The Surprising History of Shampoo

4000 BC
Pampering through hairstyling and the use of bathhouses emerges among the rich in ancient Mesopotamia.

3000 BC
The concept of cleanliness becomes more widespread, and helps differentiate between people and animals.

500 BC
Purity of clean water and personal hygiene evolve during the Classical Greek Period.

400s
According to diplomat Sidonius Apollinarus, German Burgundians "spread rancid butter in their hair" which we really would not recommend.

1500s
Early shampoos were made in India from soapberries, herbs & flowers. This concept came to Britain via traders, and hair stylists swapped soapberries for boiled soap.

1700s
The word shampoo (from Hindi word champo, meaning to press or massage) enters the English language.

1800s
Shampoo becomes available for home use in Europe, and monthly hair washing becomes the norm.

Early 1900s
A New York Times article proclaims that hair should be washed as often as every two weeks.

Hans  Schwarzkopf develops a popular water-soluble powder shampoo in Berlin, but it dulled hair. Sorry Hans.

1920s
Hans Schwarzkopf introduces one of the world's premiere liquid shampoos - thank goodness!

1930s
Dr. John Breck develops the first pH balanced shampoos for dry, oily or normal hair, only available in New England.

Drene introduces the first shampoo using synthetic surfactants (sulfates) instead of soap.

The first non-alkaline shampoo is invented by descendant lines of the Schwarzkopf institute for hair hygiene.

1950s
Johnson's launches the first baby shampoo with its "No More Tears" formula.

1970s
Ads featuring bombshells Farrah Fawcett and Christie Brinkley push washing hair several times a week, claiming that not doing so is unhealthy.

Psssssst releases first dry shampoo, an aerosol cleaner containing a starch derivative. It soaked up oil, but still left hair feeling unclean.

1987
The first 2-in-1 conditioning shampoo is introduced. Unfortunately, it relies on silicones, which cause build-up, leading to overwashing and damage.

Early 2000s
Mild, no-lather cleansing conditioners are made mainstream.

2009
Shampoos with healthy hair molecules that keeps hair cleaner longer and by repelling dirt and oil are introduced.

2015
Dry shampoos that absorb oil, sweat and odors and actually cleans the hair are introduced and take off.

Check out this neat chart