Dog Shampoo Formulas (Focus on Gentleness, Moisture, Tear-Free)

To create gentle, tear-free, and moisturizing shampoo for dogs, suitable for sensitive skin, you can choose between Amino Acid based surfactants or Alkyl Polyglucoside (APG) based surfactants like Lauryl Glucoside as the main cleansing agent. Here are the approaches:

1. Formula Primarily Using AminoWash™ (Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate)

This formula will be very gentle and naturally have a pH suitable for the skin (around 5-6), which is close to the tear-free pH level (around 7). This makes it highly likely to be a naturally tear-free formula.

• Primary Surfactant: Use AminoWash™ which is an Amino Acid based surfactant that is gentle, provides good foam, and has a fine, creamy texture.
• Secondary Surfactant (for boosting foam/gentleness): Can be used in combination with Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate which is an Amino Acid based surfactant as well and helps increase foam and mildness, or Decyl Glucoside which is a gentle APG based surfactant.
• Conditioning Agent: To prevent tangles, make the coat soft and smooth, and keep the skin moisturized, you can add Poly-Conditioner Pro which helps make hair soft and smooth without silicone, or Hair-Cond™ SM which is a small particle silicone emulsion that helps make the coat soft and easy to comb when wet and dry.
• Moisturizing Agent: Add Sorbitol Solution 70% to help increase skin moisture.
• Other Ingredients: A small amount of Disodium EDTA (around 0.1%) should be added to formulas containing AminoWash™ to help prevent solidification or precipitation.

Pros of this formula: Very gentle, suitable pH that is naturally close to tear-free, less need for pH adjustment.

2. Formula Primarily Using Lauryl Glucoside

Lauryl Glucoside is a natural-origin APG surfactant that is very gentle. However, it provides less foam and has a high pH (around 11.5). Therefore, pH adjustment is necessary, and auxiliary surfactants may be needed to improve foam.

• Primary Surfactant: Use Lauryl Glucoside.
• Secondary Surfactant (for boosting foam/gentleness): Combine with Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate or Decyl Glucoside to help increase foam volume and gentleness.
• Conditioning Agent: Similar to the first formula, you can add Poly-Conditioner Pro or Hair-Cond™ SM to make the dog's coat and skin soft and moisturized.
• Moisturizing Agent: Add Sorbitol Solution 70%.
• pH Adjuster: Very important to adjust the formula's pH down to the range of 5-6.5 (for skin gentleness) or around 7 (for tear-free property) using an acid like Citric Acid or Lactic Acid.
• Thickening Agent: Lauryl Glucoside does not significantly increase viscosity in formulas. A suitable thickening agent compatible with this surfactant system may be needed.

Pros of this formula: Potentially lower raw material cost compared to the AminoWash™ formula.

Additional Considerations:

• pH Level: The key to a tear-free shampoo is controlling the pH level to be close to that of tears (around 7) and using exceptionally gentle surfactants.
• Preservative: A suitable preservative safe for pet products should be added to prevent microbial growth.
• Extracts/Oils: Natural extracts or skin/coat conditioning oils safe for dogs can be added to provide additional benefits, such as soothing itchy skin or adding shine to the coat.

The choice between the main surfactant and auxiliary ingredients depends on the desired properties and budget. Both approaches can be developed into gentle shampoos suitable for sensitive skin.