Derived from petroleum (not planet friendly - ecotoxic) with links to organ system toxicity with contamination concerns by PAHS - with links to endocrine disruption, cancer, bioaccumulation, and organ system toxicity.

Note: There are many different brands of petroleum jelly with a vast spectrum of ingredient purity. While we'd not use it on ourselves or our dogs, if you are going to use it, make sure you buy a reputable name brand.

A relatively new preservative. Let's first note that it is safer than some other preservatives like formaldehyde, paraben, and methylisothiazolinone preservatives. There is some evidence that it may cause skin irritation or allergies in some dogs and that it may have links to organ system toxicity. 

It is also is a sensitizer meaning your dog can develop an allergic reaction to it after using it for some time with no problems.

Note:  This is a synthetic ingredient that is not allowed by Ecocert for use in natural or organic products.  If the bottle says "natural" or "organic" and it also says "phenoxyethanol" you would be wise to avoid any products manufactured by this company. 

A fairly new surfactant, hair-conditioning agent and foam booster. There is not a lot of data on this ingredient (yet) but it is so far generally regarded as safe. 

Without knowing what the ingredient is, pet parents should be very cautious when they see this ingredient. It is likely they are using this phrase because they don't want to tell you what it is. 

We gave this ingredient a green rating but want to point out a caution. There are animal and petroleum sources so you will need to ask for the ingredient source wen you see this ingredient listed.

A synthetic combination of 4 glycerine molecules into 1 large molecule that makes it more moisturizing, added to a fatty acid under alkaline conditions - that joins the 2 chemicals into one new molecule. 

It is generally regarded as a safe and effective moisturizer - certainly safer than the alternatives like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and triethanolamine (TEA). It is also approved to be used in ECOCERT certified organic products. 

Polysorbate, in its original form, is a harmless sorbitol (vegetable based sugar alcohol). 

When polysorbate has a 20, 40, 60, 80 after it, it has been treated with 20 (40, 60, or 80) parts of ethylene oxide. 

The resulting ingredient is an emulsifier. 

We have rated it as "Very Bad" due to possible contamination concerns. The scientific literature also has limited evidence of sensory organ toxicity.

Read the blog post about Polysorbate 20 to learn more about this ingredient. 

Generally regarded as safe, it is a mild preservative used to repalce parabens. It is often found in products with a more acidic pH, which we do not recommend for animals but fine for human skin. It is rare to have an allergic reaction.