If you have a dog or cat, sooner or later you've asked yourself: "But is this ingredient really safe?"

Baking soda is one of those substances that shows up everywhere — in the kitchen, in pharmacies, in household products — yet few people really know why it works. And more importantly: why it's safe for our pets too.

In this article, we explain everything, without overcomplicating it.

What is baking soda? The formula that explains everything

Baking soda has the chemical formula NaHCO₃ — three natural elements: sodium (Na), hydrogen (H), and carbonate (CO₃).

It's not a synthetic product created in a laboratory. Baking soda has been found in nature for millions of years, in mineral deposits and spring waters. It's the same compound that dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who already used it for hygienic purposes.

The most fascinating thing? Our body produces it independently. Bicarbonate is present in blood, saliva, and stomach. It's what regulates body pH and neutralizes stomach acidity. It's literally a part of us.

Why baking soda neutralizes odors

The mechanism is simple and direct: baking soda is a weak base (pH around 8.3). Unpleasant pet odors — urine, sweat, sebum — are products of bacterial fermentation with an acidic pH.🧪

When baking soda comes into contact with these acidic molecules, a chemical neutralization reaction is triggered: the acid and the base compensate each other, and the odor disappears at the root, it's not simply masked by a stronger scent.

This is the fundamental difference compared to conventional deodorants: baking soda eliminates the cause, not the symptom.

🌿 It's safe at home, in the kitchen, in pharmacies — and it's also safe for your pet

If you're still looking for confirmation of baking soda's safety, consider where you already find it in daily life:

• In the kitchen as a natural leavening agent in desserts
• In pharmacies as an antacid for gastric reflux
• During pregnancy — expectant mothers use it to wash fruits and vegetables, because it removes pesticides and bacteria without leaving toxic residues
• In dentistry as a gentle abrasive in natural toothpastes

If it's safe enough for a pregnant woman washing vegetables for her child, it's safe enough for your dog or cat's fur.

💡Ionized baking soda: what it is and why it makes a difference

In ShizenPet products, we don't use generic baking soda. We use ionized baking soda — the same natural baking soda (NaHCO₃), enhanced through an electrolysis process in ionized water.⚡

The result is a solution with a pH of 10 — more alkaline than common baking soda and therefore much more effective at neutralizing acidic pet odors at the root, not just on the surface.

Same safety. Greater effectiveness.

🐾 What happens if the dog or cat licks their fur after treatment?

This is the question we get asked most often — and it's a fair question, because cats constantly groom themselves and dogs are no different.

The answer is reassuring: ✅ nothing worrisome happens.

Baking soda, as we've seen, is already present in the bodies of animals (and ourselves). If ingested in small quantities — as would happen by licking fur after a ShizenPet treatment — it does not cause toxic effects.

It's very different, for example, from essential oils in high doses or ingredients like xylitol, which are actually dangerous for pets. Baking soda, in this sense, is in a completely different category.

Our products are specifically formulated with this in mind: they are 💚 lick-safe by design, not by accident.

Baking soda vs. other odor neutralizers: the comparison

How to read the table: in the "Leaves chemical residues" column — ✅ No is the best answer (no residue), ❌ Yes is the worst.

Baking soda is the only ingredient that eliminates odor at the root, is safe if licked, and leaves no chemical residues on the fur. This is why it is at the core of the ShizenPet formulation.

🌿How we use it in ShizenPet products

Ionized baking soda is the common base ingredient for all three ShizenPet lines — Fresh Fruit, Relax Herb, and Fragrance Free:

• Shampoo Mousse — works in combination with plant-based surfactants (0.9% from coconut and corn) to clean fur and neutralize odors in a single step
• Dry Shampoo — is the main ingredient that allows dry cleaning, absorbing sebum and neutralizing odor without rinsing
• Deodorizing Perfume Spray — ionized water-based formula with baking soda for quick action between baths

In all cases, the concentration is calibrated to maximize effectiveness on fur and skin without irritation, even on the most sensitive pets.

🌍 Conclusion: naturally safe, scientifically effective

Baking soda is not a green marketing gimmick. It's a molecule that has existed in nature for millions of years, that the body produces autonomously, and that chemistry has proven to be safe and functional for countless uses — including grooming for dogs and cats.

We chose it as the base for our products because it respects animals' sensitive skin, leaves no toxic residues, and is effective against odors at the root.

Safe even if your dog or cat licks their fur after treatment. Always. 🌿

Want to know more about other ShizenPet ingredients? Read our articles on Science and Nature or view all ingredients from Ingredients & INCIL