Your comment is a generalization though it is true that Europeans largely washed their hair with water, vinegar and/or egg yolk prior to the colonial era. Shampoo became known to Europeans through India. The word Shampoo comes from the Sanskrit champo which means to press or massage. What was used in India at the time was a more effective combination of coconut oil and various herbs.
Dean Mahomed (1759–1851) was a British Indian traveller, soldier, and entrepreneur who brought both curry and shampoo to the UK.
In 1814, Mahomed and his family moved back to Brighton and opened the first commercial “shampooing” vapour masseur bath in England, “Mahomed’s Baths”, on the site now occupied by the Queen’s Hotel. Located on the seafront, the luxurious bathhouse offered therapeutic baths and shampooing with Indian oils.[2] He described the treatment in a local paper as “The Indian Medicated Vapour Bath, a cure to many diseases and giving full relief when every thing fails; particularly Rheumatic and paralytic, gout, stiff joints, old sprains, lame legs, aches and pains in the joints”.[40] Jane Daly, Mahomed’s wife, was also actively involved in the bathhouse business. Adverts suggested that, like her husband, Jane possessed “the art of shampooing” and that she superintended the Ladies Baths.[2] The business was an immediate success and Dean Mahomed became known as “Dr. Brighton”. Hospitals referred patients to him and he was appointed as shampooing surgeon to both King George IV and William IV.
The fact that hair would look mangy after a few days, especially with the use of a poorly pH balanced hair cleansing with water, vinegar and egg yolk, is part of the reason large wigs were popular in early modern Europe.
This was a time when people had massive bushes and, once shampoo was introduced to Europe, it was quickly normalized for use of cleaning pubic hair too (particularly once it was commercially mass produced).
Soaps/body washes today have a much better pH balance so they don’t completely wreck hair but back then they were so alkaline that long term use would be damaging.
The high pH opens the cuticle, which can increase friction, cause tangling, and make hair feel rough. Repeated use can lead to split ends, especially on coarse hair. It also caused significant skin irritation by stripping the body of protective oils.
There’s no doubt that genitalia became less off putting for Europeans when commercial shampoo (the original intellectual property having come from India, specifically ayurveda) became widespread. The legacy of which is clear in the fact we continue to use the anglicized version of the Sanskrit word champo to refer to it, even to this day.
You will certainly strip the hair of natural lipids with this approach. Likely irritate the scalp as well.
Ayurvedic/Indian shampoo (the precursor of current day shampoo) contained antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, emollients to lock in moisture and surfactants to create a lather. All of which are key components of the shampoo that we use today.
Your comment is a generalization though it is true that Europeans largely washed their hair with water, vinegar and/or egg yolk prior to the colonial era. Shampoo became known to Europeans through India. The word Shampoo comes from the Sanskrit champo which means to press or massage. What was used in India at the time was a more effective combination of coconut oil and various herbs.
Dean Mahomed (1759–1851) was a British Indian traveller, soldier, and entrepreneur who brought both curry and shampoo to the UK.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Mahomed
See “Introduction of Shampooing to Europe”
The fact that hair would look mangy after a few days, especially with the use of a poorly pH balanced hair cleansing with water, vinegar and egg yolk, is part of the reason large wigs were popular in early modern Europe.
Soap is very different than the shampoo/conditioner ritual. One could argue that natural oils are cleaner than factory oils.
This was a time when people had massive bushes and, once shampoo was introduced to Europe, it was quickly normalized for use of cleaning pubic hair too (particularly once it was commercially mass produced).
Soaps/body washes today have a much better pH balance so they don’t completely wreck hair but back then they were so alkaline that long term use would be damaging.
The high pH opens the cuticle, which can increase friction, cause tangling, and make hair feel rough. Repeated use can lead to split ends, especially on coarse hair. It also caused significant skin irritation by stripping the body of protective oils.
There’s no doubt that genitalia became less off putting for Europeans when commercial shampoo (the original intellectual property having come from India, specifically ayurveda) became widespread. The legacy of which is clear in the fact we continue to use the anglicized version of the Sanskrit word champo to refer to it, even to this day.
Champo is Hindi, not Sanskrit.
You’re right it’s derived from the Sanskrit capayati चपयति
High pH for the wash, low pH for the conditioner. Baking soda’n’water, water rinse, vinegar rinse.
Works great.
You will certainly strip the hair of natural lipids with this approach. Likely irritate the scalp as well.
Ayurvedic/Indian shampoo (the precursor of current day shampoo) contained antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, emollients to lock in moisture and surfactants to create a lather. All of which are key components of the shampoo that we use today.
When I was doing it, I did it maybe once a week at most.
You argue that. I’m gonna argue that beans are fruit.
Are they not?
What about “beans, beans; the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot” lol
Technically beans are seeds and the shell they grow in is a fruit.
Neat