INGREDIENT REVIEW: iv San Bernard PEK Conditioner
By BBird 5/4/2017
Description on label:
“Cream for loosening difficult tangles. Its collagen and proteins provide elasticity
and softness to the pet’s coat, returning it to the right moisture balance. “
INGREDIENTS;
WATER
CETARYL ALCOHOL (Cetearyl Alcohol): A combination of Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl
Alcohol, this fatty alcohol is also known as Emulsifying Wax. It is used as an
emulsifier and thickener in lotions, creams and hair conditioners. Often used as a
base for remoisturizing products in the pet grooming industry.
CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE: A quaternary conditioning agent that has excellent
ability to form a thin protective coating on hair. Also acts as an anti-static agent.
CITRIC ACID: an acidifier. The pH of this product tests as 5.0
PARFUM/FRAGRANCE
BENZYL SALICYLATE: A fragrance material used for its balsamic odor and as a
fragrance fixative. This is one of 26 fragrance components that the EU requires to be
identified on labels, as they have been associated with allergic reaction.
HEXYL CINNAMAL: a natural ingredient used in perfumes and other beauty
products as a fragrance additive. It is derived from chamomile oil and is used as a
masking ingredient in many foundations and skin creams. One of the 26 fragrance
components identified by the EU as potential allergens and required to be disclosed
on EU labels.
HYDROXYCITRONELLAL: a fragrance component that has demonstrated some
tendency to elicit allergic response in sensitive individuals. Another from the list of
26 fragrance ingredients required to be identified on EU labels.
COCOS NUCIFERA – coconut oil. One of three vegetable oils that have been shown to
truly penetrate the hair cuticle and moisturize the inner cortex.
PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE: A conditioner and emulsifier. It may be used here as
an emulsifier for the fragrance oil.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone– Preservatives
CL 19140 CL 42080- colorants
DISCUSSION: Hey, where’s the collagen? Where’s the protein? The ingredient list
reveals a product consisting mostly of an emulsifying wax, a quaternary
conditioning agent, and a little bit of coconut oil. There is apparently less coconut
oil than fragrance. It could be that there is simply less than one percent of fragrance
ingredients and anything listed below. The general rule for U.S. ingredient listing is
that any ingredients present in less than one percent of the total volume can be
listed in any order, although preservatives and colorants are often listed last.
Fragrance ingredients usually are present in volume at about 0.2-0.5 percent. That’s
less than one-half of one percent. Anything less than that is not very significant in a
product formulation.
This is not saying that the product is not effective. Cetearyl Alcohol is the ingredient
mostly used in traditional remoisturizing creams. For example, Espree Luxury
Remoisturizer uses a base of Cetearyl Alcohol. PEK conditioner has good
moisturizing value and is good for skin as well as hair. Our concern is that the
product is described as containing protein and collagen ingredients, yet the
ingredient list reveals neither. Either the list is incomplete, which could be an
editing error, or the manufacturer is using selling points that don’t match the actual
ingredient line-up. It’s a serious discrepancy.