INTERNATIONAL GROOMING SOCIETY
Global Groomer Health Initiative
Science-based grooming
Animal health
Environmental responsibility
DAATA / IGS Ingredient Classification Framework
A professional reference for science-based, responsible ingredient evaluation in animal grooming and care.
Ingredient safety in animal grooming cannot be evaluated through skin tolerance alone. This framework integrates animal health, groomer exposure, skin and coat physiology, sensory comfort, environmental responsibility, manufacturing impact and real grooming conditions.
The complete report and professional tools are reserved for IGS members and GGHI partners.
WHY THIS FRAMEWORK
Animal grooming needs a broader ingredient language.
Animal grooming products are often evaluated through conventional cosmetic criteria: skin tolerance, fragrance, texture, marketing claims, immediate visual results or regulatory permission.
​
However, grooming products are used in a specific professional context. They may be applied to large body areas, rinsed into wastewater, inhaled during bathing or drying, licked by animals, used near mucosa or handled repeatedly by groomers throughout the working day.
​
IGS developed this framework to help professionals move beyond simplistic claims such as “natural,” “safe,” “gentle” or “professional,” and toward a more coherent, transparent and science-based way of evaluating ingredients.
Skin-safe is not always DAATA-compatible.
An ingredient may be legally permitted and apparently well tolerated, yet still raise concerns because of professional exposure, animal licking, inhalation, environmental persistence, manufacturing impact or lack of true functional necessity.
A broader way to evaluate grooming ingredients
The DAATA / IGS approach evaluates ingredients through multiple dimensions, not only through dermatological tolerance.
Animal Health
Could the ingredient create direct or indirect risk for the animal?
Sensory Comfort
Could fragrance, residue, volatility or texture disturb the animal?
Professional exposure
Is the ingredient handled, sprayed, inhaled, rinsed or used repeatedly by groomers?
Environmental Responsibility
Is the ingredient persistent, bioaccumulative, aquatic-toxic or difficult to biodegrade?
Skin and coat physiology
Does the ingredient respect the skin barrier and support real coat quality?
Manufacturing Impact
Does the ingredient require problematic synthesis, petrochemical processing, hazardous by-products or high-impact extraction?
CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
The five DAATA / IGS ingredient categories
The framework organizes ingredients into five professional categories to support clearer decision-making.
FULL FRAMEWORK COVERAGE
What the full framework covers
The complete report provides a detailed classification and explanation of multiple ingredient families commonly found in grooming and care products.
The full report is only accessible to members and partners
The objective is not to create fear, but to provide professional clarity.
Harsh sulfate surfactants
Phenoxyethanol
PFAS and fluorinated ingredients
Persistent film-formers
Synthetic musks and fragrance systems
Formaldehyde releasers
Problematic organic UV filters
Essential oils
Titanium Dioxide [nano]
And more...
EDTA and EDTA salts
D4 / D5 / D6 cyclic silicones
Synthetic polymer microparticles
High-risk quaternary ammonium compounds
Optical brighteners
Isothiazolinone preservatives
Petroleum-derived occlusives
Nanomaterials
Cosmetic illusion systems
FREE RESOURCE
Executive Summary
Free public resource. No membership required.
Download the Free Executive Summary
The Executive Summary introduces the core principles of the DAATA / IGS Ingredient Classification Framework and explains why ingredient evaluation in animal grooming must go beyond conventional cosmetic claims.
Purpose of the framework
Key ingredient families
Nanomaterial exposure
Five DAATA / IGS categories
Essential oils principles
Practical guidance
Ingredient evaluation is part of professional responsibility.
Animal grooming deserves a more transparent, science-based and coherent approach to product selection.
© 2026 International Grooming Society — IGS. All rights reserved.
This page and its resources are intended for professional education and ingredient literacy in animal grooming and care. The DAATA / IGS Ingredient Classification Framework does not constitute veterinary, toxicological, legal, regulatory, or product certification advice.
Full report and professional tools reserved for IGS members and GGHI partners.
International Grooming Society — DAATA Methodology — Global Groomer Health Initiative