Teach Soap

Hi,
I used the teach soap tea tree oil shampoo bar recipe and love the resulting soap. My hair feels really clean and I don't need to use conditioner after shampooing.
I would like to make a shampoo bar for dogs-we have a pit bull w/ sensitive skin. Does anyone know where I might find a dog shampoo bar recipe or any info on soaps for dogs?

Thanks,
Wallis

Dogs' skin is a much different Ph than human skin. Soap works well for us, but may not work as well for your pooch. I'd recommend sticking to shampoos formulated specifically for dogs, especially if he has sensitive skin. Nature's Miracle hypoallergenic or oatmeal shampoo are both excellent for sensitive pups

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Thank you-
it would be kind of fun to make soap for our dog so I will continue to hope for more input. Baby shampoo is recommended by some dog care sites but this is sort of my fun project. Right now, we just don't wash her very often
Wallis

I have been washing my German Shepherd w/ Dr Bronner's for well over a year w/ no problems. I used my soap on him recently. Soap's soap, it binds w/ fats & sugars on one side and water on the other. It's fine on your dog maybe or has been for mine anyway.

The best dog shampoos will have no fragrances or colorants added. Pretty much the same thing you'd expect from a mild soap for humans. That's about all the help I can offer. Maybe you could talk to your vet about the pH level of canine skin and what else to look for in a dog shampoo. Could be an interesting experiment.

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Jennifer
Doing my best to blow up my kitchen. In style!

I'm in agreement with Heather on this one. I know there are folks that make and use soap on their dogs with no ill effects, but it can definitely cause skin problems and make some conditions worse.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

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Anna Rose @-}--
blog

Thank you to everyone who has offered info and advice about doggy soap (or not)
Our dog doesn't have a skin condition per se-just a bit sensitive, gets a little "heat" rash on her tum in the summer and thought it might be interesting to formulate a shampoo bar for her. guess I will try to track down dog pH and see where to go from there. have already looked up toxins....unscented sounds the best way to go, if it seems feasible to try to make soap for her.
Wallis

The pH of dog's skin is around 6.2. Human skin is around 5.5. You could make a syndet bar. Susan has recipes and instructions on her blog. http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2 ... rview.html
Personally I can't use handmade soaps as a shampoo bar on my hair. It makes it feel rough like straw, dry and tangly. I have thin blonde hair.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Irena,
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Wallis

I saw a recipe somewhere (that I can't find now or I would link) for a shampoo for people who want to stay all-natural in their shampoo soaps and this recipe said avocado oil is great for shampoo bars. Anybody have any all natural recipes for shampoo bars b/c there is no way I am adding surfactants, stearic acid, dimethicone, cyclomethicone, panthenol, or sodium lactate to my bars. Also, I washed my hair w/ my regular bar soap yesterday and it feels great. I only wash my dirty-blond hair once every week or two when it gets oily. Just lather your hair up real quick give it a good rub then wash the soap out so the high pH doesn't burn your hair (that's my current working theory)- don't leave soap in hair for too long, wash hair quick as possible. Dr Bronner's soap SAYS ON THE BAR 'Body & Hair'. There is nothing magic about shampoo. It is basically just soap stripping the oils and dirt out your scalp. It's not good for a person's health to wash his hair too often- your body needs and makes that oil that is in your hair laboriously & u want to wash it out and replace it w/ chemicals? Anyway, if a dog's skin is pH 6.something and human skin is in the 5s, and our soaps are more like 8-10 pH, then the pH level is more appropriate for a dog than us. Seriously, I think your dog will be just fine and not break out in any kind of rashes or anything so long as your soap is decent & superfatted @ least 5%.

I think you are right. I looked up syndet bars and they are a whole 'nother chemistry lesson. I might try something between a shampoo bar and a sensitive skin bar. Dog shampoos (according to my research) vary wildly in their pH ranges.
Also, there is a tea tree oil shampoo bar on the teach soap website. I have been using (on my hair, not the dog's) my shampoo bar from that recipe for a few weeks and really like it. You could tailor the recipe to your particular oil favorites.
Wallis

ANY soap can and will strip the oils from dogs' hair and skin. I've seen dogs go almost bald from their owners using soap on them. Human skin and hair are more adaptable to changes in pH, dog skin and hair are not. Using human products on dogs is never recommended.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

hmmmm I cannot think of a good reason why bc dog skin if far tough than human skin. All I can say is from my experience I have been using Pantene then Dr Bronners on my German Shepherd and Bichon-Frise (who I groomed myself and not many people can groom a Bichon-frise) for well over five years now and never had any problems. Those dog shampoos are way over-priced. Talk about highway robbery. Human grade is better in my opinion. I used one of my own bars on my GS about a week ago for the first time and watched him pretty careful and he's fine.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist