Gentle Shampoo Base for Dogs and Cats (Microbiome-Friendly)

Creating a gentle shampoo base is crucial for a microbiome-friendly formula for dogs and cats. The goal is to cleanse effectively without stripping the skin's natural oils or disrupting its beneficial microbial balance. You can achieve this by using very mild surfactants or a pre-made gentle base.

Here are a few options for building your base:

• Option 1: Using a Pre-Made Base
  A simple way to start is by using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo base. Look for bases specifically designed for sensitive skin or baby products, as these often use milder surfactant systems.

  • Consider Sulfate Free No-Tear Shampoo Base (pH 6, Clear, Foaming). This base is sulfate-free and formulated to be gentle and non-irritating, which is ideal for pets.
  • Sulfate Free Shampoo Base (pH 7, Clear, Foaming) is another sulfate-free option, with a pH closer to neutral, which might also be suitable.

• Option 2: Building from Mild Surfactants
  You can create your own base by combining gentle surfactants with water, thickeners, and preservatives. Mild surfactant options include:

  • AminoWash™ (Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate): An amino acid-based surfactant known for its exceptional mildness and suitability for sensitive skin and baby products. It has a skin-friendly pH.
  • Mild-Wash C™ (Sodium Cocoamphoacetate): An extra gentle amphoteric surfactant that is also biodegradable. Note that this surfactant is alkaline and will require pH adjustment to be suitable for skin.
  • IseFoam™ (Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate): Another highly gentle detergent that produces good foam.

To build a base from scratch using these surfactants, you would typically combine them with purified water. You would also need to add a thickener to achieve the desired viscosity, such as EasyThick™ or SugarThick™. Finally, a suitable preservative system is essential to prevent microbial growth.

Once you have your gentle shampoo base, you can then incorporate your chosen active ingredients (e.g., soothing agents, prebiotics/postbiotics to support the microbiome) and pet-safe fragrance.

Remember to always check the final pH of your formulation and adjust it to be appropriate for the skin of dogs and cats (typically slightly higher than human skin, often in the range of pH 6.5-7.5).