Avoid These Ingredients in Your Dog’s Shampoo

Giving your dog a bath is one of the most manageable parts of caretaking, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care to do it right. The first thing Sit Means Sit needs you to remember about bathtime is that you should never use human shampoo on your buddy’s fur because our ingredients are much worse on dog skin. Instead, aim for a canine-specific shampoo designed with their sensitivities in mind. As you hunt for a cleanser, make sure to avoid these ingredients.

Parabens

The cosmetic industry uses parabens to lengthen shelf-life for various beauty products, particularly shampoos. It keeps them from growing mold within the bottles, so it’s pretty common to see them on labels. Unfortunately, they can cause skin irritation and even infections on your dog, so it’s best to avoid them overall. Check for methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl parabens, as these are the most common in dog shampoos. 

Ethanolamines

These chemicals are used in shampoos to create a creamy feel and increase lather ability. Monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), and triethanolamine (TEA) are the most commonly used derivatives and can be really harmful to dogs when mixed with certain ingredients. They create carcinogenic nitrosamines that can be absorbed through the skin and cause several toxic effects when they combine. Unfortunately, ethanolamines have different names, so it’s a little harder to identify them on the label. However, you can still look out for these variations on your shampoo journey:

• Diethanolamine (DEA)
• Cocamide DEA 
• DEA-cetyl phosphate
• DEA oleth-3 phosphate
• Lauramide DEA
• Myristamide DEA 
• Oleamide DEA 
• Monoethanolamine (MEA)
• Cocamide MEA 
• Linoleamide MEA 
• Stearamide MEA
• Triethanolamine (TEA)
• TEA-lauryl sulfate

Sulfates

This chemical is used in human and dog shampoos alike. Manufacturers use them to promote sud production and strip the fur of oil and dirt. Unfortunately, the stripping components are so strong that they often remove the natural oils from your dog’s skin and cause intense irritation or infection. It has a list of byproducts that can cause cancer, birth defects, tumors, and even pollute the environment through waste streams. Make sure to avoid dog shampoos with these sulfates on the label:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
• Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)
• Sodium Coco-Sulfate (SCS)

If you’re having trouble finding shampoo without these ingredients, going organic might be a better option for you. You can even try making your own shampoo if you prefer to have even more control over what goes on your pet’s skin.