Les Poochs Discloses Ingredients - Why Are We Disappointed?

This is a good news/bad news story.  In the pet grooming world, Les Poochs has enjoyed an elevated position for decades.  They occupy the highest of the high end, touting luxury products and exquisite fragrances.  They are priced significantly higher than most of their counterparts, using the marketing psychology that “if it costs the most, it must be the best.” This elitist marketing triggered our curiosity about Les Poochs product ingredients. What could be in the products that made them so expensive?  There was special interest in the degreasing product, F&T.  Many groomers reported amazing results, but were worried as to whether it was safe for cats.  The pressure on the company to share ingredient information increased with growing concern about the use of d’limonene on felines.  For years, decades really, Les Poochs reps stonewalled questions about ingredients. They would only say that F&T was made from Valencia Orange Oil and several other “safe oils”.

Fast forward to November of this year when the founder of Les Poochs, Michel Raviol, went on Facebook to announce the launch of a new fragrance and the promise of a whole new line of grooming products to follow in 2019.  His appearance on the Facebook group, Shampoos and the Grooming Industry, was met with a feeding frenzy of questions regarding ingredient disclosure.   I felt a little sorry for the man; I don’t think he was aware that he was diving into the shark tank.  This facebook group contains members who are passionate about product ingredient disclosure.

What happened next was a big surprise, HUGE even!  What to my wondering eyes should appear, but lists of ingredients. Hallelujah!

I did a happy dance around my office. We have been asking for this info for over 20 years.  

My celebration was short-lived.  Upon a closer look, the lists did not look quite right. There were few recognizable ingredient names. Names such as “Mirataine CBS” or “Bioterge 804” were quite confusing to many of the FB groomers.  WTH?? 

Groomers, like myself, who have been playing dodgeball with company reps over ingredient information, recognized that some of these ingredients were listed by their supplier or trade names rather than their INCI names. (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), or their common names.  Chemical suppliers, such as Dow Chemical or Stepan Co., give their products company names or “trade names” by which they are identified. These trade names may represent a single ingredient or a blend of two or more ingredients.  For example, “Mirataine CBS” would normally appear on an ingredient list by the INCI name: Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine.  “Bioterge 804” is a blend of three surfactants: Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Lauramide DEA.

Being the obsessed ingredient detective that I am, I took it upon myself to translate the posted lists into something more recognizable.  I also added information about the function of most of the ingredients.  As I did so I formed some impressions about the lists as provided.  The lists seem to be formulary notes or suggestions rather than finished product ingredients.  They also seem to be outdated, going back to the 1980’s or so.  A couple of the ingredients are no longer on the market. In other words, I have a feeing that these ingredient lists are not accurate for today’s products.  It almost seems as though Michel Raviol was in a hurry to offer some red meat to the ingredient sharks and did not carefully review what he was sharing.  

Hopefully the company will step forward and offer clarification.  Meanwhile, given the intense interest in the Les Poochs products, I have archived the FB posts here to make the info more easily available.  

More on this series:  
Les Pooch Puppy Shampoo