Don't let your doggy near these ingredients! Avoid these chemicals next time you buy doggy shampoo and keep your pooch healthy.

Are you concerned about what’s in the shampoo you use for your dog? If you’re not, you probably should be.

Your dog’s skin is her largest organ and anything you use on her skin and coat can be absorbed into the body. So you want to avoid bathing your dog with anything that might be toxic.

Avoid The Top 14
These “top 14” ingredients can be a litmus test for determining whether a product is natural, safe and non-toxic. If the shampoo contains ANY of these ingredients you should NOT use the product on your dog.

Proprietary blend of coat and skin conditioners and moisturizers.

Pthalates are likely not listed on the label. If you see “fragrance,” it’s very likely that pthalates are present.

Artificial colors are synthesized from petroleum and are linked to organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and allergic reactions.

Formaldehyde preservatives. You won’t see “formaldehyde” on the list of ingredients; but it’s still around.

If you see any of these names on the bottle, avoid the product:  Bromopol, Doazolidinyl urea, DMDM Hydantoin (often mis-typed on dog shampoo bottles as DHDH hydantoin), Imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-7, -15, -31, -61, and Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate.

Isothiazolinone preservatives: Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone are both known skin irritants that have been associated with significant allergic reactions.

Cocamide-MEA is a surfactant that is restricted for use in cosmetics as it has high contamination concerns from nitrosamines.

Triethanolamine is very closely related to Cocamide-MEA and may be listed as Cocamide-TEA.

Mineral oil in dog shampoo helps the skin retain its own moisture by providing a protective barrier over it. Sounds great, right? It also keeps the skin from releasing its own natural oils and eliminating toxins … and that’s not so great.
SD Alcohol 40 (often called isopropyl or SD-40) in a grooming product it is drying to both the skin and hair oils.

And 6 More To Steer Clear Of
Next, we look at 6 more ingredients that may cause allergic reactions or irritate sensitive skin. These ingredients have a high probability of being contaminated with toxic byproducts.

Sodium benzoate preservative. When sodium benzoate and citric acid or ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are mixed together they may become benzene – a cancer-causing chemical associated with leukemia and other blood disorders.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant, detergent, and emulsifier used in a LOT of products. In its powder form, SLS is a known skin irritant and may be inhaled causing organ system toxicity.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is used as a cleaning agent (surfactant) with a high risk for contamination with 1,4-dioxane (dioxane), a known carcinogen, and ethylene oxide – also a known carcinogen, developmental toxin, immunotoxin, and allergen.

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate is a surfactant known to cause skin irritation and may be contaminated with dioxane and ethylene oxide.

Cocamidopropyl betaine is a synthetic surfactant associated with skin irritation and allergic reactions. It’s used to make the product thick and foamy.

Certified Organic Is Safest
You put a high level of trust in the manufacturer of your dog’s grooming products yet there are no regulations that hold manufacturers to standards for ingredient purity, verification of “natural” claims or disclosure of manufacturing processes.

Certified organic dog grooming products go through a much higher level of scrutiny. All ingredients are reviewed throughout their lifecycle – from where and how they are grown, harvested, processed, transported, packaged, and shipped. Certified organic dog grooming products also verify that there are no GMO ingredients, no pesticides, herbicides, artificial colors, or artificial fragrance.

Bottom line

When searching for your next dog shampoo … search for “certified organic dog shampoo” not “natural dog shampoo.” If you do search for “natural dog shampoo” don’t purchase the product if it contains any of the 20 ingredients listed here!

These ingredients can be hard to avoid but there are many organic options for your pooch. Keeping your doggy clean isn't the only thing to think about, make sure you're not putting anything harmful on his fur that can damage in the long run.

For more information on the ingredients you should avoid, be sure to visit Dogs Naturally.