[JohnFrancis]

Hi everyone,

I hope that it's okay that I come here to ask this question. I don't really have a science background, although I have always found chemistry to be very interesting.

I'm attempting to make a soap free shampoo for my dogs. I know that I could just buy a soap free shampoo... but what fun is that? I have made two attempts to make the shampoo. Both failed, but I have narrowed down the ingredients that I need and I think that I'm getting close.

I'd appreciate any advice about how I can make this possible.

Desired Result:
I'm basically looking to achieve a mostly natural semi-thick, coconut dog wash that's soap free. Soap bothers both my skin and my dog's skin. So it kind of works out for both of us.

Here is my current ingredient list that I have narrowed down after some intense research and experimenting on myself (before the dogs of course)

- Lauryl glucoside - surfactant that apparently comes from coconuts

- coconut oil - In previous tests the wash came out very oily so I think that I should only use a small amount

- Sugar - I have heard that this can help with foaming

- Coconut water and/or distilled water

- Coconut scent

- Aloe

- Vitamin B

- Xanthan gum (for thickening)

- White mica powder (for white color)

- May also need some citiric acid to lower the ph of the soap

So I guess my questions:

1) Does it seem like I'm missing anything?

2) What's the best way to put this all together? In previous tests, I was literally just sticking it all in a blender and blending it together. That seemed to work well. But should I be boiling this stuff? Sticking it in a crockpot? I'm kind of confused about that.

3) Any other advice for a novice like myself?

Thank you!