# Homemade shampoo?



## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

Does anyone know of a good "recipe" ? Duke has pretty sensitive skin and I just want to keep Rodeo's coat healthy. Thanks in advance.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Man you guys are so energetic and industrious! 

I just use Ivory body wash. No perfume or dyes. Or cheap oatmeal shampoo. 

Works pretty good. Of course, my dogs dont' have terribly sensitive skin.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Rodeo said:


> Does anyone know of a good "recipe" ? Duke has pretty sensitive skin and I just want to keep Rodeo's coat healthy. Thanks in advance.


I don't have a recipe, but what about a good oatmeal shampoo from earthbath?


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

Thanks but I'd really rather make it myself 

How does this look?

Make your own Homemade Dog Shampoo | mevsthehouse.com


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Rodeo said:


> Thanks but I'd really rather make it myself
> 
> How does this look?
> 
> Make your own Homemade Dog Shampoo | mevsthehouse.com


I don't know if I would use the Ivory brand. I bet it still has chemicals in it. I would go with Seventh Generation. What's glycerine? Sounds like a chemical.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

malluver1005 said:


> I don't know if I would use the Ivory brand. I bet it still has chemicals in it. I would go with Seventh Generation. What's glycerine? Sounds like a chemical.


Glycerine is a by product of soap making.


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

What Is Glycerin?


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## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

haha, ok something I can totally help with! Here is my favorite website for people not used to formuilating with the raw chemicals individually. I make alot of beauty products like body butter, lip gloss, facial masks etc. If you want from the ground up stuff it is a little more complex, but wth this site just click on skin care bases and you can get a shampoo base and order any kind of additive you want. Oatmeal, grean tea, chamomile and lavender are good herbal additives for sensative skin. So is calendula. Silk peptide powder stregthens weak hair. If you want to know aht an ingredient is good for just ask!

Soap making, spa, skin care, massage, aromatherapy and cosmeceutical ingredient supplier - From Nature With Love


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

Imgliniel said:


> haha, ok something I can totally help with! Here is my favorite website for people not used to formuilating with the raw chemicals individually. I make alot of beauty products like body butter, lip gloss, facial masks etc. If you want from the ground up stuff it is a little more complex, but wth this site just click on skin care bases and you can get a shampoo base and order any kind of additive you want. Oatmeal, grean tea, chamomile and lavender are good herbal additives for sensative skin. So is calendula. Silk peptide powder stregthens weak hair. If you want to know aht an ingredient is good for just ask!
> 
> Soap making, spa, skin care, massage, aromatherapy and cosmeceutical ingredient supplier - From Nature With Love


Oh thanks! The website is a little over my head though. How do I get to the shampoo base?


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

i use Earthbath.


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

That's fine and dandy but I've already mentioned more than once that I want to make my own, and I would have to pay for shipping on the earthbath since no one near me sells it. Much easier to stick with my original plan.


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

This is beyond my knowledge, but I'd love to hear what recipe you come up with. It seems like, if you were to use Ivory soap as a base, you wouldn't really be making your own shampoo. If you're open to using a base soap, then you might consider a different base (like Mal said above) such as Dr. Woods Black Soap or Jason's or Seventh Generation. I know for human hair, water mixed with apple cider vinegar or baking soda is recommended by the "no 'poo" crowd. My understanding is that dogs' skin/hair has a different pH than human skin/hair, so I don't know if this would work as well with dogs. But again, I'm super interested in hearing what you come up with!


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Dec 12, 2011)

I would not use that recipe because it can upset the ph balance of your dogs skin, which is much closer to neutral than our own.

Are you wanting to make your own shampoo to save money or have fun making the product? If you want to save money, I can't really help because the time and money it takes to formulate and test a product does not make it cheaper. But if you want to t have fun making shampoo in any scent you like, here are a couple of places that have premade bases that you can add scent too.

Enji Luxurious Pet Shampoo- 1 Gallon | Wholesale candlemaking supplies, Natures Garden candle soap making supplies Ohio, Fragrance oils

Crafters Choice

Wholesale Bulk Unscented Bases : Lotion Base, Crafter's Choice Soap Base, Shampoo Base & Lip Balm Base


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

I know you want to make your own and I'm keeping an eye on this thread, hopefully someone has a good one. But right now I use unscented hypo-allergenic plain old Johnson's baby shampoo. The only thing that doesn't seem to irritate Tess's skin.


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## gorge77 (May 13, 2011)

Rodeo said:


> Thanks but I'd really rather make it myself
> 
> How does this look?
> 
> Make your own Homemade Dog Shampoo | mevsthehouse.com


the formulas are more or less the same. what you can do is to replace the ivory dish soap with this home made dish soap:

Gaia: Homemade Dish Soap


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## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

Ok, hopefully I link this right, lol.

Shea Butter Shampoo Base - FNWL

This is the shea butter shampoo base.

Aloe Castille Shower Gel - FNWL

This is a liquid castile soap of saponified oils and aloe vera. Very similar to hand made natural soaps you would buy for yourself, just a liquid type instead of a bar. 

If you have a natural or holistic market somewhere near by if you go into the bath and beauty section most of them will have liquid castile soap, which is a totally pure soap base similar to above. Same thing add oils and whatever else you want to to the base.

To me mixing dish soap with some other stuff isn't really making your own shampoo. To a purist making your own shampoo means saponifying the oils yourself for a soap base or starting with the raw chemicals and compounding. Such as mixing betaine and lurel sulfate to the desires foam density, then adding in an emulsifying wax heated to liquid form in order to blend in your nourishing ingredients like the shea butter etc etc. This takes ALOT more knowledge you have to know what ingredients are water soluble and which ones are fat/oil soluble and what each ingredients purpose is and you should have the MSDS (Material saftey data sheet) info on the raw chemicals you are working with. You need to know max concentrations and all kinds of other stuff. Start by getting the base and customizing, if you are interested then you can learn about compounding.


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

Caty M said:


> I know you want to make your own and I'm keeping an eye on this thread, hopefully someone has a good one. But right now I use unscented hypo-allergenic plain old Johnson's baby shampoo. The only thing that doesn't seem to irritate Tess's skin.


I used to always use baby shampoo on my own hair.. it was a lot healthier back then now that I think about it lol



Imgliniel said:


> Ok, hopefully I link this right, lol.
> 
> Shea Butter Shampoo Base - FNWL
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! I'm going to look into it and see what I come up with


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

Are these what I would use to add to the base? Sorry I just wanna make sure I'm on the right track.

http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/soap/EssentialOils.asp


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## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

Rodeo said:


> Are these what I would use to add to the base? Sorry I just wanna make sure I'm on the right track.
> 
> Essential Oils & Absolutes - FNWL


correct, but you don't have to use just essential oils, and which oils you use will depend on the goal of the shampoo. Peppermint is stimulating and anti itch for things like bug bite but can be drying. Lavender is antiseptic and calming. Chamomile calendula and arnica calm red skin and inflamation. Any of the warming spice oils like cinamon, cardamon, clove would be the equivilent of bengay shampoo for dogs lol. Great for sore muscles but not neccessarily sensative skin. Tea tree is antibacterial. Kepp in mind the SCENT of these oils also has aromatheraputic affects. Citrus oils are stimulating to the emotions, lavender geranium and chamomile are calming and centering. Eukalyptus and rosemary are invigorating to the mind but also grounding in a way citrus is not. Their direct affect when topically applied to the skin and their aromatherapy application are usually similar. You do not need but a couple drops per medium bottle. 

For dry itchy dandruff prone skin my favorite blend is a butter based shampoo such as the shea butter base with aloe powder, oat extract, lavender, pepermint, and rosemary oil.


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## SummerwoodSoaps (Dec 12, 2011)

I have tried several times to reply to this thread but for some reason it always need mod approval. Anyway, here is my 2 cents. The first recipe you posted I wouldn't use. It will upset the ph of your dogs skin which is much closer to neutral than our own. I also wouldn't use a shampoo that is geared for human hair. I would look into a premade base for dog shampoo. I know that there are few places that have them. Natures Garden, Wholesale supplied plus, and Bulk apothecary have ones made for dogs. You can also order scents at all those place too. If you would like to know more about using surfacants, let me know and I can send you a great pdf that will get you started.

http://http://www.bulkapothecary.com/bulkbases.htm

Enji Luxurious Pet Shampoo- 1 Gallon | Wholesale candlemaking supplies, Natures Garden candle soap making supplies Ohio, Fragrance oils

Crafters Choice


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## Rodeo (Sep 11, 2011)

I definitely need something soothing. We have been fighting off fleas and Duke has a sore on his armpit? for lack of a better word. I honestly think he's allergic to the fleas. If the stupid cats would stop sneaking out it wouldn't be so hard to keep the fleas gone. I'm going to do a little research on which oils and such work best for us, thank you so very much


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## Imgliniel (Sep 1, 2011)

try this site, it has a good, basic by condition glossary.

Essential Oils for Treatment of Phyical Ailments

And the rest of the site is very helpful too.


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