WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

The statistics are astonishing... 5% of all cancer cases in dogs are hereditary, while the remaining 95% are influenced by environmental factors (most commonly improper nutrition, toxins, pollution...).

Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs older than two years. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize the impact of harmful environmental factors on our dogs as much as possible.

Dog owners are starting to understand the importance of feeding their pets with natural healthy nutrition; they also pay attention to vaccinations, as well as flea and tick treatments and other pesticides, such as heart, worm medications, that pose risks. However, grooming products are equally important.

WHY SHOULD WE FOCUS ON PET GROOMING PRODUCTS?

Did you know that a dog's largest organ is the skin, responsible for protecting the body from injuries and diseases?

Would you be surprised to learn that your dog's skin is much thinner and more sensitive than yours?

It's true. Your dog's epidermis (skin) is about three to five cells thick, while a human's skin is composed of no less than 10-15 cells. That's why choosing a safe and non-toxic product is crucial. Unfortunately, it's not always easy...

For these reasons, we have created our natural ZENOO shampoo to protect both our own doggie and our customers' fur.

In this article, we will provide three simple tips on how to choose a safe and genuinely natural dog shampoo.

SULFATES

While there are many chemical ingredients that can make a product thicker, sulfates are the most commonly used. Sulfates also provide foaming, smoothness, and a shiny coat.

These substances also "capture" dirt, which is then washed away later.

However, sulfates also strip natural oils from your dog's skin and coat, causing irritation or even allergies.

If an infection doesn't occur in the irritated areas, you'll likely never notice any signs of damage. This is often hindered by long and thick fur.

How to recognize sulfates?

The two most commonly used sulfates are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). While SLS is more dangerous than SLES, both irritants can cause redness, dryness, and itching.

The Health Canada, the European Union, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider SLS and SLES safe when they are not contaminated with by-products, but they classify them as irritants.

By-products? What are they? If there are no by-products, is SLS safe? Well…

During the process of oil or plant conversion into cleaning agents, by-products, often called contaminants, are produced. By-products don't necessarily have to be included in the list of ingredients, and depending on the manufacturing process, there may be many or few of them.

By-products can be removed or left out at the end of the chemical process. However, the removal of by-products is an additional expense, and there are no regulations forcing manufacturers to remove them.

The Organic Consumers Association participated in a 2008 study testing 100 common brands to look for these process contaminants (by-products). The contaminant they were looking for is called 1,4-dioxane - a cancer-causing compound.

Their findings were shocking. Many commonly used brands were contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, including brands like "Earth Friendly Products" and "Sea-Chi Organics."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed 1,4-dioxane as a potential human carcinogen, meaning it can cause cancer. Non-carcinogenic effects include potential problems with the nervous system, liver, and kidneys.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN LOOK FOR ON THE LABEL TO AVOID THESE INGREDIENTS:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate

• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

• Sodium Coco Sulfate

• TEA Lauryl Sulfate

• MEA Lauryl Sulfate

• Natural cleaners

• Coconut-based cleaners

• Naturally derived from coconuts

• Vegetable-based cleaners

• Coconut-based surfactants

Artificial dyes

These are synthetic dyes, usually made from petroleum. While the dyes may be FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved, they have connections to toxicity to the organ system (impedes renewal) and are known as bioaccumulators (can accumulate in the organ system).

If that didn't convince you, FD&C (Food, Drug, and Cosmetic) and D&C (Drug and Cosmetic) dyes are coal tar derivatives, which are constantly tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties.

Artificial fragrances

Does your shampoo have a strong scent that doesn't resemble essential oils? If the ingredient list says "citronella essential oil," but the shampoo smells like coconut, something is wrong! Don't let that slip by your nose!

Synthetic fragrances can be made from hundreds to thousands of individual ingredients. We, as consumers, cannot know what is in the formulation because the ingredients are not required to be listed on the product label. Fragrance manufacturers often claim that it is a trade secret, so the ingredients are not disclosed.

Research has found that fragrances in human skin care products are one of the most common causes of allergic reactions. Some synthetic fragrances have also been linked to serious health problems such as cancer and toxicity to reproduction and development.

If you use a product with synthetic fragrance and don't see sudden changes in your dog's skin, don't think everything is fine...

You won't see skin changes until the skin fights these synthetic fragrances. In doing so, it tries to protect the body or heal itself. Therefore, your pet may not show signs of itching or scratching until the skin has an obvious infection.

Just think about it... your dog's original scent certainly doesn't remind anyone of coconuts or cherries. If it smells so bad that you need to bathe it, find a high-quality organic dog shampoo with essential oils and give your furry friend a safe and healthy bath!

So, what to look for on the label? Look for the words "Fragrance" or "Fragrances."

These tips are just a small but important part of choosing safe care products for your beloved companion. Therefore, we invite you to try our ZENOO shampoo, which contains any nonsense!!