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Aqueos Product Review – Courtesy of Sophie Holland of Eequine www.eequine.co.uk We all have that one equestrian product that we wouldn’t be without – for me, it’s Aqueos! I would like to start this blog/review by stating I am independent and not affiliated with Aqueos in any way. However, I use many items in the Aqueos product range at the yard, but this review is focused on the first product I ever used of theirs, which is the Aqueos Anti-Bacterial Horse Shampoo. I was first introduced to Aqueos through a mutual contact who had bought me a bottle of the antibacterial horse shampoo to use on my horse Bertie. The thing with Bertie is that he is a sensitive soul and is allergic to most things, leaving his delicate pink skin (he is coloured) a deep scarlet colour and very sore; even sheath cleaners have been known to cause an issue, but that is a different story. As with all new products, I did a patch test on the inside of his hind leg 24 hours before just to check if he would have a reaction, and I was thrilled to see there was nothing except a clean, soft and non-irritated patch. Those of you who have grey or coloured horses or horses with white tails will empathise with the amount of effort needed to restore your noble steed back to the preferred version without the stable stains and grime. This wonderful shampoo not only restored the grubby mite back to white but also made his tail come up like spun silk, catching the light, and more importantly, didn’t cause a skin reaction. From that alone you may be interested in trying this shampoo, but rest assured that is not the best bit, as here is the science behind what makes it anti-bacterial and remain kind on skin. According to their website, Aqueos uses a complex blending method of chelating agents not normally expected to work well together to create biocides. These biocides work synergistically together, with each one enhancing the effect of the other. This complex mixing technology allows the biocides to be used in extremely low concentrations, which makes them harmless to all life forms other than micro-organisms. The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) give the product the same hazard rating as distilled water in a ready-to-use form. (Aqueos. 2019. The Science. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.aqueos.co.uk/the-science. [Accessed 10 July 2019]). The fact that this shampoo is not only antibacterial but also antifungal, tested to EN1276, EN1650 & EN14476, means it is so versatile and useful to have on hand. It is one of the items I have in Bertie’s medical kit (along with their spray-on plaster), as it can be used for cleaning minor skin wounds, it combats itchiness and soothes minor skin irritations. Being alcohol and phenol-free, it is also gentle on skin, leaving coats, manes and tails soft and smelling great, as it is also an effective deodoriser and competition safe! I really can’t rate Aqueos enough regarding their high-quality and affordable products – I’m yet to find a product of theirs I don’t like and that doesn’t do what it says on the bottle!
