Written by Laura Boston, President Animal Sense Pet Products Inc.Shampoo is one of the key tools of a professional dog groomer. They expect shampoos to clean the dogs and leave them smelling nice. The key cleaning action in shampoos is done by surfactants. Surfactants, or surface active agents, can be of synthetic origin, an example being sodium lauryl sulfate; animal origin, such as tallow; or natural plant origin, like coconut oil or palm kernel oil. Shampoos may contain a blend of surfactants to create various properties such as lathering and cleansing. The molecules in the surfactants contain two chemical groups; one group is attracted to soils and the other to water. In simple terms the molecules work together to break down dirt from the surface of the hair shaft and scalp and remove it.