Meet the Indian Man Who Invented Shampoo
Did you know how the Shampoo reached the West from India and gained worldwide popularity? Watch our video to find out.
Various civilizations have had diverse haircare and beauty practices for centuries. But have you ever thought about which country invented shampoo? Let us tell you it is not Egypt or any other European country. The truth is, shampoo has its origin in India. That’s not all. India is also behind the origin of the word, shampoo. ‘Shampoo’ is taken from the Hindi word, ‘Champo’, which means ‘massage and press'. Derived from the Hindi word champi, which in turn evolved from the Sanskrit word chapyathi, the word essentially means ‘to massage or press’.
How did the shampoo travel to the west?
Sake Dean Mahomed, born in 1759 in Patna, belonged to a family from the barber community. This young lad grew up learning techniques for making herbal potions and soaps. Along the way, he also learned the art of giving people a champi, also known as a head massage. In the early 1800s, he moved to England with his wife and children. It was in Brighton that he opened a spa, which he called Mahomed’s Baths, where he offered head massage treatments to his patrons. There were separate baths on different floors for ladies and gentlemen; a “boudoir” or sitting room for the former and a “private parlour” for the latter. While they waited their turn, clients could browse through newspapers and journals in beautiful reading rooms. The walls had the usual Indian landscapes and designs that Dean Mahomet had selected. There was also a “sun room” for the patrons to soak up the sun if they so desired.
So well known was he for the head massages that he was soon made King George IV’s and King William IV’s personal ‘shampoo surgeon’. His popularity was so far-reaching that hospitals were referring patients to him, earning him the moniker Dr Brighton. In 1903, soon this formula reached Germany, and Hans Schwarzkopf, a Berlin chemist, introduced Schaumpon. This was Europe’s first shampoo. Since then the concept of Shampoo spread across the world and people started using it. publish a book called ‘Shampooing, or benefits resulting from the use of Indian Medicated Vapour Bath’.The first sachet shampoo was made in India by a company that made the product affordable—Chik Shampoo. Conditioners also made their way to the mainstream cosmetic market soon after. Like the shampoo, the conditioner also became a huge hit among both genders. We have come a long way from Sake Dean Mahomed’s invention; today, there are all kinds and types of shampoos available in the market—with permutations and combinations for different needs—dry hair, colored hair, and even baby hair. Research suggests that the prevalence of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in shampoos is a cause of grave concern for us. It is known to damage the hair follicles and result in hair fall, causing an imbalance to our immune system, leading to cataracts in adults, and also hindering the proper development of children’s eyes. Increasing awareness about these side effects led to a revival of natural and organic products that do not harm the human body or the environment. If you would like to explore some of these, then check out Satvic Movement’s videos where they show how to make natural homemade shampoos.
