History of Shampoo & Why Commercial Shampoo Isn’t Always What We Think It Is
Where Shampoo Came From — And Why It’s Time to Question It
A vintage soap bar and natural cloth representing old-style hair cleansing.
Once Upon a Time — Before Commercial Shampoo
Before bottles of colorful liquid sat on bathroom shelves, humans washed their hair in very different ways: using water, herbs, clays, oils, or even egg rinses and plant saponins — all methods rooted in natural balance, not stripping and rebuilding.
Across ancient civilizations, people used what the earth gave them, for example:
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In India, powdered plants like shikakai and reetha — rich in soap-like saponins — gently cleansed hair without harsh detergents.
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In parts of Africa and the Middle East, clays and herbal washes were common, often mixed with nourishing oils.
These weren’t just products — they were rituals, passed down through generations.
I’ll dive deeper into this in another post — so if you want to explore how different cultures washed their hair before shampoo, stay tuned.
When “Shampoo” Became Something Else
The word shampoo comes from the Hindi word “chāmpo” — meaning to massage. It entered English around 1762, during the British colonization of India. Its Sanskrit root, chapit, means to press or soothe.
Originally, shampoo wasn’t about foam.
It was about touch. Scalp care. Ritual.
When India was colonized, British officials and travelers were introduced to traditional Indian hair practices — herbal powders, oils, scalp massage. These rituals, deeply rooted in Ayurvedic knowledge, were gradually transported back to Britain.
In 1814, Sake Dean Mahomed, an Indian entrepreneur living in England, opened a “shampooing” vapour bath in Brighton. He blended Indian massage traditions with steam therapy, attracting elite clients — even royalty.
But as the practice moved westward, it changed.
In Europe, herbal rituals became boiled soap mixtures. Care became convenience. And soon, industry took over.
In 1903, Hans Schwarzkopf launched one of the first commercial powdered shampoos in Berlin. By 1927, liquid versions followed. By the 1930s, synthetic surfactants entered the market through companies like Procter & Gamble.
With mass production came mass massaging.
Foam became proof of cleanliness.
Scent became identity.
Frequency became profit.
What began as a ritual rooted in balance became a product built for repetition.
Not just a cultural shift —
but a commercial one.
So What’s the Problem With Modern Shampoo?
Let’s take a breath here, modern shampoos often rely on detergents and strong cleansing agents that can be overly harsh for your hair’s natural ecosystem.
In simple terms:
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They strip hair of its natural oils.
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This can signal your scalp to produce more oil, leading to a cycle of frequent washing.
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And for sensitive scalps, it can cause dryness, irritation, imbalance.
This isn’t a judgment — just a fact worth questioning. There’s a difference between cleaning and over-stripping.
Many people who stop commercial shampoo and let their hair “rebalance” notice oil normalizes after a while — appearing healthier, shinier, and with less need for frequent washing.
Your hair doesn’t need to be stripped and rebuilt to be clean — it needs balance.
This Isn’t Anti-Shampoo — It’s Anti-Overprocessing
Here’s the key:
Modern shampoo was never a good idea.
👉 It’s worth asking why the modern version became the default.
👉 And whether stripping your hair daily is really what your body is asking for.
In contrast, traditional herbal washes (like the ones we lovingly make at Als Je Haar Maar goed zit) aim to:
🌿 Clean gently
🌿 Support your hair’s balance
🌿 Nourish rather than strip
🌿 Reduce dependency on harsh chemistry
While keeping old traditions intact.
They bring you back to a natural rhythm your scalp recognizes.
What’s Next?
In the next article, we’ll explore how ancient cultures around the world washed and cared for their hair — from India to North Africa and beyond.