A Lot of Froth & Bubble - Natural Quality in Shampoos

One hears so much around the traps about the necessity to use or not use a good quality shampoo that it is time to put the record straight. Just because a friend of a friend says so, doesn't make it so, believe me. I never use detergent based products on people or dogs. The main active ingredient for any shampoo is called a surfactant which is a cleanser and most are derived from the petrochemical industry. One is always wary of "Sodium Lauryl Sulphates" which it is reported by Dr. Peter Dingle in his book "Dangerous Beauty" that 8 out of 10 shampoos sold in Australia contain, as they are vastly more irritating, can cause dry, itchiness and dandruff, and instead, one chooses "Sodium Laureth Sulphates." Then, from there, how does one ascertain if they are chemically sourced or nautrally derived? There is no legal requirement that pet & animal dog care products have the ingredients listed on the pack or where they are derived from. Plush Puppy shampoos are naturally derived from coconut oil and palm oil as opposed to the vastly more usual petrochemical derived. Whether it is petrochemical or natural, the surfactant is still called Sodium Laureth Sulphate. Confused?

Again there is no legal requirement to indicate the difference. So, is a naturally derived product better than a petrochemical one? We believe so. Not only from an environmental, renewable resources view but over the years, we have noted a much better track history from our clients in regards to allergies and skin disorders. Naturally derived products also cost much more to make so the benefits have to be there to justify the expense. Plush Puppy shampoos are also not tested on laboratory animals although I do confess to testing them on my family and dogs. The shampoos are bio-degradable, organic and full of naturally sourced extracts that have long been known for their medicinal qualities and lack of harmful side effects to man and nature.

To get the best value from your PP Shampoo as it is fairly concentrated, always break it down with water, at least 5:1 and only use "neat" on the really grubby bits such as feet etc.

The other benefit from diluting shampoo is that you don't run the risk of leaving any shampoo in the coat. Easy to remove shampoo if you have a hydrobath, but for those who do the bucket and hose or bathtub routine, then there is a high probability of leaving shampoo residue in the coat. Often I will see scurfy skin on a dog, especially dark coated dogs such as Rotties and Dobermans and it is evident from the small, flaky, white residue that the dog was a "shampoo victim". So, don't forget to dilute and rinse well.

For those whose dogs are washed each week and have dogs that live mostly indoors, a thorough shampoo cleanse is not necessary. Plush Puppy Hydrobath & Bath Wash is low foaming and just ideal for a "light touch" shampoo. You don't have to cleanse the hell out of a coat week in week out to make it clean. Doing so can make a coat fly-away and full of static which leads to lots of conditioner to rectify a problem that is often of your own making. Whew! Got that?

I also see people who scrub the giblets out of a coat. Lots of scrub-a-dub rubbing and plenty of elbow grease. Why? No-one needs to dig to China to get a dog clean. It simply tangles and wears at the coat which is in some breeds, fairly delicate. Gently does it. Nice squishy squeezes and always working from root/skin area to ends. Never work a coat from ends to skin as this is a sure way to mat the coat. Same goes for the conditioner. The only parts you can scrub are the short coated areas around the legs and feet. For stubborn stains on elbows, good old fashioned Sunlight Soap or Sard Wonder Soap is often the answer. Beware though if the dog has sensitive skin. These are fairly high alkaline; so is detergent!

Shampoos are now very specific doing all sorts of targeted jobs. Gone are the days of one shampoo does everything mentality. Your dog will go through several transitions of coat in a year's cycle and you can easily counteract the negative times with a specific shampoo such as PP Body Building Shampoo for the out of coat situations, the All Purpose Shampoo when the coat is just right and you don't want to soften or alter, the Conditioning Shampoo with Evening Primrose when you want to soften and enrich and the Whitening shampoo when you want to kill yellow/orange or reddish reflects, usually when the coat is old and sunburnt or just to give sparkly sheen to whites. When you want to remove a stain or product build up or simply bring whites back to pure white brilliance use the PP Deep Cleansing Shampoo. So now you know the bottom line to all the arguments of surfactants in shampoos. Nothing will stop the sensationalists from spreading tales of woe and fear. Indeed, who would buy books or or listen to good news about positives in the cosmetic and product industry? Bad news sells. TV and media play on sensationalism. The difficulty lies in rebutting misleading statements. Perhaps having a child with lots of allergies when he was young, steered me to a course of finding alternatives. I believe there is an argument for the naturally derived products in this world and still get performance. PLUSH PUPPY AUSTRALIA