Is Phenoxyethanol Really an All Natural Dog Shampoo Ingredient?

There are more and more dog shampoos on the market that claim to be all natural and organic but are using Phenoxyethanol as the preservative. 

In 2016 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made it clear that companies which use Phenoxyethanol in their products cannot market their products as all natural since the ingredient is a man made synthetic chemical. [Read FTC Press Release from 2016]

This is great news for companies like 4-Legger who make truly all natural dog shampoo. Our products are USDA Certified Organic. They have third party validation confirming that every ingredient is natural and the product is organic!

If you missed our post on why 4-Legger strongly feels why the USDA organic standard should be the criteria used to allow a company to market their product using the words "all natural" - you can check it out here. 

Unfortunately, enforcement by the FTC means companies must have a consumer complaint filed against them before they can be required to clean up their marketing. 

So, pet parents must continue to be the watch dog on ingredients, purity of ingredients, and marketing claims to ensure their dogs aren't exposed to potentially harmful synthetic chemicals. 

EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Database gives Phenoxyethanol a rating of 4 out of 10 for safety. As a reference, Methylparaben which has links to endocrine system disruption is also rated as a 4. Phenoxyethanol was developed as a safer alternative to paraben and to be fair, it is but I still don't want it on my dog.

Japan's Standards for Cosmetics restricts the use of Phenoxyethanol in cosmetics based upon limited evidence of skin and immune system toxicity, allergies and nervous system toxicity.

While manufacturers who use Phenoxyethanol will tell you it is safe in low concentrations, there are no long term studies that look at single ingredients in a petri dish and their long term impact on health. 

4-Legger strongly feels the quality of the ingredients you use on your dog should match the quality of the ingredients you put in your dog!

We don't feed our dogs synthetic food and we don't want synthetic ingredients on their skin.

If you truly want a safe and non-toxic shampoo, you want a true all natural dog shampoo - one that is USDA certified organic. You want 4-Legger!