Turby and John

Below is my review for one of the two products that Eco Store USA generously sent me. Clementine and Winston both have especially dry and itchy skin during the winter months, so I was hoping that this Hypoallergenic Shampoo would provide them with some relief.

Ingredients (provided at ecostoreusa.com)- “Aqua (water), Coco Glucoside,  Aloe Vera (certified organic), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glyceryl Oleate, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Panthenol, Botanical extract blend of Chamomile,Calendula and Sage, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Neem Oil, Sodium Chloride (sea salt), Honey, Honey and Almond Natural Fragrance, Citric Acid.

I couldn’t find this product in the Cosmetic Safety Database, so I searched each ingredient individually. Below are the ingredients that either have large data gaps, are not in the database, or have a hazard score that is higher than a 3.

data gaps or not in database: Coco Glucoside (large data gap), Calendula Extract (large data gap), Sage Extract (large data gap), Sodium Cocoamphoacetate (large data gap), Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein (not in database), Neem Oil (large data gap), Honey and Almond Natural Fragrance (not in database, and my concern with this ingredient is that it contains the word fragrance…and that sometimes means bad news).

above a three: Polysorbate 20 (4-7, depending on product usage)

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s cruelty-free.

2. It’s formulated without toxic petrochemicals, lauryl/laureth sulfates, propylene glycol, dyes, artificial perfumes, parabens, cocamide DEA, and cocomidopropyl betaine.

3. The bottle is #1 Plastic, which means that I can recycle it in Lake Charles.

Product Description ( also provided at ecostoreusa.com)- “Gentle on itchy, sensitive skin, our Herbal Fresh Shampoo is expertly designed to penetrate safely into the skin where it is most effective.  Mild enough for frequent use.  Safe for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens over 6 weeks of age. 12 ounces.”

Price-$9.50 for 12 fluid oz.

Performance-  My only problem with this shampoo is that it’s a lot thinner than other pet shampoos that I’ve used. It isn’t a deal breaker or anything, but I do have to use an awful lot each time I bathe Clem and Winston in order to adequately coat their fur. I feel like I’ve already used a fourth of the bottle after only bathing them three times each. Aside from that, I love it. It makes their fur super soft and their skin actually does seem to be soothed after bath time.

Scent- The scent of this shampoo isn’t overwhelming, and I like that. It smells a lot like Dr. Bronner’s Almond Liquid Soap, which is always a good thing in my book. I love the way that some of the Pet Head products smell in the bottle (particularly the Passion Fruit Shampoo and the Furtastic Creme Rinse), but the scents are unusually potent outside of the bottle and they make my dogs smell like humans, which makes me inexplicably uncomfortable. I think that simple scents, like almond, are perfect for pets.

Rating- I try to only use products on my animals that I’d be comfortable using on myself, so the frequent data gaps and one questionable ingredient cost this product two points. I subtracted another point because of how thin the shampoo is. 7/10 it is!

Would I purchase this item again?-  I’d like to find out a little more about the ingredients with data gaps, but anything that makes my sweet doggies itch less is essentially a-okay with me. I will likely buy another bottle.

*This product was provided by Eco Store USA, but the opinions were provided by me. Count on it!

Oh yeah! Here are some pictures from yesterday’s picnic:

Filed under: dogs, natural products, product review, skin care
Tags: almonds, clementine, Dr. Bronner's, dry skin, eco store, eco store usa, itchy, pet head, pet shampoo, product review, shampoo, winston