The Ancient Art of Shampooing

Ancient Indian beauty rituals have fascinated the world for centuries. From strengthening hair with honey to using rosewater to soothe skin, our ancestors did it all. Thus, it's no surprise that one of the most enduring self-care traditions in the world, cleansing our hair, comes from the Indian subcontinent. Even the word “shampoo”, originating from the Hindi word champi or ‘massage’, derived itself from the Sanskrit word Chapathi.

The earliest shampoos were a concoction of boiled reetha (soapberry), amla (gooseberry), hibiscus, shikakai (acacia), and other flowers, herbs, and leaves. They enhanced hair health while cleansing the scalp. This invention reached the West with the help of Sake Dean Mahomed, a barber from Patna, who moved to Brighton, England, where he opened a spa called ‘Mahomed’s Baths’ in the 19th century, soon enough becoming the personal ‘Shampoo Surgeon’ of King George IV and King William IV. In fact, his head massages became so popular that hospitals started referring their patients to him, earning him the nickname Dr. Brighton! 


An illustration of the Mahomed’s Baths building in Brighton, England Source: Digital Collection of the British Library

That’s not all! In true entrepreneurial spirit, even the shampoo sachets that we all carry around while travelling originated in India with Chik shampoo being the first in the world to sell affordable and convenient liquid shampoo sachets in 1983. 


Shampoo sachets by Sunsilk
Source: Reuters/Mansi Thapliyal via The Print

As the harmful effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) found in most shampoos are becoming clearer, it seems that we are once again choosing the herbal options that our ancestors cherished. Hence, the next time you are giving your scalp a good old massage and caressing your tresses, you’ll find that our ancestors already knew a thing or two about beauty!


By Ira Sharma

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