In 1500 B.C., Egyptian cosmeticians harvested plants like lotus flowers for their essential oils, and combined animal and vegetable oils with alkaline salts to form a soap-like material for treating and washing skin. Shampoos came into fashion in 19th-century England, where hairdressers offered patrons various kinds of hair-washing and scalp massage services. The first commercial shampoos were introduced in Germany in the 1890s, but Americans had to wait for John Breck, who established his haircare business in Springfield, MA around 1910, and is credited with introducing the first pH-balanced liquid shampoo in 1930.
Haircare products became popular in the 1950s with the launch of hairspray by Chase Products, giving people the ability to maintain hairstyles in between salon visits. Around this same time, pomade became very popular to maintain mens styles of the time.
Haircare products became popular in the 1950s with the launch of hairspray by Chase Products, giving people the ability to maintain hairstyles in between salon visits.
In the 1970s, shampoos began to market themselves for everyday use, since oily hair was out of fashion. Not long after, shampoos with conditioners became available, and now there is practically any type of hair washing product one could want available at drug and grocery stores. The average person washes their hair every other day, and on average we are using shampoo 182 times yearly. With shampoo being such a common part of our daily routines, it’s important to discuss what’s inside!
The main purpose of shampoo is to remove dirt and oil from the surface of the hair fibers and the scalp. Shampoo is generally made by combing a surfactant, most often sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate, with a co-surfactant, most often cocamidopropyl betaine in water. The sulfate ingredient acts as a surfactant, trapping oils and other contaminants, similarly to soap.
In the early 80s, take-home products became widely used to help women style their hair more frequently at home. Big teased hair meant that shampoo and conditioner had to cleanse hair that was overwhelmed with product. While conditioner had to detangle hair that been aggressively teased, while keeping it feeling healthy. At this point consumers were driven more by scent and less by ingredients— if your shampoo made your hair feel dry, it was a common misconception it had to do with your hair type.
As I started to understand hair better, I realized that I had been over-shampooing my hair for years.
When I entered into the haircare industry in 2003, the average customer was using up to four hair products daily. As I started to understand hair better, I realized that I had been over-shampooing my hair for years. Commonly my clients would tell me how they loved their hair on day two after the hair had settled down and gotten a little dirty post-shampoo. The industry’s answer to over-cleansing was to introduce sulfate-free shampoos, which also started a movement toward more conscious ingredient choices.
When we created our Arey Wash Shampoo, we focused on developing a formula that would be complimentary to the skin. Skin and hair share similar composition, but the scalp is where new hair comes from- leading us to use ingredients that enhance the scalp while gently cleansing the hair. Maintaining a balance of moisture, flexibility and smoothness in the hair strand is easier when we don’t strip them of these natural properties. Wash is meant to supply the scalp with antioxidants and a clinically effective peptide that stimulates color production and healthy hair growth.
Skin and hair share similar composition, but the scalp is where new hair comes from- leading us to use ingredients that enhance the scalp while gently cleansing the hair.
Trends always come full circle…it seems as if the Egyptians were on to something: less products = more meaning. Using less harsh ingredients and increasing the amount of effective active ingredients in haircare products is key. The two-in-one shampoo was big when it launched, unfortunately combining the act of shampooing with the nourishment of conditioner is a tough combo. Shampoo is designed to open the cuticle and remove debris, conditioner is used to close the cuticle and smooth the hair strand. We see Wash as the new two-in- one, cleansing your hair and scalp while delivering our patent-pending formulation to help preserve and promote hair color and health.