IGS POSITION STATEMENT ON TRICLOSAN IN ANIMAL GROOMING PRODUCTS
International Grooming Society (IGS)
Ingredient Classification: Category D — Not DAATA-Compatible
September 2026
IGS Position
The International Grooming Society does not support the use of triclosan in products intended for routine dog and cat grooming.
Under the DAATA / IGS Ingredient Classification Framework, triclosan is classified as:
CATEGORY D — NOT DAATA-COMPATIBLE
IGS recommends that triclosan be excluded from products selected for routine professional grooming, including:
shampoos and other rinse-off products;
conditioners and coat-care preparations;
leave-on products;
sprays and deodorising products;
other routine skin and coat maintenance formulations.
This position applies to routine grooming and does not replace veterinary judgement or apply to a treatment specifically prescribed by a veterinarian for an individual animal.
Why IGS Takes This Position
The IGS position is based on the combined weight of evidence, rather than on any single toxicological endpoint.
Scientific evidence reviewed within the IGS Ingredient Classification assessment identifies concerns involving:
Skin barrier and immune function. Experimental research has reported alterations in skin barrier integrity, permeability, inflammatory pathways and immune responses following triclosan exposure. These findings are particularly relevant to grooming because products are applied directly to the skin, often over a large body surface.
Endocrine and reproductive effects. Experimental and observational research has raised concerns regarding thyroid function, fertility, placental development and reproductive outcomes. The available evidence varies considerably in exposure route, dose and strength, but the signals are sufficiently important to form part of the overall assessment.
Development and offspring neurobehaviour. Animal studies have reported alterations in learning, memory, sociability, anxiety-related behaviour, hippocampal biology and neurodevelopment following maternal or perinatal triclosan exposure. Human observational evidence is less consistent, but developmental effects remain an important area of concern.
Other systemic effects. Experimental studies have also identified signals involving hepatic and metabolic function, kidney toxicity, mitochondrial function, cardiac or muscular physiology and pulmonary inflammation. IGS does not claim that these effects occur during ordinary shampoo use; they contribute to the broader hazard profile considered when determining whether repeated exposure is justified.
Microbiological consequences. Triclosan is an antimicrobial substance. Research has identified effects on bacterial ecology, including increased tolerance to certain antibiotics under experimental conditions and changes potentially relevant to bacterial colonisation. Routine grooming of a healthy animal is not intended to sterilise the skin, and antimicrobial activity alone does not establish that routine use provides a meaningful health or welfare benefit.
Environmental impact. Grooming products are routinely rinsed into wastewater. Environmental assessments identify triclosan as a concern for aquatic organisms, while research has also examined its persistence, transformation and formation of chlorinated degradation products under particular environmental conditions.
The Grooming Context Matters
IGS does not assess ingredients only from the perspective of occasional consumer exposure.
Professional groomers may handle products repeatedly throughout the working day, including concentrates before dilution. Animals may experience application over a large body surface, residual exposure following rinsing and, particularly in cats, potential oral exposure through grooming and licking.
Leave-on products and sprays may create additional exposure considerations.
These repeated professional exposure scenarios are an important part of the IGS assessment.
No Demonstrated Need for Routine Use
A central part of the IGS decision is the absence of an established indispensable benefit for triclosan in the routine grooming of healthy animals.
The fact that an ingredient possesses antimicrobial activity does not, by itself, demonstrate that its presence improves skin health, coat condition, hygiene or animal welfare.
Where an animal presents persistent odour, lesions, pruritus or suspected infection, the appropriate response is assessment and, where necessary, veterinary referral — not the automatic use of an antimicrobial grooming product.
IGS therefore considers routine exposure to triclosan unnecessary and avoidable.
Particular Precaution During Development and Pregnancy
IGS gives additional weight to developmental evidence when considering:
pregnant animals;
lactating animals;
very young animals;
pregnant grooming professionals.
The available research does not establish that ordinary grooming exposure causes the developmental effects observed experimentally. It does, however, provide sufficient reason to avoid unnecessary exposure where a routine grooming benefit has not been demonstrated.
IGS Recommendation to Grooming Professionals
IGS recommends that professional groomers:
select routine grooming products that do not contain triclosan;
check ingredient information when purchasing shampoos, coat-care products, sprays and other maintenance products;
avoid assuming that a product is suitable for animals simply because triclosan is permitted in a particular category of human cosmetic;
refer animals with suspected skin disease or infection for appropriate veterinary assessment rather than attempting to provide antimicrobial treatment through routine grooming products;
and avoid replacing triclosan automatically with another biocide or essential oil without considering whether an antimicrobial active is necessary in the first place.
The underlying assessment specifically recommends excluding triclosan from routine product selection while maintaining veterinary authority over prescribed treatment.
IGS Recommendation to Manufacturers
IGS encourages manufacturers supplying the professional grooming industry to reassess the necessity of triclosan in animal grooming formulations and move toward formulations that avoid unnecessary antimicrobial exposure.
Reformulation must nevertheless preserve adequate product safety, microbiological stability and preservation. Removing triclosan should not result in an inadequately preserved product, nor should it lead to indiscriminate substitution with another antimicrobial ingredient.
Regulatory Status Does Not Equal IGS Compatibility
The IGS classification is a professional ingredient-selection position, not a declaration that triclosan is universally prohibited by law.
Regulatory status varies according to country, product category, intended use and claims.
For example, European legislation continues to permit triclosan under defined conditions in certain categories of human cosmetic products. Such regulatory limits should not be interpreted as evidence that the same concentration has been demonstrated to be appropriate for repeated use in dog or cat grooming products.
Legal compliance represents one requirement for a product.
IGS ingredient compatibility considers a broader question: whether an ingredient is justified within professional grooming when animal health, skin physiology, occupational exposure, environmental impact and available alternatives are considered together.
What This Classification Does — and Does Not — Mean
The Category D classification does not mean that IGS claims every exposure to triclosan will cause harm.
It does not establish a numerical risk for every animal, groomer or formulation.
It does not constitute a regulatory ban.
It does not replace veterinary treatment decisions.
Instead, it reflects the conclusion that the combination of documented hazards, repeated-exposure considerations, environmental impact and lack of an established indispensable benefit does not justify continued routine exposure within professional animal grooming.
IGS CONCLUSION
Triclosan is classified by the International Grooming Society as Category D — Not DAATA-Compatible for routine animal grooming.
IGS recommends its replacement and exclusion from routine dog and cat grooming products.
This position is supported by concerns involving skin barrier integrity, immune responses, endocrine and reproductive effects, developmental and neurobehavioural effects, other systemic toxicities, microbiological consequences and environmental impact.
Considered individually, not every finding represents a demonstrated risk during grooming.
Considered together, however, the evidence does not support maintaining an avoidable repeated exposure to triclosan when an indispensable benefit for the routine grooming of healthy animals has not been established.
The precautionary objective is therefore clear:
Where triclosan is not medically necessary, exposure should be avoided.
Veterinary-prescribed treatment remains outside the scope of this routine-grooming classification.
The IGS classification may be reviewed as new scientific evidence becomes available.
International Grooming Society
Professional Grooming • Animal Welfare • Groomer Health • Environmental Responsibility
Supporting technical document:Triclosan — Assessment Report for Animal Grooming, DAATA / IGS Ingredient Classification Framework, 2026.
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