A lot of froth and bubble, natural quality in our shampoos.

One hears so much about the necessity to use or not use a good quality shampoo now is the time to put the record straight. Just because a friend of a friend says so, does not make it so! To be blunt the Mona Lisa was not painted with cheap crayons. If you want the best, always use the best, rather simple!

Never use detergent based products on dogs or the hands of humans. The main active cleaning ingredient for any shampoo is called a surfactant which is a cleanser, and most are derived from the petrochemical industry. One is always wary of surfactants using "Sodium Lauryl Sulphates" which it is reported by Dr. Peter Dingle in his book "Dangerous Beauty" that 7 out of 10 shampoos sold contain this, as they are vastly more irritating, can cause drying, itchiness and dandruff to name a few. Instead, one should choose "Sodium Laureth Sulphates." Besides the extremely similar names there are very different. There has been much talk regarding SLS free products, which "L" are we talking about? Then, from there, how does one ascertain if they are chemically sourced or naturally derived? There is no legal requirement that pet & animal dog care products have the ingredients listed on the pack or where they are derived from. Plush Puppy shampoos are as natural as possible and derived from environmentally sustainably sourced coconut oil and palm oil as opposed to the vastly more usual petrochemical derived. Whether it is petrochemical or natural, the surfactant is still called Sodium Laureth Sulphate. Confusing?

Again, there is no legal requirement to indicate the difference. So, is a naturally derived product better than a petrochemical one? We believe so. Not only from an environmental, renewable resources view but over the years, we have noted a much better track history from our customers and hairdressing clients regarding causing allergies and skin disorders. Naturally derived products using environmentally sustainably natural sources also cost much more to make so the benefits must be there to justify the added expense. Plush Puppy shampoos are also not tested on laboratory animals although we do confess to testing them on our own family, friends, and dogs. The shampoos are bio-degradable, organic and full of naturally sourced extracts which we only use at the highest levels that achieve the results we claim (not just false label claims) that have long been known for their medicinal qualities and total lack of harmful side effects to dog, man and nature.

It has been hugely advertised regarding the new era of devastation to forests and land clearing for both Palm and coconut farming in recent years. These types of farms do and will not pass the guidelines of responsibly and environmentally sustainably sourced. These are widely used in products requiring a cheap price point product and not the quality needed for shampoo surfactants.

To get the best value from your Plush Puppy Shampoo as it is very concentrated with an extremely high active ingredient concentration, is to always break it down with water, at anything from 3:1 and up to 10:1. Only use "neat" on the areas requiring extreme results. The other benefit from diluting shampoo is that you do not run the risk of leaving any shampoo in the coat. Having inconsistent dispersant over the dog can leave areas difficult to thoroughly rinse. Often In this case we will see scurfy skin on a dog, especially dark coated dogs such as Rotties and Dobermans and it is evident from the small, flaky, white residue that the dog was a "shampoo victim". So, do not forget to dilute and rinse well.

For those whose dogs are washed each week and have dogs that live mostly indoors, a thorough shampoo cleanse is not necessary. We also see people who scrub and scrub and then some more out of a coat. Lots of scrub-a-dub rubbing and plenty of elbow grease. Why? No-one needs to dig to China to get a dog clean. It simply tangles and wears at the coat, which is in some breeds, fairly delicate. Gently does it. Nice squishy squeezes and always working from root/skin area to ends. Never work a coat from ends to skin as this is a sure way to mat the coat. Same goes for the conditioner. The only parts you need to pay a little more attention to are the short-coated areas around the legs and feet.

Shampoos are now very specific doing all sorts of targeted jobs. Gone are the days of one shampoo does everything mentality. Your dog will go through several transitions of coat in a year's cycle and you can easily counteract the negative times with a specific shampoo such as Plush Puppy Body Building Shampoo for the out of coat situations, the Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo when the coat is just right plus shine is your goal and you don't want to soften or alter, the Plush Puppy Natural Conditioning Shampoo with Evening Primrose when you want to add extra hydration, soften and enrich and the Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo when you want to kill yellow/orange or reddish reflects, usually when the coat is old and sunburnt or just to give sparkly sheen to whites. When you want to remove a stain or product build up or simply bring whites back to pure white brilliance use the Plush Puppy Deep Cleansing Shampoo. So now you know the bottom line to all the arguments of surfactants in shampoos.

Now you know that little bit more about shampoos. You can make wiser decisions on what shampoo is best suited for your individual dogs coat needs. Plush Puppy believes there is a strong argument in favour for the naturally sourced products in this world for ultimate performance compared to petrochemically sourced. There are even more Plush Puppy Shampoos in the vast range, take the time to read about each. Always remember we are here to help with any questions. All we ask is that you provide us with as much information as possible so we can give you the very best advice.

Plush Puppy Australia