Grooming Series Part 1: Why Sphynx Need Baths. Plus Cleanser Tryouts!
Information on Sphynx Baths!
Inspired by YouTube videos on human skincare, makeup etc. If you find the right channels, the information is very useful and helpful and quite honestly, I am addicted to watching them. No one is doing this for Sphynx, so I decided I would start a grooming series a few months ago.
Keep in mind, just like humans, Sphynx will have different skin types. One product may work well on one sphynx and not on another. Always check the all the ingredients to make sure there’s nothing toxic to cats. One example: tea tree oil is used in some cleansing products and it’s very toxic.
Why do Sphynx even need baths?
All cats produce sebum. Sebum is an oily substance produced in the sebaceous glands. It mixes with fat molecules, called lipids, to form a protective coating on the skin’s surface.
On regular coated cats, sebum travels onto the hair and the cats groom the hair. Since Sphynx do not have hair except a light invisible coat, the sebum has no where to go but their skin. Sebum production will vary by cat. I’ve had Sphynx that almost don’t even need a bath (Mata Hari!) to ones that are super dirty. I feed raw and that does help quite a bit.
The sebum production minus the hair is why they need baths. Compare it to a human never taking a shower/bath. Just imagine.
Some people don’t mind their sphynx being a little dingy and that’s ok. Usually they will have some faint browning around the neck, face and under their legs. To touch, they will have a more greasy feeling. They are not completely filthy but those owners consider that clean enough and that’s fine for them. Some Sphynx are hard to bathe and that’s also a deterrent for some people. Everyone has a different threshold for what they like and that’s ok. However, I do encourage my pet buyers to bathe weekly as I think it’s important to keep them in the routine. I prefer the clean feeling skin and it’s better for keeping sofa, furniture, cat beds etc more clean.
Another tip for keeping them clean is make sure you regularly clean their ears, if that gunk is not removed, gravity eventually brings it down and onto their bodies.
This is my lovely 1 year old girl Rose. Sorry, no pro photos today. This was quickly taken with my iPhone. Rose was deliberately not given a bath for one month to test the “less you bathe them, the cleaner they are” claim.
Is she filthy & disgusting? No! But is she pristine? Also, no!
If you check carefully, look at her neck, the brown tinge is noticeable. Also, the hair on the nose is not bright white. Some of the dirt is more obvious. Sometimes I’ll see photos with brown tipped ears too. Many people consider this clean enough, and that’s fine for them. I think it’s important to define different expectations some may have.
With that being said, it is misleading to tell prospective Sphynx owners that Sphynx do not need baths. It depends on the cat. Example: My one cat Mata Hari barely needs a bath, but she’s the exception to the rule. Then, it also depends on the person’s threshold of what they consider clean.
THE CLEANSER TESTS
Over the past few months, I’ve tested three cleansing products. All of these products are reasonably priced, supposed to help skin retain moisture, and hydrate without throwing off balance.
Some soaps and cleansers may be too harsh for the Sphynx. Some can cause an allergic reaction. Dawn dish soap is way too harsh, I don’t like Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo. I had a friend use Burt’s Bees and it caused her cat to break out in hives before the show and she was so upset.
Information About pH Levels
Shorthair cat skin, per studies, has pH of 6.5. However, I cannot find any information about the pH of Sphynx skin. It may be different without the hair. I’m going to figure out a way to test some of mine and post the results. Human skin generally has a pH of 5.5 but it does range from 4.0-6.0. I’m noting each product’s pH to see if there is a correlation with how well it works. Standard water added will always dilute it and bring it closer to 7.
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
Size: 5 oz/ 150 mL
Price: $19.90 at Sephora ($3.98 per oz)
pH 5.5-6.5
I had such high hopes for this product! Unfortunately, I don’t like this product for myself or on the cats. It has a weird greasy feel, which, ok, I can live with that if it works. The issue is that for some reason this makes the cats very dirty the next day. I’m going to examine the major ingredients and try to find another product to see if there is an ingredient that is an issue. If it can be pinpointed, then I’ll know to avoid that ingredient.
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser:
Size: 16oz
Price: $17.89 from Target ($1.12 per oz)
Ph 5.5
It is really working well for the cats I’ve used it on. They stay clean. I purchased this product after my kitten Stevie had gotten a bit red after her bath using the body wash I typically use. She has not have a reaction to this product, so if your cat is sensitive, you might want to try this cleanser.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser:
Size: 8oz
Price: $9.89 from target ($1.24 per Oz)
Ph 4.5
I used it on several cats over the past month and it worked well. Specifically of interest - I used it on Thor. Thor is a whole male, and they definitely produce more oils. He had three spots of acne on his tail and they are now gone. His tail is now perfect.
Research links:
Structure of the Skin in Cats - Cat Owners - Merck Veterinary Manual
Dog Skin pH & Picking the Right Products – Wondercide
A Study of the pH of Pet and Human Shampoos - PetGroomer.com Magazine