The SOIL ASSOCIATION - your best and only guarantee of the quality of your organic dog products!

The SOIL ASSOCIATION - your best and only guarantee of the quality of your organic dog products!

Take Bonnie & Bailey's quick fun quiz!

Q:  A dog shampoo, labelled "organic", is required by law to contain what % of organic ingredients? Is it:

(a) 100%  

(b) 50% 

(c) 20%  

(d) 10%?

A:  NONE OF THE ABOVE!  There is no current legal requirement for dog product such as a shampoo, described as "organic", to contain ANY genuine organic ingredients!

In other words, the organic content of an "organic" dog shampoo could be ZERO!

"Organic" - It's all in the certification!  Keep Calm and Look for the Soil Association Logo!

• Bonnie & Bailey are proud to be the first provider of Soil Association certified shampoos and fragrances for dogs
• The Soil Association Logo on the label is your guarantee that a product has genuine organic credentials - be it is a cosmetic, food, fabric or many other products
• The Soil Association requires extremely rigorous "chapter and verse" on the origins and organic quality of all ingredients before issuing certification
• For more information, see Soil Association Website

The Curious Adventures of Bonnie & Bailey in Search of Soil Association Certification

• We couldn't use SLS surfactants (that's "scientific" for detergent) like most dog shampoos.  Had to figure a natural surfactant - decyl glucoside.  You won't be surprised to learn that it is derived from natural glucose! (More on this in a later blog).
• Did you know?  Suppose an ingredient is available of genuine organic quality.  And a much cheaper, non-organic version is also readily available.   The Soil Association have an absolute mandate that the organic ingredient be used in the product.  Economizing on expense cannot be a reason for using non-organic ingredients.
• Strange but True Fun Fact:  Water as an ingredient cannot be classified as organic!  So, any product containing water will by definition have an organic content less than 100%!
• Exotic Explorations in Search of Fascinating Organic Ingredients! Some of the organic versions of our essential oils can only be sourced from Madagascar, Morocco or Paraguay!!

A Cautionary Tale of Misrepresentation (some names have been changed!)

• Bonnie & Bailey became aware of a US dog shampoo, for sale online.  
• Advertised as "natural" and "organic".
• Claimed free of SLS - or sodium lauryl sulphate, to give it its full name.
• That is true, but only up to a point.
• However, the detergent base is ammonium lauryl sulphate.
• The "bad guy" here has nothing to do with the sodium or ammonium!  That's like talking as if granulated sugar and caster sugar are different!  The sugar is the relevant bit!
• It's the lauryl sulphate, the LS, who is the villain.  It's the thing anyone with a concern over organic products would pay to avoid.
• More - there is no possible sense in which ammonium lauryl sulphate can be said to be "natural" and "organic".
• Bonnie & Bailey say:  Do as we do and look for certification you can trust!

What do you think?  Let us have your comments and experiences!

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