Back in 1762, shampoo became a word familiar to Europeans when they decided to massage their hair to a state of cleanliness. Ever since the idea of shampoo was created in India, we have messed with its ingredients in order to produce an optimum formula that not only cleans your hair but also has intangible qualities of smell and feel. We love our beauty products and are endless experimenting with their composition. For instance, from the start we have mixed in elements such as neem, henna, buttermilk, aloe, almond, sandalwood and jasmine. Other things we have dropped into the pot for aromatic effect are turmeric, rose and musk.

With all these varied ingredients, it is nearly impossible to guarantee performance or allergy reactions in you the consumer. At the earliest stages of shampoo, it was sold somewhat like snake oil and purported to have many beneficial effects although untested or proved in the field. We purchased these beauty products hoping that they would create the ultimate manageable hair that caused people to stop and stare. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients were less than helpful and more than harmful. Many unsuspecting consumers ended up damaging their hair and in some extreme cases, lost their hair entirely with scarring to their scalp.

Eventually, organizations like the FDA in the United States began to form regulations about the contents and marketing of shampoo. This was a boon for you the consumer as the governmental bodies created and enforced laws that would require the manufacturers of that fabled hair cleaning concoction to place the ingredients used in their beauty products so the consumer could decide whiter they were physically compatible with the combination of chemicals used in their shampoo.

The FDA, among many other international governing bodies, also demanded that the manufacturers cease and desist advertising their products with unproved claims. Up until this time, advertising had been an art in deception. If you could make your customer believe that by using their shampoo, you would reap the benefits of a better digestive system, keener thought and clear complexion, all the better and your customer bought your product by the truckload and when your customer finally discovered that your wonder beauty product wasn’t wondrous at all and caused them to smell like a chicken coop while giving them sever scalp rashes, they were powerless to do anything but enact some revenge in the form of running you out of town on a rail. This of course is a pandemonium that the government was willing to deal with, so they enacted legislation that required the manufacturers to lose their less than honest pitches and revert to some truth. The manufacturers countered this legislation by selling their beauty products with ambiguous promises of performances and satisfaction. Where does this leave you?

There are still possibilities that you will react unfavorably to beauty products due to allergies you may or may not know about. Also the performance of these beauty products vary from person to person according to their particular cleaning needs. Beauty products like shampoos are created to deal with dry and damaged hair. There are also shampoos that deal with dandruff. If your hair is oily, there are beauty products developed especially for those needs. Not to mention the endless combinations of the above list.

In the end, you should be looking for the qualities in your shampoo such as its ability to rinse out of your hair. Who wants to spend an hour under the tap? Does your beauty product leave a pleasing finish after you step out of the shower? Do your eyes become red and irritated when you use your shampoo? If it does, I would recommend that you change your shampoo immediately as these effects can be damaging to your system over the long run.

Does your beauty product damage your hair? If it does, why are you using it? Does the smell please you? Beauty products have a helpful aromatic quality that can actually alter your mood. Is your shampoo low in toxicity and biodegradable? In our environmentally conscious society, it is important to consider these facts, as you are not the only one living on this planet. If you were, you would be incredibly lonely with no need for shampoo. Humor aside, you should endeavor to answer the previous questions whenever you head out for your beauty products and the end result will be a shampoo that eases your life and does hurt you and the planet.