Reasons to be very, very careful
Sadly, if you look at your current animal, human & even baby shampoo labels you're highly likely to find it contains preservative & detergent 'nasties' that have big health question marks above their heads. In my opinion & from well documented research readily available within the public domain, key ingredients to ensure do NOT touch our animals' skins (let alone ours or our children's) are:
i) the preservatives called parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl & butylparaben) as well as ethylene glycol monophenyl ether - seen in many 'organic' products!.
ii) harsh detergents (and foaming agents) such as sodium lauryl sulfate & sodium laureth sulfate (which are used to clean garage floors & in some clinical trials to deliberately irritate the skin - they clean by corrosion!). They can be contaminated in the manufacturing process with nitrosamines (known carcinogens)...
iii) PEGs - polyethylene glycols. PEG is the abbreviation of polyethylene glycol, is not a definitive chemical entity in itself, but rather a mixture of compounds, of polymers that have been bonded together. Polyethylene is the most common form of plastic & when combined with glycol, it becomes a thick & sticky liquid. In cosmetics, PEGs function in three ways: as emollients (which help soften/lubricate the skin), as emulsifiers (which help water-based & oil-based ingredients mix properly) & as vehicles that help deliver other ingredients deeper into the skin.
iv) synthetic scents (usually based on chemicals or petro-chemicals)
v) Tea Tree - this natural product is not an 'avoid at all costs'... but it does raise some important questions. In research I've conducted I see that it is great as an astringent but if we're applying it on open wounds & where soothing/healing is required... well all I'll say is try it on your exposed wounds - it stings! More importantly & worrying is that there are now cases where it has been highly toxic when applied to cats... So whilst I personally use TT on my skin as an astringent, I'd never dream of using it to 'gently heal' my animals' issues... I've too many concerns to 'need it' when I have the natural and gentle Ruggle-it in the cabinet!
vi) Some essential oils are known to 'agitate' the very sensitive horse & pet skin... so again, my argument is why use it if there's a question mark about whether the animal 'likes' it on their skin...?
Click here to read a fascinating article on the dangers of these chemicals for humans (let alone our beloved animals)... written by world expert Josephine Fairley.
If any of the above resonates with or concerns you, please investigate it & your labels.
Ruggle-it animal products are gentle... and we think pretty pioneering actually!
Important Note: Any blacked out words with [bracketed] text has been amended to meet VMD/Vet Med criteria. All text is Veterinary Medicines Directorarte (VMD) compliant. Click here for what that means to you.
