The History of Shampoo

Soap has been around from as early as 600bc and was made from various animal fats and wood or plant ashes containing potassium carbonate.

Soap production spread slowly throughout the middle ages. Although on the increase, the benefits of soap was slow to be realised by general societies at that time.

In 1831 Sulphonated olive oil (turkey-red oil) was one of the first soapless detergents (surfactants) to be made in a laboratory.

In the 1930's, fatty alcohols were used in the production of synthetic detergents. The first fatty alcohols used were derived from body oil of the sperm or bottle-nosed whale. Efforts soon followed to derive these materials from the less expensive Tryglycerides found in coconut oil, palm kernal oil and tallow. This was all to change because soon after World War 2, another raw material, Alkylbenzene, became available in huge quantities.

The Soap Tax
The Manufacture of Shampoo
Hair Shampoo
How to shampoo and condition hair