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About Life With Dogs
Hi, Devlin here.
I was the typical Indonesian Chinese(mixed with Dutch and Javanese actually) boy, born in Indonesia but grew up and settled in Singapore since 8 yrs old. My parents still remain in Jakarta, Indonesia
In Jakarta, we have 12 shih tzus and 1 golden retriever. In Singapore, we now have 1 maltese, 1 bordercollieXcorgie, and 1 silky terrier. My grandmother has 3 mongrels to guard her house, and we have 4 mongrels in our warehouse to guard against thieves.
We love our dogs as we treat them as children that never grows up. We face many ups and downs with them, and learn to grow together.
The common problems we have with most of our dogs is their skin and hair. We used the most expensive shampoo, conditioner and hair sprays recommended by pet shop after pet shops, vet after vets, but could not find the perfect solution.
My father imports chemicals in Jakarta, so I was fortunate to be his salesman and therefore surrounded by his contacts. I had the help of my father's customer who process and supply raw materials to Unilver and Kao. I learnt the chemistry and processes to make the shampoo. It was hard work physically and mentally as I had to sleep in their factories to learn and apply formulas to suit the dog skin and hair. Most of their factories are in the outskirts, away from Jakarta. Some are in the middle of palm oil plantations. Also my degree is Finance from SMU, not chemical engineering. I did triple Science back in SJI and NJC. That served as a foundation during my learning... But I was determined to go all the way for my dogs. Also my father's friends were very helpful in teaching and guiding me. One day, I found one chemical anomaly that is present in all dog shampoos in the market. If only that anomaly is tweaked... so I tried it first.
We applied the shampoo to all the 13 pedigree dogs at home and the other 7 mongrels in Indonesia, and to Betsy, Mimi and Miki in Singapore. The results are amazing ! The formula was much better than even the most expensive shampoos sold in the pet shops. Whenever we go to the dog park in Bishan, people think that both our dogs just got groomed... Actually it has been a week since we wash them and we plan to shower them the next day!
This Shampoo we brand it "Silky". Our friends and neighbours tried our shampoo formula and they too were amazed.
The anomaly lies in a group of chemicals called surfactants and lathering agents. These are commonly used in dog shampoos to enhance the feel on our hands. Without them, the shampoo will feel slurry and runny, hence the name surfactants from the root word "surface". However they strip some proteins in the hair, making the texture of the hair rougher and dryer. In all honesty, surfactants are used as drain cleaners! So that is the reason if you tried dog shampoos, they develop rough and dry hair. Examples of surfactants are sodium laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl sulfate, triethanolammonium (TEA) lauryl sulfates, laureth-3 or 4, cocamide DEA or coco glucosides and methylhydroxybenzoate. You can read the labels and find these. If you can't, chances are they hide it. As long as you can get the sticky and viscous feel, just like honey, then it should contain a combination of these.
Then all dog shampoos contain "lathering agents". Lathering agents are used to make more bubbles as we rub the shampoo with water. This group is harmless but it decreases the cleaning effect of the shampoo. But, in the name of advertising and public perception that associates the more bubble it has, the cleaner it is... lathering agents are used pervasively. Plus it does not clean too well, so more consumption and therefore more profits can be derived from using them. Examples of lathering agents are ammonium laurly ether sulphate and ammonium lauryl sulphate. Again, they might hide it. As long as it creates foam or bubbles, lathering agent is used.
I would encourage you to switch to my shampoo IMMEDIATELY because of these reasons. At least you could try one side with Silky, and another side with the current shampoo you have.
I guarantee that the side washed with Silky will be smoother than the one with your current shampoo. It is a personal guarantee from me. I could have hidden myself behind corporate veil like all of the other dog shampoo brands. But like Henry J. Heinz, I believe in what I make and deliver to you.
You would love to smell or even kiss your dogs more often. And you would not worry too much about flea or going to the vet too often. I added special essential oils fo that purpose.
Yours sincerely
Devlin Canrius
For further reading on surfactants:
