Dry, flaky skin. This helped

For today's demonstration, I decided to use Groomer's Choice Healthy Skin Plus Coat products. These products truly contain active medicated ingredients. The advantage of this approach for these products is they can address certain skin concerns more directly. However, the responsibility that comes with it is understanding what those ingredients are designed to do and choosing them thoughtfully based on the needs of each individual dog we're working with. Now that we've looked at the condition of Grace's skin and we've discussed why product selection matters, it's time to move into the bathing process. Before applying any shampoo, I want to make sure the coat is completely saturated with water all the way down to the skin. Proper saturation helps the product distribute evenly throughout the coat. It allows me to achieve more consistent coverage during this bath. Notice I'm using a bathing loofah because these products are designed to be used straight from the bottle rather than diluted. That's different from many professional grooming shampoos that are intended to be mixed or diluted with water before you apply it. And because these formulas contain active ingredients, it's important to follow the manufacturer's directions and use them as intended. Diluting these products can alter the concentration of the active ingredients and that may affect how the system performs and that's not what we want. When working with medicated products, always take the time to read and follow the label, the directions on the labels. The active ingredients are formulated at specific concentrations and changing those concentrations by diluting your product with water can alter the effectiveness of the treatment. And speaking of reading labels, this particular product requires a sit time. The ingredients need a little bit of time to sit on the skin and coat to do their job. So always read the labels. As I begin working the shampoo through Grace's coat, my focus is on getting complete coverage all the way down to the skin. After all, we're talking about skin care here guys. The coat may carry the product but the skin is where we want the ingredients to do their work. One thing I appreciate about professional grooming is that the bath gives us the opportunity to slow down and really evaluate the condition of the skin because it's wet. As the coat becomes saturated with water, everything becomes more visible and we often notice things that we didn't easily see before we wet the skin and coat. The bath just isn't about getting the dog clean. It's one of the most valuable observation tools we have as groomers. As I continue working through Grace's coat, I'm paying attention to how the product spreads, how it lathers, how the skin looks during the bath, and how the coat feels in my hand. These observations help me evaluate the product beyond what is written on the label. A product can make impressive claims but performance is determined in the tub. Before I move on to rinsing the shampoo, I have one additional step in my bathing process, especially because we're using these products, Healthy Skin Plus Coat. These products contain active ingredients and I prefer to avoid using them around delicate areas such as the eyes, nose, and the mouth. So for the face, I'm going to switch to Tropiclean Spa Facial Shampoo. The facial shampoos are specifically designed for use around these sensitive areas and it allows me to clean the face thoroughly while reducing the risk of irritation. No matter what shampoo system you're using, always take the time to read the label directions and be mindful of where a product is intended to be used. Using the right product in the right area is just as important as choosing the right product for the skin and coat itself. Now that Grace is thoroughly cleansed, we've let this product sit on for about five minutes, it's time to rinse the shampoo completely from the skin and coat and move on to the conditioning step. As with any shampoo guys, always over rinse the dog. Get all the product out of the skin and coat. With the shampoo thoroughly rinsed from the coat, it's time to move on to the conditioner and I am impressed. Regardless of the shampoo system you're using, conditioning the skin and coat is as important, just as important as shampooing it and it should never be overlooked. One thing that stood out to me while evaluating the Healthy Skin Plus Coat line is that Groomer's Choice chose to build a complete system rather than stopping with a shampoo alone. From a skincare perspective, it actually says a lot about the way the products were designed. Throughout my career, I've seen many products marked as medicated treatments that focus entirely on cleansing while offering little consideration for what comes next. The reality is that cleansing is only one part of the process. Supporting the skin and coat after cleansing is equally important. As someone certified by Yves Saint Bernard in the Science of the Skin, one of the most important lessons I learned is that healthy skin management is all about balance. We don't simply focus on removing what we don't want, we also need to support what we do want. A comfortable skin barrier, proper hydration, coat manageability, and overall skin health. That's one of the reasons I appreciate seeing a conditioner included as part of this system. As I work the conditioner through Grace's skin and coat, my focus is once again complete coverage all the way down to the skin. Just like the shampoo, the conditioner needs to be distributed evenly throughout the skin and coat to achieve the best results. And just like a shampoo, this product also has a recommended sit time. A contact time needs to sit on the skin and coat for about 10 minutes, giving the conditioner adequate time to work as an important part of the process. And it shouldn't be rushed. At this stage, the coat already feels softer, more manageable, and well conditioned. The true evaluation will come later during the drying and brushing process, but these early observations are encouraging. No matter what shampoo you choose, don't underestimate the importance of the conditioning step. In many cases, it's one of the most valuable parts of the entire bathing process. As I'm prepping Grace to get out of the tub, getting her ready, this is the part of the groom where products really do reveal their true performance. Anyone can make a dog look clean while the coat is wet. The real evaluation begins during the drying and the brushing, clipper work, scissor work, the finishing work. That's when you truly see the value a product brought to the grooming session. As Grace's coat dried, one of the first things that I noticed was balance to the skin and coat. The coat didn't feel oily, it didn't feel dry, it didn't feel tacky, and it didn't have residue buildup in the coat. Instead, the skin and coat felt balanced, and that's what I was looking for. When the skin and coat are properly balanced, several things happen. The coat dries very efficiently, quickly, it brushes more easily, static is minimized in the coat, and the hair responds more predictable during the grooming process. As professional groomers, we sometimes blame ourselves when clipper work doesn't look smooth or scissor work doesn't finish the way we expected, but one thing that's often overlooked is the role that coat preparation plays in the final result. The products used during the bath can either support the grooming process or work against it. If a shampoo leaves excessive residue behind, the coat can feel heavy, greasy, or difficult to manage. If a product over dries the coat, static increases, flyaway hair becomes difficult to control, and achieving a polished finish becomes much, much harder. That's why coat preparation is such an important part of professional grooming. As I moved into the brushing, clipping, and trimming stages of Grace's groom, the coat performed exactly the way that I hoped it would. It remained soft, manageable, easy to brush, and responded beautifully to both clipper and scissor work. To me, that's one of the strongest compliments that I can give any skin and coat care product. Not only did this system focus on skin health, but it also supported the grooming process itself. A beautiful finish begins long before the clipper or the shears ever touch the coat. One advantage I had during this evaluation of these products with Grace isn't just that Grace was a demonstration dog. She's part of my family, which allowed me to continue monitoring her skin and coat far after the groom was complete. One week later, I took some footage to show you. I took another look at both her skin and coat to see how everything was holding up. What I found was definitely encouraging. Her coat remained soft, manageable, and shiny. The mild flaking that I observed before the groom had not returned. Her skin maintained a healthy appearance and pigmentation. That was important to me. And I did not observe excessive scratching, irritation, or signs of discomfort. Now that doesn't mean that every dog experiencing flakes needs this exact product, but it does tell me that on this particular dog, the system produced positive results not only on grooming day, but during the days that followed as well. And for me, that's an important part of evaluating any skin and coat care product. The goal isn't simply to create a beautiful result in a few hours. The goal is to support healthy skin and coat condition long after the groom is finished.