Hello, my name is Stephanie and I am a Shampoo-aholic.
At one time in the salon I must have had twenty-five gallon sized bottles of shampoo and at least as many smaller bottles and samples. Fifteen years ago when I was an apprentice, my teacher used one simple, cheap, no-name line of shampoos. There was a blue one, a green one, a yellow one and an orange one for fleas. They were okay, but they didn’t smell very nice, the dogs usually needed several baths and my hands would crack and peel after a time. When I bought the salon and began purchasing my own supplies, I started to do some research. To my surprise, I found that the variety and quality of pet shampoo now rivals human shampoo. A bewildering variety, in fact.
What makes them different? Why would one variety be superior to another? Which shampoo is appropriate for what dog? Those are excellent questions and a little beyond me to answer in detail. I highly recommend reading BBird’s GroomBlog. She has made quite a study of the chemistry of shampoo and has also written a book on the subject.
I require several different shampoos for different reasons. I keep a basic, all around shampoo, suitable for the majority of dogs that I groom. In addition, I have a gentle whitening, brightening shampoo, used for white and light coloured dogs. I need a medicated shampoo for dogs who have irritations, hot spots, allergies, and greasy coats. I usually have a soap-free oatmeal shampoo for dogs with dry, itchy skin or those who can’t tolerate the medicated shampoo. I have a conditioning shampoo with silicone for dogs with matted coats or those who shed. Finally, I keep a simple, soap-free, colour-free, perfume-free, tearless, hypoallergenic shampoo. This is useful for extra sensitive dogs and owners. I carry the basic shampoo in a medium bottle and the others in small bottles to reduce the weight I carry as an in-home groomer.
I select my shampoos based on many factors. They should be free of animal cruelty. I want them to be effective when diluted to the manufacturer’s recommendations. There is no point in buying a shampoo that is supposed to dilute 50:1 if it is little better than plain water at that dilution. When I say effective, I mean that I want them to get the average dog clean within two baths, one if used with a quality bathing system. Soap-free is a grand ideal but a useless one if the dogs are still dirty. If they are effective, they should not be too drying. I need a shampoo that rinses easily and quickly so that no residue remains to irritate the dog. They should remove odour without being too heavily perfumed if they are a scented shampoo. Scent is pleasant but subjective and many people have serious sensitivities these days. Finally, the coat should respond well to the shampoo and not seem too limp or too tacky when it is dried.
It seems a lot to consider, but I have sampled dozens of shampoos and you would be surprised at the differences between them. Some clean better in hard water than soft water and vice versa. Some seem perfect in every way, but inexplicably make too many of the dogs itchy no matter how well they are rinsed, or give the groomer dry, cracked hands. I once found a really nice shampoo but did not realize it had almond oil as an ingredient. It made the client’s nut sensitive son break out in a rash each time he petted the dog.
Currently I highly recommend the Show Seasons line, the Kelco line, and Best Shot products. They are reasonably priced and have a shampoo solution for any situation. However, with my addiction to trying new shampoos I may have more to recommend in a while.
At one time in the salon I must have had twenty-five gallon sized bottles of shampoo and at least as many smaller bottles and samples. Fifteen years ago when I was an apprentice, my teacher used one simple, cheap, no-name line of shampoos. There was a blue one, a green one, a yellow one and an orange one for fleas. They were okay, but they didn’t smell very nice, the dogs usually needed several baths and my hands would crack and peel after a time. When I bought the salon and began purchasing my own supplies, I started to do some research. To my surprise, I found that the variety and quality of pet shampoo now rivals human shampoo. A bewildering variety, in fact.
What makes them different? Why would one variety be superior to another? Which shampoo is appropriate for what dog? Those are excellent questions and a little beyond me to answer in detail. I highly recommend reading BBird’s GroomBlog. She has made quite a study of the chemistry of shampoo and has also written a book on the subject.
I require several different shampoos for different reasons. I keep a basic, all around shampoo, suitable for the majority of dogs that I groom. In addition, I have a gentle whitening, brightening shampoo, used for white and light coloured dogs. I need a medicated shampoo for dogs who have irritations, hot spots, allergies, and greasy coats. I usually have a soap-free oatmeal shampoo for dogs with dry, itchy skin or those who can’t tolerate the medicated shampoo. I have a conditioning shampoo with silicone for dogs with matted coats or those who shed. Finally, I keep a simple, soap-free, colour-free, perfume-free, tearless, hypoallergenic shampoo. This is useful for extra sensitive dogs and owners. I carry the basic shampoo in a medium bottle and the others in small bottles to reduce the weight I carry as an in-home groomer.
I select my shampoos based on many factors. They should be free of animal cruelty. I want them to be effective when diluted to the manufacturer’s recommendations. There is no point in buying a shampoo that is supposed to dilute 50:1 if it is little better than plain water at that dilution. When I say effective, I mean that I want them to get the average dog clean within two baths, one if used with a quality bathing system. Soap-free is a grand ideal but a useless one if the dogs are still dirty. If they are effective, they should not be too drying. I need a shampoo that rinses easily and quickly so that no residue remains to irritate the dog. They should remove odour without being too heavily perfumed if they are a scented shampoo. Scent is pleasant but subjective and many people have serious sensitivities these days. Finally, the coat should respond well to the shampoo and not seem too limp or too tacky when it is dried.
It seems a lot to consider, but I have sampled dozens of shampoos and you would be surprised at the differences between them. Some clean better in hard water than soft water and vice versa. Some seem perfect in every way, but inexplicably make too many of the dogs itchy no matter how well they are rinsed, or give the groomer dry, cracked hands. I once found a really nice shampoo but did not realize it had almond oil as an ingredient. It made the client’s nut sensitive son break out in a rash each time he petted the dog.
Currently I highly recommend the Show Seasons line, the Kelco line, and Best Shot products. They are reasonably priced and have a shampoo solution for any situation. However, with my addiction to trying new shampoos I may have more to recommend in a while.
No comments:
Post a Comment