How to Read Pet Shampoo Labels and Avoid Harmful Ingredients

What Pet Shampoo Labels Don’t Tell You About Toxic Ingredients

You can protect your pet from potentially toxic ingredients in pet shampoos by understanding the labels so you know what’s in them. Your pet’s skin is his biggest organ. It protects him from disease, virus, insects and all other elements of the environment, which is why it’s important to have a good understanding of what’s in the products you use.  What you put on your pet’s skin is easily absorbed—if you’re not already reading labels, now’s the time to start.

As caring pet owners, we have a responsibility to avoid using products that are toxic. Labels often include vague or misleading terms that make it hard to understand what you're really buying. They are often hard to decipher. Understanding the ingredients listed on the labels of pet shampoos is key to making the right choice when purchasing. Here are a few potentially toxic ingredients to be on the outlook for when making your buying decisions. You may discover that 100% natural shampoos are your best bet for good reason.

Sulfates – Harsh Detergents That Strip and Irritate Skin

Sulfates are known irritants that can cause redness, dryness, and itching. The two most widely used are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). Sulfates are often tested on animals to measure the level of irritation to people’s skin, lungs and eyes. We can only assume the testing is painful to these animals.

Parabens – Linked to Hormonal Disruption and Tumor Growth

Parabens are cheap preservatives found in many pet shampoos—but their cost to your pet's health could be far greater. Their purpose is to extend shelf life. They easily penetrate your pet’s skin and have been linked to certain cancers. They also may cause reproductive issues and tumor growth. They’re also harmful to the environment and commonly found under different names in pet shampoos. But one of the dangers in using products containing artificial fragrances is many are made of petrochemicals from crude oil–a highly toxic substance. 

The most common parabens are: 

Methylparaben 

Propylparaben

Butylparaben

Ethylparaben

Also, pet shampoos often include phthalates, one of the most commonly used artificial fragrance ingredients. It is known for disrupting the hormonal balance in dogs. Unfortunately, many of these artificial fragrances contain chemical structures akin to pesticides. They may potentially slowly poison your pet. 

Formaldehyde Releasers – Carcinogens Hiding Behind Long Names

Formaldehyde releasers are among the most common preservatives used in shampoos. They are known as carcinogenic to humans. It has been found to initiate and promote the formation of tumors. When formaldehyde is present in pet care products, it is equally harmful to owners. They too will be exposed by inhaling the formaldehyde that is off-gassed from the product, by ingesting it or absorbing it through the skin. This dangerous preservative found in pet shampoos is tested on animals. No animal should have to endure such cruel testing methods.

The U.S. allows formaldehyde as long as it's slow-releasing. Watch for formaldehyde hidden under names like:

DMDM Hydantoin

Imidazolidinyl Urea

Diazolidinyl Urea

Quaternium-15

Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol)

5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane

Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate

Glyoxal

Polyoxymethylene Urea

Methenamine

Propylene Glycol – Penetration Enhancer with Toxic Side Effects 

This is a skin conditioner, solvent and humectant. It's used in pet shampoos as a penetration enhancer. It’s also suspected to be an immune system toxin, neurotoxin, reproductive toxin, and skin irritant.

Methylchloroisothiazolinone – Banned in Safer Countries, But Still Used Here

This is a preservative used in dog shampoos. This antifungal preservative is still used in dog shampoos, despite links to organ failure and cancer. This is another of the potentially toxic ingredients that continues to be used in pet shampoos even though Canada and Japan have banned it.

Safe Ingredients In Pet Shampoos – Make It A Priority

Now that you understand what manufacturers have been putting in your pet shampoos, we urge you to read the label before purchasing. We recommend choosing shampoos that are fully natural—one or two natural ingredients can’t compensate for a base filled with cheap fillers. If they are formulated properly, they will give your pet years of bathing in a solution that cleanses, conditions, nourishes and shines.

As an example, PawPurity Flea & Tick Shampoo consists of olive oil, aloe vera oil, distilled water, calendula, yucca, marjoram, lemongrass, horsetail, red clover, nettle leaf, apple cider vinegar, salt, vitamin E, honeysuckle, frankincense, marjoram essential oil, cedarwood essential oil, and lemongrass essential oil. All ingredients have at least one natural therapeutic agent including condition, soothe, antibacterial, antiseptic, dander prevention, anti-fungal, insect repellent and anti-inflammatory. We invest time and research, and test on humans first, to ensure only the finest ingredients are used. Our priority is to keep your pet healthy and void of harmful toxins.

Every manufacturer should do the same! If manufacturers understood pets are family, they would.