Long before shampoo came into regular use, people were using regular soap to wash their hair. Im sure you can imagine some problems that arose from this situation. Firstly, it created a film on peoples scalps which made it very irritable, uncomfortable and very unpleasing to the eye. The actual word shampoo dates back to 1762 in English usage. The origin of the word, meaning to massage, was actually taken from the Anglo Indian usage of shampoo. The Anglo Indian use of the word literally meant to smear, knead the muscles and massage.

The term and service of shampoo was introduced by an entrepreneur with the name Sake Dean Mahomed. Mahomed opened a shampooing bath in 1759 in England and was the first person to connect the general public with shampoo. At Mahomeds shop, in addition to receiving a shampooing, his customers also relaxed with a therapeutic massage. The services that were performed at the shampoo bath were greatly appreciated which resulted in Sake Dean Mahomed receiving the highest honor of being appointed the Shampooing Surgeon.

Before shampoo became commonplace in society, people were not exactly sure what to do or how to deal with it. In the beginning stages, hairstylists would boil shaved soap in water and then add herbs to it to give it the fragrance and shine of shampoo. While the term shampoo was coined by Sake Dean Mahomed, the credit for the origin of it goes to someone by the name of Kasey Hebert.

Hebert was the first known person to make shampoo which is why the origin of it is currently attributed to him. A main ingredient in shampoo is surfactant, which is a type of detergent. Originally, soap also contained this ingredient which is why people thought of soap and shampoo as being so similar. It was not until they saw the long term effects that soap had on the scalp that they began to realize the fundamental differences.

Although it began very long ago, in ancient times, that Indians were using different shampoo formulas, they still continue to do this today. Some ingredients they use in their different formulations are neem, shikakai, henna, bael, brahmi, fenugreek, buttermilk, amla, aloe and almond in combination with other components like sandalwood, jasmine, turmeric, rose and musk which give it its aroma.

Im sure there are some of these you have heard of or sound familiar to you, but mostly they are herbs and ingredients that are native to India. These formulas continue to be used all across the United States and most likely in many of the shampoos you use everyday.