SummerWinds® FAQ
SUMMERWINDS® PROTECT-A-COAT CONDITIONER:
FAQ: WHEN TO USE PROTECT-A-COAT
Protect-A-Coat is an oil conditioner that is used to condition and protect the coat and restore elasticity to damaged coats. Protect-A-Coat is also used as a preventative treatment to preserve and protect coats that are in good condition.
Protect-A-Coat is recommended for conditioning treatments and maintenance grooming: We do not recommend you use Protect-A-Coat for show grooming, because it can leave the coat oily. Many small, long coated dog breeders think the heavier the oil the better. This is a totally wrong concept. It doesn’t do you any good to put your dog down in 30-weight oil and have to remove it with high sulfate detergent. Not only have you removed the oil, you put on, but you’re also removing the dog’s natural oils as well. Protect-A-Coat is made from the finest oils and can be removed with one pH balance shampoo (our SummerWinds® Remove-A-Way, Shine-Onnn, Take-A-Hike or Stop-N-Itch Shampoos are pH balanced to the dogs 6.5pH).
FAQ: HOW DO I DILUTION PROTECT-A-COAT AND DIRECTIONS
We recommend using anywhere from one tablespoon, to as much as a cup of Protect-A-Coat according to how much coat the dog has (both in length and volume); what type (silky, cotton, coarse or normal); texture (straight or curly) what size the dog is and the environment he/she lives in (i.e., dirt, concrete, grass or in the house). There is no set formula; you’ll have to experiment until you find the perfect dilution ratio for each dog. Don’t to worry, you can’t make a mistake, if your dilution is too light next time at more Protect-A-Coat next time. Protect-A-Coat does not come off on your furniture or rugs. It will, however, leave an oily appearance on the dog’s coats if applied heavily.
This is what we suggest and we do on our Afghans that are in full specials coat that we are campaigning. We bathe them twice a week, once on Mondays after showing (or not showing), a fast shampoo – (we have recycling tubs) -- however you bathe, rinse out shampoo with clear water. Then add our Fine-L-Shine Crème Rinse Conditioner and Protect-A-Coat together and apply to the dog’s long coat (making sure we have not missed any areas, this can cause matting if you have an oily coat next to dry coat) if you bathe in a regular bath tub have the dog lay down and soak in the Fine-L-Shine and Protect-A-Coat, bucketing it over and over until it’s thoroughly saturated through the coat. Some dogs coats texture we do not rinse out, other coat texture we rinse out lightly. squeeze excess moisture out of the coat and towel dry.
There are two reasons we add our Fine-L-Shine to the Protect-A-Coat when putting them down in oil. 1) Fine-L-Shine has a therapeutic skin cream base with antibacterial and anti-microbial properties. It is formulated for all types of coats, especially effective on dry, dull or damaged coats caused by the drying effects of the sun, harsh shampoos and blow-drying or chemically treated. It also helps to heal and condition their skin. 2) Fine-L-Shine restores the coat and skin’s pH balance. Hair and skin are acid, and do not like to be in an alkaline state. All shampoos are made up of alkaline, no matter how low in sulfate and mild or fine the shampoo.
Now, we prefer to brush and comb out the coat while it is damp. Some people prefer to dry the coat before brushing. We realize when the coat is wet, it’s in a more fragile state, so we are very careful not to pull and stretch the coat any more than we have to, especially if we need to remove any matting. When the coat is damp, we can see every mat, and we feel, it’s a more thorough way of grooming. You can hear a matt when the brush or comb comes in contact with it on both damp and dry coat. Then we let the dog dry, if it’s for a maintenance groom, we don’t use the blow drier, we either air dry, box or crate dry. After the dog is thoroughly dry, we totally brush and comb through the dog’s coat with a steel greyhound type comb to double-check for any missed matted areas. The ears are wrapped, and they are left wrapped until the next bath.
Then in 3 to 4 days, we re-bathe them and take them out of the oil by shampooing, rinsing and crème rinsing, then rinse cream rinse out with clear water. Towel-dry the coat and comb out any mats, then blow dry coat if this is for a show groom.
For maintenance grooming we do not blow out the coat because of the fact that extreme heat from blow dryers is very damaging to the coat. We prefer to again air dry, box or crate dry, this is less damaging than blow-drying the coat if they are not being shown.
This way, the dog is in and out of oil each week to give the coat and skin a chance to breath. By doing this method, you shouldn’t have any trouble with matting. The coat is reconditioned once every week to combat all the dry brushing and topical sprays applied for show grooming.
SUMMERWINDS SHAMPOOS:
FAQ: WHY ARE LOW SULFATE SHAMPOOS IMPORTANT, AND THE DIFFERENCE IN LOW SULFATE AND SULFATE FREE?
SummerWinds® Shampoos are Lower in Sulfates
Why we decided on lower sulfates rather than sulfate free for our New and Improved SummerWinds shampoo line. Super Scrubbers or Shine Stealers?
The Pros and Cons of Sulfates
One of the most common concerns and questions asked about coat care lately is about sulfate. No doubt, marketers have been having a heyday with this popular ingredient So, I thought I’d share a few coat care tips about the pros and cons of sulfates and why we choose to reduce sulfates in our SummerWinds' shampoos rather than making them sulfate free.
Sulfates (aka sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate), are the agents that make cosmetics lather and suds. Some people believe that suds are the cleaning agent in shampoos. Let’s start at the beginning. Many people don’t even know what sulfates are, which only feeds fears when people are told they are bad. Plain and simple, sulfates are detergents that help a shampoo to cleanse and foam.
There are several types of sulfates, including Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Myreth Sulfate and Tea Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates The higher in sulfates content the more suds a shampoo will produce. When a shampoo is lower in sulfates the less subs it will produce.
The Pros and Cons
In coat care shampoos, sulfates are very effective at removing dirt, oil and environmental debris from coats/hair and skin. It’s important to understand that cleansers are necessary for a healthy scalp and skin. They prevent a buildup of dead skin and debris, which can clog the hair follicles and result in damaged hair/coat or loss.
The main sulfate problem is that high levels of sulfates can contribute to fading hair/coat color. In fact there are several other things that can also cause hair/coat color fading as well, including tap water, blow dryers and flat irons to name just a few.
Another big concern from people is that high levels of sulfate strip the hair/coat of oils resulting in dryness. I’m not sure why this comes as a surprise to people. That’s what cleansers do. They have to remove the oils because the oils are mixed with all the gunk they encountered throughout the day/week. Conditioners are for restoring moisture and oils to the hair once the hair is clean.
Lower or Free Sulfate Shampoo Benefits
1. Reduces irritation and skin damage. Shampoos containing high sulfates, particularly SLS, have been shown to cause skin irritations. SLS can pierce through the skin barrier causing damage, allergic reactions, and increases in skin roughness. The higher the sulfate concentration, the more irritating it can be to your hair and skin.
2. It prevents premature hair loss. Sulfates have been attributed to causing premature hair loss and may play a significant role in the prevalence of thinning hair. Being a caustic cleaner, products like Sodium Laureth Sulfate can damage the hair follicle and impede its ability to grow. In fact, sulfates have been shown to increase the duration of your hair loss cycle by up to 8 times longer than normal. Luckily, changing to a lower sulfate or sulfate free shampoo and thus removing the irritating ingredient and restore the growth of the hair follicle.
3. It moisturizes the scalp or skin and prevents dry hair. As mentioned earlier, higher concentrations of SLS can be more corrosive because it is actually used as an engine degreaser. Consequently, sulfates can shed your hair and skin of its natural oils and result in excessive hair, and skin dryness. Using an SLS lower or free shampoo will allow your hair to recover, making it stronger and less brittle.
4. It minimizes fading of hair coloring. Sulfates in shampoo can cause the dye in your hair to diminish at an accelerated rate. Shifting to a lower or free sulfate shampoo can preserve the duration of chemically colored hair.
5. It prevents eye damage in younger children and animals. Sulfates like SLES (Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate) are potent detergents that have been shown to harm the developing structure of the eye in young animals. This raises concerns regarding ocular damage in both infants and younger children. SLES and SLS have been shown to be absorbed and retained in the eyes, liver, and brain of undeveloped animals for up to 5 days longer than in adults.
Based on this evidence and on the fact that SLS can be absorbed anywhere through the skin, exposure with sulfates in shampoo may cause abnormal development of the eyes in younger animals.
What to expect from Sulfate Free Shampoo.
Some of these shampoos leave greasy, limp hair that just won’t hold a style. Often, they’ve selected a natural hair treatment that’s free of sulfates. What they don’t realize is that’s their problem. Without any sulfates, or some sort of super-effective cleanser, dirt, oil and styling products will build up on the hair, leaving it dull and lifeless.
So, even though their color may not have faded and their locks may not be dry, they’ve still managed to zap their hair of life and vitality by refusing to give it a deep-down clean.
Verdict
It’s sort of like your dammed if you do or dammed if you don’t! We at SummerWinds® have weighed all these pros and cons and opted not to remove all sulfate and make sulfate free shampoo formula, but to lower sulfate contents in our new and improved SummerWinds®' Shampoo line. This way, we feel we have the best of both worlds. SummerWinds®' Shampoos Coat Care Pet Cosmetics are revolutionary made with the perfect blend of specially selected ingredients and are low in sulfates. Shine-Onnn, Remove-A-Way, Stop-N-Itch Bath & Take-A-Hike Shampoos. SummerWinds® shampoos 6.5 pH balance does not contain strong high levels of sulfates, and other harsh chemicals that may be found in ordinary pet shampoos. By lowering SummerWinds®' Shampoo’s sulfate levels they are better able to still cleanse gently to remove dirt, oil and environmental and product build up to help prevent hair loss, reduce skin irritation and skin damage and maintain better color retention. SummerWinds®' shampoos are designed to gently cleanse and condition coats simultaneously for shinier, healthier looking, more manageable results for all types of coats, which in return will produce a beautiful competitive show coat.
These are all the reasons we are confident you’ll love SummerWinds®' formula results, which is why we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.
FAQ: WHAT ARE CLARIFYING SHAMPOOS, WHY REMOVE-A-WAY IS DIFFERENT? AND HOW OFTEN TO USE:
SUMMERWINDS®' REMOVE-A-WAY CLARIFYING SHAMPOO:
Remove-A-Way is effective in removing product buildup or any accumulation buildup on the hair shaft. It is formulated not to deep cleanse so thoroughly as to remove any natural oils and moisture in the hair and skin or residue from conditioning agents in shampoos and conditioners that we want to remain on the hair shaft. Along with maintaining the same 6.5 pH balance that is mild and gentle as all the other shampoos in our SummerWinds® line.
Clarifying shampoo is any of a variety of shampoo products that are formulated to deep clean the hair by removing product buildup from the hair shafts. Styling products, such as hair spray, conditioners, and even daily shampoos can cause buildup on the hair overtime. As well as hard water deposits. This buildup can add weight to the hair, making it flat and lifeless, as well as prevent the reflection of light, which makes the hair appear dull and dingy. Periodic use of a clarifying shampoo will help remove the buildup. Don’t confuse the words buildup with residue. Residue can come from both the conditioning ingredient in shampoos and hair conditioners that will protect the hair shaft. Residue can be a positive and essential end result for the shinny, healthy finished look. Buildup occurs from the accumulation of residue, both from topical styling products as well as some internal medications.
Most clarifying shampoo products contain acetic acid. A chemical compound, though mild as far as acid goes, is known for its de-scaling abilities. As necessary as it is to keep the hair shaft clear of buildup it can be very difficult to find a clarifying shampoo that won't cause more harm than benefit. Many clarifying shampoos are not known for their conditioning abilities. With an improper formulation and harsh stripping agents in the ingredients some clarifying shampoos are great for aiding in the removal of unwanted buildup of oil, styling products, and other grime, but also remove the natural oils in hair and skin leaving the hair dull and dry out.
We at SummerWinds® have worked long and hard on formulating our (NEW) SummerWinds®' Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo.
Finally arriving with a perfect answer to how to remove buildup with a mild gentle citrus-based formula is our SummerWinds®' Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo.
Directions: To remove heavy buildup, stains or excess oils and other brand products:
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Wet coat thoroughly
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Apply Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo, Clarifying Shampoo (Dilute 5 parts water to 1 part shampoo) on coat and work into a rich lather.
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Leave on for 10 minutes
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Rinse
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Follow with Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo again, leave on coat 5 minutes.
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Rinse
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Follow with SummerWinds®' Fine-L-Shine Crème Rinse
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Use Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo Treatment Every 3rd to 4th Bath.
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Wet coat thoroughly
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Apply Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo, (Dilute 10 parts water to 1 part shampoo) on coat and work into a rich lather.
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Leave on for 10 minutes
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Rinse
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Follow with Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo
Shampoo again, as directed on label, leave on coat 5 minutes.
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Rinse
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Follow with SummerWinds®' Fine-L-Shine Crème Rinse
Use SummerWinds®' Remove-A-Way Clarifying Shampoo Treatment Every 3rd to 4th Bath.
FAQ: WHICH OF YOUR SHAMPOO LINE IS FOR SHOW GROOMING?
SUMMERWINDS® SHINE ONNN SHAMPOO:
NEW IMPROVED FORMULA
LOWER SULFATES
pH Balanced, brightens with UV Optical Agents, Gently Conditioning, Adds Sheen,
Uncovers Hidden Highlights, Anti-Static Control Properties
Summerwinds Shine Onnn Shampoo is formulated with a balanced blend of lower sulfates and performance enhanced conditioning ingredients, Optical brighteners with ultra violet absorbers and whiting agents, resulting in a healthy bright shine on all color coats. Non-irritating - no harsh chemicals. - no bleach or peroxide.
FAQ: DO YOU HAVE A FLEA AND TICK SHAMPOO?
SUMMERWINDS® TAKE-A-HIKE SHAMPOO:
Shampoo Natural Flea & Tick Repellant
NEW NIMPROVED FORMULA
Lower Sulfate, pH Balanced Brighten with UV Optical Agent Gentle Condition, Adds Sheen, Uncover Hidden Highlights, Controls Static
FAQ: DO YOU HAVE A SHAMPOO TO RELIEF ITCHING?
SUMMERWIND® STOP-N-ITCH BATH:
A Therapeutic Shampoo for Animals
NEW IMPROVED FORMULA
Lower Sulfate, pH Balanced Brighten with UV Optical Agent Gentle Condition, Adds Sheen,Uncover Hidden Highlights, Controls Static
SUMMERWINDS® STOP-N-ITCH LOTION:
A Therapeutic Lotion for Animals
SKIN CARE LOTION
Hot Spots. Skin Sores, Rashes
NEW IMPROVED FORMULA
Temporarily helps relieve itching while helping to prevent licking, chewing and biting of irritated skin and deodorizes.
FAQ: WHICH OF YOUR PRODUCT RESTORES pH BALANCE AND HELP TO DETANGLE AND CONDITION COAT?
SUMMERWINDS® FINE-L-SHINE CREAM RINSE CONDITION:
NEW Improved Formula, Super Concentrated, Dilutes up to 16 to 1, Lubricating & Detangling, Anti-Static Control, Anionic Properties. Fine-L-Shine has a therapeutic skin cream base with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It is formulated for all types of coats, especially effective on dry, dull or damaged coats caused by the drying effect of the sun, harsh shampoos and blow drying or chemically treated. It also helps to heal and condition the skin.
FAQ: DOES CONDITIONING SOFTEN COARSE or HARSH COAT?:
Coarse or harsh coated breeds need conditioning to protect the hair follicle from being damaged the same as soft coated breeds.
For maintenance grooming in between showing you should always condition with Fine-L-Shine. Conditioners will only remain in the coat until the next bath. It is also recommended to use Protect-A-Coat to both protect and conditions coarse or harsh coated breeds. How you use and dilute the product will produce the desired outcome. Fine-L-Shine may be used full strength, diluted or even partially left in the coat. The more concentrated the product the more the coat will lie down. For breeds that you do not want the coat to lie down, it is still necessary to protect the coat from damage. Shampooing with our SummerWinds Remove-A-Way, Shine-Onnn, Take-A-Hike or Stop-N-Itch Shampoos will wash the conditioners out and add volume back into the coat.
1) Fine-L-Shine has a therapeutic skin cream base with antibacterial and anti-microbial properties. It is formulated for all types of coats, especially effective on dry, dull or damaged coats caused by the drying effects of the sun, harsh shampoos and blow-drying, styling products or chemically treated. It also helps to heal and condition their skin.
2) Fine-L-Shine restores the coat and skin’s pH balance. Hair and skin are acid, and do not like to be in an alkaline state. All shampoos are made up of alkaline, no matter how low in sulfate and mild or fine the shampoo.
FAQ: WHICH OF YOUR PRODUCTS AID IN STATIC CONTROL?
SUMMERWINDS STAT-A-WAY:
Ant-Static And Grooming Spray
Weightless Formula Clean, Fresh Scent
STAT-A-WAY helps to control static electricity, which occurs when there
is an excess of positive (+) or negative (-) charges on an object’s such as hair,causing it to become unmanageable and fly away.
FAQ: DO YOU HAVE A PRODUCT TO HELP IN DE-MATTING?
SUMMERWINDS®' MATS-B-GONE:
Just spray mats away Slips and lubricates. Adds Sheen, Luster, Hair Shaft Protection Non-Greasy Detangling Anti-Static Control and Anionic Properties
Silicone Free
Mats-B-Gone Magic patented main ingredient is naturally derived from soybeans and is a water soluble cationic conditioner emollient polymer. It moisturizes both skin and coat; helps prevent hair damage from the elements and help maintain a healthy coat appearance. Mats-B-Gone Magic helps prevents hair breakage and loss when de-matting, by loosing mats so they detangle easily.
If you have any more questions please feel free to call us. We will be happy to assist you with any problems or questions you may have about our products or grooming in general. We truly appreciate your business. Good luck in the ring.
