Wise Dog on Product Labeling and more
Many Pet Grooming companies as well as human products choose to use incomplete ingredient list or use terms such as "coconut derived surfactant, coconut derived emulsifier, essence of lavender, rose etc." on their labels.

• Synthetic fragrances: white tea, scents like baby powder, strawberry, apple, peach, apricot, pineapple, coconut, melon, banana, cucumber, raspberry do not exists in essential oils, absolutes etc.
• Word Games: Ask the manufacturer what these are - ask for the INCI name, chemical name and/or the botanical name of the essence they are talking about. Coconut Oil derived cleanser can be, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS), Cocomidopropyl Betain, Cocomide MEA. Essence of Lavender can be a synthetic lavender fragrance oil. Train your nose to detect artificial fragrances - next time you stop by at a natural store that carries essential oils, ask them if you can test drive their Lavender - inhale the different kinds and glance over the botanical names.
• Pink, Blue, Green: Life is colorful, however what benefit is it to your dog if his/her grooming product is dyed? Next time you see a purple Lavender Shampoo or pink Rose Shampoo, turn the back of the bottle and look for a FD&C color name. It is not there? In that case, ask yourself, what else is not listed?

Here is a short think & check list for us all:

• synthetic fragrances of any kind - scents like baby powder, strawberry, apple, peach, apricot, pineapple, coconut, melon, banana, cucumber, raspberry, cherry do not exists in natural form such as essential oils, absolutes etc.
• surfactant=detergent - so, how can they advertise no detergent on a shampoo? easy, they are hoping that you won't ask! read up on (1)Cocomidopropyl Betain (can cause contact dermatitis), Sodium Laureth-13 Carboxylate, Monoethanolamine (MEA),Cocomaid MEA, SLS, TEA (triethanolamine) , SLES, ALS, DEA (Diethanolamine) -- go to ToxNet or House Hold Products Database and search for ingredients you want to read up on. Knowledge is power! Next time you see a product claiming to have no detergents, ask them what makes this magical concoction foam!
• colorful products - ask yourself, does your dog care about artificial colors such as pink, red, purple etc.? Do these colors provide any health benefits or are they an advertising gimmick to lure you?
• formaldehyde donors - formaldehyde releasing preservatives Quaternium-15 (Dow 200 - Dow Chemical Company), Suttocide A (Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate), Imidazolidynyl urea, DMDM Hydantoin DMDM Hydantoin
• demand honesty - pet grooming companies as well as human personal product manufacturers to come "clean" and disclose ingredients fully and correctly.
• Coconut derived? when you see a product that has "coconut derived" surfactant or emulsifier in it, feel free to ask for the INCI name of the ingredient used.
• proprietary info? - ask yourself "would I use this on my human baby?" when you find a product with no ingredient list or with "proprietary info" claims.
• what is "coconut derived surfactant, coconut derived emulsifier, aromatherapy inspired, essence of lavender, rose etc."? great questions - look below.
• did you know that Coconut Oil derived cleanser can be, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS), Cocomidopropyl Betain, Cocomide MEA. Essence of Lavender can be a synthetic lavender fragrance oil. Aromatherapy inspired can be anything that smells good - like peach candles filled with man-made fragrances.
• no sulfates, no detergent - So, some manufacturers have caught on the "no sulfate" demands of public and now are claiming to formulate dog products without SLS, SLES -- some even go further and claim there is no DEA, TEA etc. -- Fabulous! Next time you see an advertisement that says "no sulfates, no detergents" ask the manufacturer the INCI name of their surfactants! Do not settle for coconut derived, ask for the INCI name -- for example we use Decyl Polyglucoside in our dog shampoos and in our super gentle human face washes - we do not say derived from sugar, woof!
• no detergent, no soap claims - A surfactant is a detergent, plain and simple. Ask the manufacturer what makes their shampoo foam - ask for the INCI name of the surfactant blend. If no surfactant is used, the shampoo is made with a liquid soap. If neither is used, ask the manufacturer what makes this shampoo foam?
• we use soap, surfactants are bad - Such comments are not based on facts. We do make cold-processed handmade soaps for our human customers, so we are well aware of the process and chemistry of soap and surfactant based cleansers. For dogs, we choose to use surfactants such as Decyl Polyglucose (used by many baby & personal care product makers) after product testing and feedback. Our canine customers are mostly super sensitive and many of them cannot use soap based products. We have found that keeping an open mind and not allowing companies using scare tactics to frighten you into a buying frenzy is the best route.
• compare prices on organic ingredients and essential oils - when you see a 12 oz shampoo claiming to use Rose Essential oil for less than $12.00, do ask for GC testing of the Essential oil from the manufacturer. Keep in mind that 1 oz. of pure Turkish Rose costs nearly $950!
• aromatherapy based - now that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, you have to be more vigilant and ask more questions. Not every essential oil or hydrosol is created equal. Look for Aromatherapy grade GC tested essential oils -- feel free to ask for a copy of the GC testing if you like to be sure.
• don't take our word -- manufacturers may claim anything when it comes to their own products.
  Example: We use "better than human ingredients" in dog products!
  Example: Best shampoo made by anyone in the world.
  Example: "We use truly natural cleansers."
  Example: "100% natural and organic."
  Example: We are the first company to make a sulfate and paraben free shampoo in North America!
  Answer: We have been at this since 1997 and are sure that there are other companies that make good products, remarks such as the one above are bought and sold - in trade magazines and color posters. Do not let them sell it to you...
  Mundo's Response: Why take their word for it, read, ask and read more! Only you can decide what is "better than...." when it comes to your dog, your health, your family...!

Your fur family deserves all the best - ask for honesty from manufacturers. Demand full ingredient list with correct International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient (INCI) nomenclature.

Be like your dog, do not settle for "no", do not settle ever! Woof!

All information provided at CyberCanine.com is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended as medical advice and can never replace medical care and treatments.

(1) Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 33, No. 6, pages 419-422, 27 references, 1995