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Making Soap Free Dog Wash?
Hi everyone,
I hope I’m following the rules with this question. I don’t have a science background, although I have always found science/chemistry to be very interesting.
I’m attempting to make a soap free shampoo for my dogs. I know that I could just buy a soap free shampoo… but what fun is that? I have made two attempts to make the shampoo. Both failed, but I have narrowed down the ingredients that I need and I think that I’m getting close.
I’d appreciate any advice about how I can make this possible.
Desired Result:
I’m basically looking to achieve a mostly natural semi-thick, coconut dog wash that’s soap free. Soap bothers both my skin and my dog’s skin. So it kind of works out for both of us.Here is my current ingredient list that I have narrowed down after some intense research and experimenting on myself (before the dogs of course)
- Lauryl glucoside - surfactant that apparently comes from coconuts
- coconut oil - In previous tests the wash came out very oily so I think that I should only use a small amount
- Sugar - I have heard that this can help with foaming
- Coconut water and/or distilled water
- Coconut scent
- Aloe
- Vitamin B
- Xanthan gum (for thickening)
- White mica powder (for white color)
- May also need some citric acid to lower the ph of the soap
So I guess my questions are:
1) Does it seem like I’m missing anything?
2) What’s the best way to put this all together? In previous tests, I was literally just sticking it all in a blender and blending it together. That seemed to work well. But should I be boiling this stuff? Sticking it in a crockpot? I’m kind of confused about that.
3) Any other advice for a novice like myself?
Thank you!
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12 Replies
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Just eliminate the Coconut Oil, Sugar and White Mica Powder and you have a simple shampoo and you’re good to go.
If you want to add some conditioning, add 1% Glyceryl Oleate instead of Coconut Oil.
Mica Powder … I suspect your dog could care less if the Shampoo is white, so why bother. Sugar … not a good idea.
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Mica Powder … I suspect your dog could care less if the Shampoo is white, so why bother. Sugar … not a good idea.
haha very good point about the color!
Thanks for the response. That sounds easy enough.
But why take out the Coconut Oil? Most soap free dog shampoos that I have seen use coconut oil.
For example, here’s one that I’m sort of looking to model:
http://tropiclean.com/product/oatmeal-tea-tree-medicated-dog-shampoo/
Purified water, mild coconut cleanser, avena sativa oatmeal, natural salicylic acid, organic blend of (chamomile extract, aloe extract, pomegranate extract, kiwi extract, yucca extract, papaya extract), hydrolyzed plant protein, fragrance, vitamin E, tea tree.
I wasn’t sure what “mild coconut cleanser” means so I contacted them.
Of course, their formula is “proprietary” but they did respond with the following - which includes coconut oil.
proprietary but it contains lauryl glucoside and is a very gentle cleanser made from coconut oil (lauryl) and sugar (glucose).
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There is NO “coconut oil” in that one you’re trying to copy. ZERO. If you wanted to add an oil, it would be best to use jojoba oil, and you would typically use a maximum of 0.2%.
Thickening a shampoo of that type is not as straightforward as adding Xanthan gum. By the time you get it thick enough the sensorials will be horrible: stringy. You could go hot process and add say 1.5% cocamide MEA which will improve foam and give some thickening, and use more thickeners. The best thickener of all, IMO, is Glucamate VLT. It is a bit expensive but has great sensorials, improves mildness, and acts as a preservative booster too. Cheaper but less good, something like HEC. -
Thanks Belassi,
I guess that I was assuming that they were using straight “coconut oil” out of the jar based on the customer rep’s response.
Thanks for the point about the Xanthan gum. It did seem to have a negative impact in one of my tests. I’ll look into the Glucamate VLT.
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Would you mind explaining what Hot Process means? or pointing me to a place where I can read about it?
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Hot process simply means heating the ingredients to the point where they can be mixed properly. You don’t need to do that unless you’re using solid ingredients. E.G., Cocamide MEA is a waxy solid and needs to be dissolved into the surfactant at 75C (melts 65C approx)
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Makes perfect sense. Thank you!
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I have two more quick questions for anybody who is willing to answer.
1) What’s the reason for not adding a coconut oil? When I have made soap with Lye I added coconut oil. Why shouldn’t I use it for a no soap wash?
2) Is there any benefit to using hydrolyzed plant protein? I’ve seen this used in different cosmetics
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1) completely different reaction
2) not for dogs, no.
Be careful with pH -
Use Baby shampoo technology for medium Lather and viscosity. mild to eyes and skin;easy rinsing.May need another variant for hair conditioning but once shampoo base is developed that should be easy.
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I have done a lot of Dog shampoos in the US Market in the last 3 years. Most “natural” Dog shampoos are liquid soaps. Look at Vermont Soaps for a representative product. Secondly, if you are looking to get more complicated and make a product loaded with actives and benefits, don’t. The Vet Market has a very tight price point and it is difficult to sell a “prestige” product in this niche. It is no accident that the bulk of the dog shampoos are sulfate based products.
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Nothing to do with the question but, I was once asked to formulate a camel shampoo.
I thought first of all it was a joke but, the company I worked for at the time sold the shampoo in multi-tonne shipments to various Middle Eastern countries.
It was notable that the shampoo had to be highly perfumed with similar fragrances to those topping the European designer fragrance markets at the time.
This was before all of the current problems in the Middle East and I still wonder if the shampoo was really for use on camels.
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