Why all the water?

[Guest guest]

Could we possibly review the matter of why shampoos and conditioners are

formulated with 60-85 per cent water? When I reveal this to pet groomers

there is often a shock wave that goes through the room. A big difference

between pet shampoos and human shampoos is that most pet products are sold

to groomers by the gallon with a dilution ratio. Professional pet shampoos

are intended to be diluted usually any where from 8:1 to 15:1. Some

" economy " brands can be diluted 35:1, and one manufacturer makes a " no

water " concentrate that can be diluted 84:1.

The question always arises as to why groomers should have to buy all that

water? They were operating on the assumption that their 10:1 product was

" concentrated " and when I tell them it is mostly water, they feel ripped

off. What can I say?

I usually say that the surfactants are effective or " active " only in the

presence of water and that the manufacturer usually wants to control the

mineral content of that water to insure effectiveness of the product. A

second reason is that some of the ingredients are less safe at high

concentrations and could not be marketed at higher concentrations. Of

course, there are NO restrictions or regulations for pet products.

BBird