."

And the other one, the shampoo: http://www.petco.com/product/106027/Dr-Jeff-Werber-s-Aromatherapy-Shampoos.aspx

Those ingredients doesn't mean the shampoo is not too harsh for human hair. It probably isn't but the pH of a dog's skin is different than that of a human, http://publications.royalcanin.com/renvoie.asp?type=1&cid=106775&id=102343&com=2&animal=0&lang=2&session=2046190.

The pH of the shampoo is no doubt similar, and slightly alkaline. Human scalp pH is best treated with acidic cleansers at about pH 5.

[xkitxgirx]

I think it'd be weird for a dog shampoo to be too harsh for a human....especially since human shampoos are considered much too harsh for a dog(its recommended to never use a human shampoo on a dog...not even baby shampoo) so I would think it would be less harsh than the shampoo we have in this case.

[ktani]

"Should I use human shampoos on my pets?

.... a word about human shampoos is needed. While many do use human shampoos on their dogs, it is better not to. Human skin is more acidic than dog skin, and dog and cat skins are much thinner than that of a human. Other differences exist too ...."
http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/StoryTemplate_Process.cfm?Story_No=1628

[xkitxgirx]

That just says it;d be bad to use human shampoo on dogs, which is what I stated but is it really bad to use dog shampoos on humans? because dog shampoos are more gentle than human.

[ktani]

That just says it;d be bad to use human shampoo on dogs, which is what I stated but is it really bad to use dog shampoos on humans? because dog shampoos are more gentle than human.

Dog shampoos are going to be alkaline to accomodate the pH of dog skin.

Alkaline shampoos are less gentle on human hair by virtue of their pH.

That said, it still comes down to the formulation of the individual product.

Try the dog shampoo and see how you like it. That is all that matters here, how your hair and scalp react to the products.

[xkitxgirx]

oh I see, ok, lol. I just wanted to know why. heh. I might try it anyways just to see. I just like the lack of ingredients. Anything that gives me ingredients that I understand, I like, lol. I need to buy new shampoo for the dog anyways, I will let you guys know how it goes if I do try it!

[ktani]

oh I see, ok, lol. I just wanted to know why. heh. I might try it anyways just to see. I just like the lack of ingredients. Anything that gives me ingredients that I understand, I like, lol. I need to buy new shampoo for the dog anyways, I will let you guys know how it goes if I do try it!

Good luck!

Sometimes companies leave out infomation about certain ingredients because they like to hype others. It simply means to me, that such an ingredient list is incomplete.

Here is some information on nonionic surfactants.
http://www.chemistryquestion.com/English/Questions/ChemistryInDailyLife/27c_nonionic_surfactant.html

[BittSweetCherry]

I can't say whether this particular formula is okay for humans, but I can tell you that one of my friends uses dog shampoo on her hair. Her sister is a vet which meant she had help researching formulas to find one she thought would be suitable. After about a year she reports no problems whatsoever.

As a side note: my friend and I both use rotating pin combs (ie. dog combs, or wig combs) because they apply far, far less tensile stress on your hair than human brushes. It seems bizarre that more scientific testing has gone into animal combs, but it makes sense in some respect - you might put up with tugging knots out of your head everyday, but doing the same thing to a shaggy, wet 20kg dog (like a labrador) with inferior tools is asking to be punished. The plus side is you have time to stop pulling when you hit a snag before the hair snaps, and it causes less static than plastic combs.

[Debra83]

A bunch of us are using megatek and other products by Eqyss which is for horses and dogs according to their site, but it says safe for human crossover. Maybe the shampoo maker of the shampoo you have for the dog has a website that may indicate it's okay for humans too?

[ktani]

I never meant to imply that dog shampoo was bad for human hair, only that being alkaline, it is not the best choice, IMO. That can be easily remedied, by the use of a vinegar rinse, following the shampoo.

Shampoo bars and soap are even more alkaline than dog shampoo would be IMO, and they are also not recommended for dogs.

Human hair and the human acid mantle is best maintained with products at a lower pH but as someone posted in another thread, individual pH varies (although still acid), so what works for one person, may not work for another, regarding exact pH.

“Variable skin pH values are being reported in literature, all in the acidic range but with a broad range from pH 4.0 to 7.0. .... we have assessed the skin surface pH of the volar forearm before and after refraining from showering and cosmetic product application for 24 h. .... On the basis of this pH drop .... estimated that the 'natural' skin surface pH is on average 4.7, i.e. below 5. This is in line with existing literature .... large number of reports (c. 50%) .... describes pH values below 5.0; this is in contrast to the general assumption, that skin surface pH is on average between 5.0 and 6.0. Not only prior use of cosmetic products, especially soaps, have profound influence on skin surface pH, but the use of plain tap water, in Europe with a pH value generally around 8.0, will increase skin pH up to 6 h after application before returning to its 'natural' value of on average below 5.0. .... demonstrated that skin with pH values below 5.0 is in a better condition than skin with pH values above 5.0, as shown by measuring the biophysical parameters of barrier function, moisturization and scaling ....."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489300

[Linda K]

So would it be weird to wash your hair with a dog shampoo??? lol.
.

LOL! Needing to put pupper in the sink several times a day this past week, I started wondering the same thing! His back side is still silky! I have a bar of Paw & Hoof Dreams (Ebay) w/ Essential Oils to soothe ... :D




As a side note: my friend and I both use rotating pin combs (ie. dog combs, or wig combs) because they apply far, far less tensile stress on your hair than human brushes.

I just started using a pin type brush I got for fur-by! I like it a lot better than what I've had!:)

[Calista]

I use Chagrin Valley dog shampoo bars (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/dogshampoo.htm) for my hair, and they are among the best Chagrin Valley has to offer IMO.

[ktani]

I use Chagrin Valley dog shampoo bars (http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/dogshampoo.htm) for my hair, and they are among the best Chagrin Valley has to offer IMO.

I would definitely use the one without comfrey root powder, if I were you.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=434048&postcount=5

[Linda K]

The Paw & Hoof Dreams soap is made from:
Saponified oils of olive, palm, coconut & hemp seed
Shea Butter
Green tea, Grape seed & Aloe Vera extracts
Glycerin
Vitamin E
Green tea leaves
and nothing elseThey sell for $5 ($3 ship) a bar - I'm still using the same one from well over a year ago. I really prefer the liquid soap - I put in a foaming bottle. For this I put some warm water in a wide plastic glass and rub it with my fingers - then poured in the bottle.

CALISTA: Which of these bars do you use? Looks like they both start out with similar ingredients!
ETA: I also just saw on the website the only caution is NOT using it on cats!

[Calista]

Linda, I use the Cedarwood&Lavender shampoo. It smells woodsy, slightly masculine, very different from Ida´s other shampoos IMO. It is not recommended to use any kind of essential oils on cats, hence the cautioning on the website.

Ktani, I only wash once a week and rotate all my bars, so this particular bar only gets used maybe once every three months. I´ll bear it in mind, though.