Since you still haven’t listened to me… Let’s talk again about product labels in grooming

Since you still haven’t listened to me, I’ll repeat myself. Reading the labels on your grooming products is not a detail: it’s a foundation. Whether you prefer highly technical products or 100% natural ones, you must know exactly what you are applying on the skin of dogs and cats… and on your own hands.

And let’s not forget your respiratory tract and your eyes.

Every time you open a bottle, spread a product on a dog, dilute a powder, or spray a mist, tiny particles are released into the air. You breathe them in, your eyes absorb them. The result? Irritations, allergies, headaches, chronic cough, sensitivities that build up slowly but surely… And all this because you didn’t take the time to know what was really in your products.

Why is this essential?

Reading labels is not a luxury. It’s a matter of:

• Animal safety: a poorly chosen ingredient can cause itching, skin reactions, or even poisoning.

• Human safety: your hands, lungs, and eyes are your first tools of work. Don’t sacrifice them because of an unidentified product.

• Professional responsibility: in case of a problem, you are the one accountable to the client and sometimes even before the law.

• Credibility: your clients expect clear answers. If you can’t explain what you’re using, your expertise loses its value.

What you really find on a label

Many groomers think a label is just a nice design and a couple of reassuring words: “natural,” “gentle,” “puppy safe.” Wrong.

• A serious label must indicate the full and exact list of ingredients.

• In human cosmetics, this follows the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). In grooming products, this is not mandatory… which means sometimes the lists are vague, incomplete, or disguised behind generic terms such as “fragrance” or “cleansing agents.”

• The highlighted actives (aloe vera, argan oil, keratin…) are always present in small amounts, and that’s normal. But be careful: their marketing role is obvious. Printed in big letters on the front, they are mostly there to make you forget about the less glamorous ingredients: harsh surfactants, strong preservatives, allergenic perfumes, etc.

Chemical or natural: it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re aware

The debate “chemical vs natural” is not what matters most.

• A highly technical, chemical-based shampoo can be effective, but you must know what it contains and how to use it safely.

• A very natural, artisanal product can be gentle, but it may also contain allergenic or poorly dosed essential oils.

The key is transparency and your ability to make an informed choice.

How to get started in practice?

1. Get used to turning your bottles around. Read the full ingredient list, not just the marketing promises on the front.

2. Take notes and compare. When you find an ingredient you don’t recognize, look it up. Make your own notes.

3. Build your personal “ingredient library.” You can use reliable resources like INCI databases or more technical sites like PubChem.

4. Protect yourself. Ventilate your workspace, wear gloves when handling products, goggles for sprays, and an appropriate mask if you work with powders or volatile substances. Your lungs will thank you.

Conclusion

Reading labels means stopping blind trust.It means reclaiming your role as a professional who knows, who chooses, and who can explain.

Next time you buy a shampoo or a balm, don’t let yourself be seduced only by the marketing. Turn the bottle around. Analyze the list. Make your choices knowingly.

Because your credibility, your health, and the well-being of the animals you groom depend on those few lines of ingredients.