How did people wash their hair before shampoo? (2023)

How did people wash their hair before shampoo?

In America people washed their hair with Soap and Water or just water when there was no soap. Historically, people in parts of the world washed their hair with many things: Mud, Honey, Oils, Urine, Fruit Juices, Milk or sometimes did not wash it at all. Washing the hair with 'Shampoo' is a fairly new practice.

Hair History: How Did They Wash Hair Before Shampoo? - YouTube

They used lye soap which is made by combining ashes with lard or other oils and fats. This kind of soap was known from ancient Egyptian times. It was customary in Rome to always wash your hair on August 13th in honor of Diana, but they washed it other times as well, obviously.

For most people, shampooing the hair is not necessary for good health. Just rinsing the hair with water a few times a week will remove most visible dirt and debris. The decision about how frequently to wash the hair is a cosmetic one based on personal preference.

According to Our Heritage of Health, a book called Hints on Health, published in 1852, states, "To cleanse the hair, there is nothing better than soap and water ... the soap, of course, should be mild, and well and plentifully rubbed in, and afterwards thoroughly removed with an abundance of tepid water."

Hair was cleaned with water, sometimes mixed with ash and herbs to make it shiny and sweet-smelling. Daily combing was also important, and was sometimes combined with the sprinkling of special powders (made from fragrant ingredients such as rose petals).

Clean history

The English word shampoo originated in India about 300 years ago and, at first, entailed a head massage with some fragrant oil. The practice likely dates back centuries before that. Shampooing in the modern sense, though, with water to produce a soapy lather, is only about 100 years old.

According to beauty experts, the best way to benefit from a wee-wash is to massage the urine into your scalp, leave it on for twenty minutes, then rinse it out. Easier said than done. Unlike shampoo, which foams nicely then sits obediently on your head until you're ready to wash it off, wee runs everywhere.

The Romans used to buy bottles of Portuguese urine and use that as a rinse. GROSS! Importing bottled urine became so popular that the emperor Nero taxed the trade. The ammonia in urine was thought to disinfect mouths and whiten teeth, and urine remained a popular mouthwash ingredient until the 18^th century.

Despite the lack of toilet paper, toilet-goers did wipe. That's what the mysterious shallow gutter was for. The Romans cleaned their behinds with sea sponges attached to a stick, and the gutter supplied clean flowing water to dip the sponges in.

What is the No Poo movement?

What is no poo? In the broadest sense, “no poo” means no shampoo. It's a philosophy and method of cleaning your hair without traditional shampoo. People are attracted to the no-poo method for a number of reasons. Some want to avoid overly stripping their hair of good and natural oils produced by the scalp.

1. How often do you wash your hair? Generally, black hair doesn't have to be washed as frequently as other textures of hair because it doesn't retain moisture as much. As a result, most people tend to wash their hair once a week or once every two weeks.

When you don't wash your hair, oils may accumulate on your scalp. This can cause odor on the scalp and hair. If you use hair care products, these can also build up on your scalp and create odors, even if the products themselves smell good.

How Did Victorian Women Deal With Their Periods? - YouTube

Prior to 1915, body hair on a woman was seen as a non-issue thanks to the straight-laced styles of the Victorian era — with women draped and buttoned up to the chin, shaving your armpits was as odd and unnecessary as shaving off your eyebrows.

The no-poo method involves forgoing shampoo containing detergents that strip your hair of its natural oils. Your hair won't smell, because you're still cleansing it. Research the best shampoo alternatives for you: water only, conditioner only, coconut oil, ACV and baking soda, or a no-poo product.

Before soap, many people around the world used plain ol' water, with sand and mud as occasional exfoliants. Depending on where you lived and your financial status, you may have had access to different scented waters or oils that would be applied to your body and then wiped off to remove dirt and cover smell.