Multi-award-winning New Zealand pet grooming brand smith&burton has received the prestigious 2026 Grooming Innovation of the Year award in the global Pet Innovation Awards for its groundbreaking Detoxifying Protein Shampoo.

Presented by the independent global awards programme, the recognition celebrates innovation in product and services across all pet categories, with the innovation in grooming award encompassing grooming products, tools, equipment and emerging technologies.

The award recognises smith&burton’s innovation in solving one of the most significant compromises in grooming: how to deeply cleanse, degrease and clarify the skin and coat without stripping it, weakening the hair fibre or compromising coat quality.

Dogs live extraordinary lives. From city streets to muddy paddocks, from show rings to sports like dock diving, duck hunting and more, their coats carry the evidence of the life they lead.

With life comes exposure.

Dirt, oils, environmental pollution, allergens, product build-up and UV exposure can gradually accumulate on the skin and coat, leaving it heavy, dull, oily or unbalanced.

Developed over many years, smith&burton Detoxifying Protein Shampoo is 100% natural, deep-cleansing, degreasing, clarifying and coat-strengthening shampoo created to remove what should not be there, while helping restore what should.

Unlike traditional deep-cleansing shampoos that focus primarily on removing dirt, oil and buildup, the Detoxifying Protein Shampoo brings together advanced detoxifying purification and functional protein science to deeply cleanse while actively helping repair, rebuild, strengthen and protect the coat.

“From the outset, we wanted to redefine what a deep-cleansing shampoo could achieve,” says smith&burton Founder and CEO Sonya Berrigan.

“That meant looking beyond cleansing alone and spending many years refining a 100% natural system in which advanced purification and functional protein performance could work together. Every element had to contribute to the complete result without stripping the coat or compromising its quality to deliver exceptional performance and noticeable results.”

Where Purity Meets Performance.

Activated Charcoal has long been recognised as one of nature’s most powerful purifiers. Yet incorporating charcoal into a truly natural grooming system presented a significant technical challenge.

smith&burton approached the challenge differently. Its Detoxifying Protein Shampoo was engineered to achieve what very few natural systems allow - fully suspending Activated Charcoal within a 100% natural cleansing formulation while maintaining stability, elegance and performance.

This allows the charcoal to move evenly through the skin and coat during washing, delivering consistent cleansing performance from the first pump to the last without settling.

However, detoxifying the coat is only part of the equation. Healthy coats depend on strong protein structure.

The “Protein” in Detoxifying Protein Shampoo comes from Keratec IFP-PE™, an advanced functional keratin protein derived from pure New Zealand wool and believed to be the first use of this innovative wool-derived keratin biotechnology within global pet grooming.

Unlike conventional keratin ingredients commonly used, often sourced from animal by-products and heavily hydrolysed through aggressive chemical processing, Keratec IFP-PE™ retains the complete amino acid profile of natural keratin.

It helps restore strength, elasticity and smoothness, improves resilience, enhances shine and forms a protective protein shield around the hair shaft. It also helps reduce frizz, minimise coat breakage, improve manageability and support healthy coat growth.

“True innovation in grooming rarely comes from simply adding an ingredient to a formula,” says Berrigan.

“It comes from solving complex formulation challenges while preserving the integrity of nature’s most powerful materials. It is about how they are brought together within a complete formulation.”

Together, fully suspended Activated Charcoal and advanced wool-derived functional Keratin creates a shampoo capable of deeply cleansing, degreasing, clarifying, strengthening, rebuilding and moisturising simultaneously - delivering true multitasking performance in one wash.

100% Natural. No Nasties.

What is not in the formulation matters just as much as what is.

Detoxifying Protein Shampoo is formulated using 100% natural ingredients and is free from Parabens, Cocamide DEA, SLS/SLES, Phthalates, Phosphates, PEGs, PPGs, EDTA, DPEG, Silicones, Petrochemicals, Artificial Colours, Mineral Oils, Dyes and Fragrance. The Keratin is free from Formaldehyde.

It is fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, pH balanced and suitable for all coat and breed types.

Immediate International Response

The market response to Detoxifying Protein Shampoo was immediate and exceptional.

The product sold out within a few days of launch, requiring several production runs within the first six weeks and generating significant excitement among professional groomers, pet parents and distributors internationally.

“To have Detoxifying Protein Shampoo recognised as Grooming Innovation of the Year is incredibly meaningful,” says Berrigan.

“This award recognises the years of formulation development, technical problem-solving and attention to detail behind the product. It also reflects what smith&burton stands for - innovation grounded in nature, elevated by science and engineered for real performance.”

smith&burton Detoxifying Protein Shampoo redefines the deep-cleansing and coat strengthening category, bringing together detoxifying purification, functional protein repair and a fully natural formulation within one high-performance wash.

smith&burton acknowledges the customers, professional groomers, distributors and retailers whose trust and support continue to drive the brand’s innovation and international growth.

smith&burton Detoxifying Protein Shampoo is available in the United States in 16.9 fl. oz. and 1.32 gallon sizes.

About smith&burton

smith&burton was founded in 2019 and is a multi-award-winning manufacturer of premium, natural pet grooming products for natural health, wellness, beauty and prevention care, proudly made in New Zealand.

Available in more than 30 countries, smith&burton is one of the world’s fastest-growing natural grooming brands for pet parents, professional groomers, veterinarians and dermal specialists, backed by the highest calibre of green science, sustainability, transparency and innovation to deliver a truly distinctive natural effective grooming range that is good for dogs and the planet.

About the Pet Innovation Awards

The Pet Innovation Awards is an independent global awards programme recognising outstanding innovation, achievement and success across the pet care industry.

The awards recognise companies, services and products across categories including Grooming and Cleaning, Health, Food and Treats, Apparel, Housing, Toys, Training, Retailers and Services. For more information, visit www.petinnovationawards.com