EQYSS PREMIER Natural Botanical Shampoo has changed. Here is a comparison of the ingredient list as it appeared a few years ago and today.
(2005)
1. Deionized water
2. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
3. Cocamide MEA
4. Sodium PCA
5. Hydrolyzed mucopolysaccharides
6. Allantoin
7. Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
8. Tetrasodium EDTA
9. Acetamide MEA
10. Cocamidopropyl Betaine
11. Polyquarterium-10
12. Citric Acid
13. DMDM Hydantoin
14. Aloe vera
15. Extracts of lavender, clove, thyme
16. FD&C Blue #1
17. Fragrance
(2008)
1. Deionized Water
2. Sodium Laureth Sulfate
3. Cocamidopropyl Betaine
4. Glycol Stearate (and) Steareth-4
5. Palmitamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride
6. Cocamide DEA
7. Polyquartium 10
8. Aloe Vera
9. Sodium PCA
10. Acetamide MEA 1
1. Glycosaminoglycans
12. Extracts of lavender, clove, thyme
13. Allantoin
14. Peg 75-lanolin
15. Urea
16. Citric Acid
17. Methyl Paraben
18. DMDM Hydantoin
19. Tetrasodium EDTA
20. Salt
21. FD&C Blue #1
22. Fragrance
23. Pearlizing Agent
SUMMARY OF CHANGES: The primary surfactant has not changed, SLES. There appears to be more cocamidopropyl betaine in the new formula. Cocamide MEA has been replaced with Cocamide DEA, although the company website still claims "DEA Free" about this product. A major pearlizing agent, Glycol Stearate (and) Steareth-4 has been added which changes the appearance of the product.
A key ingredient to this shampoo has been the Sodium PCA, which is a moisture attracting agent, and it has dropped from the prominent place of#4 in the list to a lesser #9 position. A powerful emulsifier and thickener has been added, palmitamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein has been dropped. The Hydrolyzed mucopolysaccharides are listed under another name, Glycosaminoglycans. PEG 75-lanolin and Urea have been added. These are both moisturizers. Salt has been added. Salt is noted to work well in conjunction with Palmitamidopropyl Trimonium Chloride as a thickening system.
The preservative system has changed from relying solelyon DMDM Hydantoin, to a combination of Methyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin andTetrasodium EDTA. EDTA is also a chelating agent, which probably helps the product perform better in hard water.
None of these ingredient changes are going to make this product clean the dog any better. They are mostly changes that make the product more appealing to the human marketplace. Eqyss has always marketed to what is called a "cross over" market, animal AND human. They advertise "Fit for Man and Beast", and state about the Premier shampoo, "absolutely the finest shampoo ever made for humans or pets". With the changes in emulsifiers, boosting the cocamidopropyl betaine, and adding the pearlizing agent, the shampoo is thicker, creates more suds and the foam is more firm, and the concentrated stuff has a nice silky feel. This is all in line with the trends in human products.
The change from formulating with Cocamide MEA to using Cocamide DEA is one that particularly annoys this blogger, as this company has emphasized "NO DEA" for several years. This statement still appears on their main website and on the product description on websites all over the global Internet. To use the avoidance of a substance as a selling point and then use it anyway lacks integrity. Really, how dare they! The truth, as I see it, is that Cocamide DEA is much easier to formulate than Cocamide MEA. Cocamide MEA is waxy flakes that must be melted requiring a heat phase, Cocamide DEA is a liquid that can be cold mixed. Eqyss is having it both ways, marketing to our DEA fears AND taking advantage of the formulating benefits of Cocamide DEA. It is misleading and it gripes my grits!
The contact info for EQYSS :
Eqyss Grooming Products Incorporated
Mailing Address:PO. BOX 130-008 Carlsbad, CA 92013
Tel: 1(800) 526-7469 Fax: (760) 599-0808
Email: info@eqyss.com
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8 comments:
Hi Barb,
So, Eqyss really considers this a "natural" shampoo as indicated in their name? How can that be?
I've been ranting about this for years. Not regarding Eqyss in particular, but the whole concept of "natural shampoo" is rather oxymoronic, imo. Unfortunately, there are no industry guidelines, human or pet industries, for the use of the term "natural" (or "hypoallergenic", either.
"Natural" has become a marketing buzz word, that is used to capture consumers who chemicalphobic. (my term). Most often, "natural" means some botanicals have been added, sometimes it can mean that petrochemicals have been avoided, and only oleochemicals have been used, and in a few rare instances, are products formulated specifically to minimize synthetic and petrochemicals. Basically, however, the term is so overused as to be worthless.
What makes me ponder about the whole "back to natural" movement is how our American culture can in the same breath embrace so much technological science and have disdain for cosmetic chemistry science.
The term "natural" is what I call a "comfort" word. It's like the manufacturer is saying "we care". (or.."we want you to THINK that we care.") It often has very little to do with what is actually in the bottle.
Eqyss is not the worst offender. The labels that gripe my grits are those that say "ALL natural".
Thank goodness I only have one gallon of Eqyss shampoo left. I have switched completly to Nature's
Specialties and am hoping you don't have any bad news about them. I am especially impressed with their Quick Relief Neem
shampoo and the Remoisturizer with Aloe. What is your opinion?
I'm not so sure that Natures Specialities is such a step up from Eqyss. NS is one of the major mainstream shampoo companies that steadfastedly refuses to disclose ingredient information. I would bet that they use Cocamide DEA. It is not an unreasonable assumption, but we will never know, because NS will not tell.
Personally, I don't think that it is necessary to avoid Cocamide DEA. What is important to avoid is DEA compounds in formulas that contain the preservatives 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane, or 2-bromo-2-nitro-1,3-diol, which are nitrosating agents. It is the combination of free ethanolamine and nitrosating agent that can make for contamination with nitrosamines.
Have you considered Show Season or EZ Groom products? These companies are forthcoming and honest about their ingredients. EZ Groom offers complete disclosure, Show Season uses no Cocamide DEA.
How do I sign up for this blog so that my questions may be answered. I turn on my computer as soon as I get home from grooming all day to read your information (usually a 12 hour day!) Maybe you have some suggestions on how I can shorten my day. I ADORE it but am exhausted and make less than minimun wage (with NO benefits) after all is said and done. Please HELP! Thanks.
I hope you don't think I'm wasting your time with this. I will be moving to a city this winter and don't want another office job. I've always loved and had a lot of pets (and one daughter is a vet tech). I thought about pet grooming school, but you know what? I think I wouldn't mind being the shampooer, nail trimmer,and all around helper person. Certainly groomers would need someone reliable for this job, wouldn't they? This way the groomer can concentrate on their job and increase the volume of their business. I don't need a lot to live on so I'm not horribly worried about the money aspect. Also there is a grooming school in the city that offers classes in just the bathing, ear cleaning, nail trimming area. Would I be wasting my time? Do groomers need people like me? BTW I love your blog and am working my way through it!!!
Sorry to be so terribly delayed in responding. I am sincerely flattered that you would find my words so worthy. Thanks. You might get some value from joining a groomers' email group, such as Groom_TNT@yahoogroups.com Or Groompics-tnt@yahoogroups.com, which I moderate. There are many more voices on these lists to answer newby questions.
Working for minimum wage is extremely hard these days. Many of us have started out there. When I put in my apprenticeship, my minimum wage was $1.50/hr. The minimum wage thing is part of the way in which we pay our dues to this career.
It sounds as though you need to increase your speed, so that your commission rate will be greater than minimum wage. This requires efficiency and organization. It also requires pushing yourself to go faster. One main thing I do to increase speed is to keep my tools organized at my table. Another thing is to bathe nearly every dog first, before clipping.
Good luck, hang in there!
Hi Barb,
I use an enzymatic shampoo called Zymox. I got it through my veterinarian. Do you know anything about this shampoo? It was given to me for my dog who has allery type skin and is always in misery in the spring. It seems to help greatly with her red itchy skin. Do you know if it's ingredients are ok?
Thanks,
Deb
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