The Science
Our range of horse care products are formulated using a non-ionic surfactant system derived from renewable plant based resources such as soy, corn, apple seed and jojoba oil. Our shampoos and cleaning products work by lifting soil from the surface so that they can be gently rinsed away without burning or stripping the coat and irritating the skin, the key to the cleaning is thorough rinsing, ensuring the product works at its best. Chestfields products are naturally hypoallergenic as we do not add any dyes, fragrances or other synthetic foamers or thickeners.
Chestfields products are non-toxic, non reactive, non hazardous and readily biodegradable making them safe for people, pets and the environment. We are determined to provide high quality products that provide amazing results.
The foundation for our products cleaning chemistry are colloidal solutions comprised of plant based non-ionic surfactants that create unique hydrocarbon release agents that can tolerate tremendous soil loads. Powerful micelle cleaning action causes long chain hydrocarbon soils(dirt) to virtually repel from the surface of the skin so that soils can be rinsed away with water.
Chestfields products are:
• Readily biodegradable
• Non-toxic
• Non-flammable
• Non-carcinogenic
• Non-reactive with other chemicals
• Non-comedegenic to skin
• Highly filterable and reusable
• Safe to use, store and dispose of
• Derived from renewable sources
Chestfields products do not include:
• Petroleum distillates
• Glycol ethers
• Terpenes
• Synthetics and silicones
• Chlorine and ammoniates
• Builders and borates
• Caustics and reagents
• Aldehydes
• Metasilicates
What is a Colloid?
A colloid, or colloidal dispersion, is a form of matter intermediate between a true solution (like salt dissolved in water) and a mixture or suspension (Italian salad dressing right after you shake it). Further research revealed that colloids have minute particles called micelles. When combined with water, micelles break water’s surface tension (the property that keeps water droplets round), resulting in “super wet” water. That same action allows the micelles to penetrate grease, oil and related organic soils and to hold them in liquid suspension. In effect, the micelle cleaning action is unique and can only be related to the effect of an atomic explosion where random interaction of the particles loosens the soil.
What is a Micelle?
The surfactants used by Chestfields consist of long molecules with two very different types of ends. One end likes water, and is called hydrophilic, the other end likes oil and dislikes water, and is called hydrophobic. When these surfactants are placed in water, the hydrophobic ends attract each other, and repel water, and arrange themselves into a spherical structure with the hydrophobic ends inside the sphere, and the hydrophilic ends on the outer surface of the sphere. This sphere iscalled a micelle.
What is a Surfactant?
Surfactants are organic compounds whose molecules consist of two parts: a water-hating (hydrophoblic) part and a water-loving (hydrophilic) part. When a surfactant molecule is introduced into water, the water-hating part tries to escape by attaching itself to any available surface other than water. At the same time, the water-loving part tries to remain in water. As a result, surfactants tend to strongly “adsorb” or cling to many surfaces.
When they adsorb to a surface, surfactants can loosen and remove the soils from the surface. When they adsorb to soil, surfactants hold soil particles in suspension and help prevent them from redepositing onto the surface from which they have been removed.
When they are adsorbed at the water/air interface, they reduce the surface tension of water and allow the water to spread out. Without the use of a surfactant, water tends to “bead up” in droplets. This beading slows down the wetting of the surface and inhibits the cleaning process. Surfactants make water “wetter”.
