newbie here! Have some questions

[Ali]

Hello all!

I'm Ali, a 35 yr old motherof a beautiful little girl and a business owner. Actually, I have a dog grooming business and I need some help.

After 15 years working with soap I have finally decided to make my own to wash the dogs in. Possibly to sell as well. I have been buying up "others homemade soaps" and using on my furry clients with rave reviews, so I thought I'd try my hand at making my own.

I'm getting my soap room ready as we speak.
so I need a little help from y'all.....if you'd be so kind.

I need easy tried and true recipes.


I have read up a little on the bar and liquid soaps....and it seems that the liquid is harder? more problems with it?

so......if you can swing it.....PLEaSe HELp!

thank you so much.....lol...in advance....

Ali

 

[Dixie]

Hi Ali, welcome to smf. I just didn't want you to feel ignored I want to do a dog BAR some day so I'm intrested in hearing whatever replies you get. Although I don't know if anyone here makes them. You may have to be patient till someone comes along

 

[LJA]

Hi Ali!! My sister's a dog groomer too.
I haven't made dog soap yet but I wanted to say hi and welcome!

 

[Ali]

aw...thank you dixie....lol.....I'm only 5'2" so I'm used to getting over looked.

But I work with animals......
so I'd guess I have to say that I'm the patient kind....

:wink:

oh and thank you so much LJA!!

I'm very excited to be here.

And excited about my soap room.
We bought an old house (1894)
and it has 37 rooms in it, ....a room for every one and every thing.
So soap making here I come...ready or not.

Probably more not than ready, but I'll get there.

eventually.

 

[Dixie]

LOL, well just don't run off on us, you may have to be the one to teach us about dog soap

 

[Guest]

Hi Ali , welcome to the forum. if you have any questions , we are all here to help .

37 rooms :shock:

Kitn

 

[heartsong]

x

welcome!

i have 2 pom's and i use the same soaps as i use on myself. lavender e/o is my favorite.

how much soap do you plan to make at a time?

a simple gentle soap 40% coconut oil
60% olive

10% lye discount
2:1 water/lye (33%)

www.soap-making-essentials.com has great recipes and info, too.

happy soaping!

 

[xyxoxy]

I have read up on doggy soaps and tried one batch so far. It came out fine but not so great that it's worth sharing the recipe.

The things I've learned / read about doggy soaps:
- Don't use a high amount of EO's or FO's... especially flowery ones. Most Dogs will just go out and roll in the dirt to get the scent off. In mine I used a small amount of cedarwood and teatree oils.
- There are several EO's that are supposed to repel fleas and other insects. However soap is a wash off product so any such benefits will be short lived.
- Neem tree oil is also said to help repel fleas. The smell repels ME!
- One of the most important things in designing your recipe is to be sure it rinses off well. (Being a groomer I'm sure you know this) Dogs' skin is more sensitive than human skin and soap residue can cause irritation or worse where it might not bother our own skin. A lower lather recipe may be better for dogs.
- Infusions / additives such as Calendula may have some beneficial properties for doggy skin.
- Dog soaps should never be used on cats, especially if they contain EO's or FO's. They could be deadly to cats.

If Lindy should read this thread I believe she has a tried and true doggy soap recipe. I remember hers were shaped like dog treats.

 

[Jola]

If I made dog soap I think I would do something very basic and plain. I'm nervous about how EO's might affect the pup.

 

[Ali]

yes, yes, yes!

Basic and plain is what I'm after.
I've tried lots of different soaps on the doggies and it seems that the more basic the soap is, the better the dog looks and easier to groom afterward.
less ingredients seems not to strip the coat of the neccessary natural oils that is already on them.

I'm sick, I see a very high ranking toxicologist. Actually she is one of the highest regarded in the world. When we started eliminating toxic substances from my home one by one....I was left with the bare minimum to left to clean and wash with (body and home). She told me to use plain dove soap, or goat soap, something of a castile nature cause it rinses clean.

She says your body is like a sponge. Stands to reason that our furry friends are no exeptions.
So....that is another reason I'm going this route.

Have any of you looked on the back of your doggy shampoo bottles?
When I did, it broke my heart when I did some research on certain ingredients.

I no longer use any conditioner on me and the dogs. Contrary to what the FDA says is safe for humans and pets, dimethicone cannot be broken down by our bodies system. I got that from the horses mouth so to speak.... so out with my favorite store bought lotions and creams.
ouch!


again thank you everyone for your responses.
if all goes well, you will have had a hand in making some ones pet
a cleaner, healthier happier tail waggin' pooch.

Ali