Shampoo is a shallow cleaner - Market Proofs / Facts

1. Hindustan Lever's  Sunsilk conditioner's advertisement:  Star one TV channel 7-4-2009 and Sony TV channel, 6-4-2009

Lever's Message:    Shampoo cannot reduce hair fall and will make the hair rough

Ms Marino - Paras Pharmaceuticals - TV advertisements during December 2005 ODI Cricket Matches [ Paras has sold off this brand ]. Message:  It is immaterial what shampoo you use. It will make the hair dry and harsh.

Lever knew this much earlier. Otherwise, their knowledge of hair care is questionable. Paras knew it by 2005. Marino's message was not challenged by any shampoo maker. What does it mean ? No shampoo maker had facts to challenge Marino

The scoundrel continues to say the contrary for some other brands or suppresses this fact, while advertising their other brands of shampoo. Suppression of a fact, relevant to the User, is a deliberate act of misdeed. Check further down for an action in U.S

 

2. New Clear Shampoo  - another confession - contradictory actions in the market

Hindustan Lever's advertisement: Headlines Today -  around 2230 hours on 25th August, 2011

'New Clear Shampoo is the best Shampoo in India'.  If Lever has any integrity, all other shampoos from their stable should be lower priced than New Clear or be stopped. Inferior shampoo, if any, cannot priced above New Clear. Secondly, if this is true, no other Lever shampoo can have greater virtues. Otherwise, they are bluffing and fooling the Public in a way.

Does it also mean that no one else including Lever was making a dependable shampoo till date ?

Unbeatable Shampoo is the new slogan for the New Clear Shampoo in the TV advertisement on or around 24th October, 2011. Honesty demands that the messages of all other shampoos be toned down. Otherwise they are cheating with a lie

They routinely throw a week challenge for Fair & Lovely, one Crore challenge for Water purifier. Why not such ring up P & G, Garnier / Loreal and others and prove to them the Superiority of New Clear. All of them will pack up. Public also does not have to hear too many lies / dubious claims of many shampoos. They can hear about only one.

If they mean what they advertise, should they not stop their all other shampoos ?

 

3. Dove Nourishing Shampoo:  Contradiction 3: Sun TV 1551 hours, 4-1-2012 and Sony TV, Comedy Circus, 1-1-2012

 

Shampoo removes the essential oils from the scalp. Dove contains the vitaoils / vital oils to nourish your hair. This is an unproven, dubious claim. The proof is simple common sense. Not one of the major 20 Medical Therapy knows what exactly is the nutrient needed for the hair, the dosage and delivery mechanism. If anybody on Earth knows it, Baldness would have had a cure long back

Oil is mixed with Shampoo, a detergent solution.  If Soap / detergent cannot remove oil from the hands, we all would be oily from head to toe with the oil massage given when we were infants. Oil reacts to form a water dispersible emulsion / the reaction product of oil and detergent and it gets washed off / no functional value. Check this by oiling your hand and washing with soap / detergent.

Neither Nourishing nor Vitaoils makes sense to me for aforesaid reasons. [ This advertisement message reinforces some of my comments against shampoo and its ingredients - details are below ]

 

4. Confession Sunsilk Advertisement / Hindustan Unilever on Indian TV

 

'Shampoos and boy friends are a bit similar in approach. They say one thing and do another. Can't fully bank upon !' Read again this confession statement. Why cannot action be taken ? Mr Raju of Satyam Computers was arrested on the basis of his confessional statement. It took 2 weeks or more to frame the charges. Lever is guilty by this confession alone

Infringement: How does a Shampoo maker dares to pass a judgement on boy friend ? Is it not an invasion of personal privacy ? [ There are women's outfits waiting for publicity / wanting to do something. Why no one noticed this chance ? ]

 

Now know the Letter and Spirit of the Law to understand my indictment

 

Law of the Land

MRTPC, now renamed as Competition Commission, quoted the below mentioned Ruling of the Supreme Court of India, while passing the verdict in the first case between Colgate and Hindustan Unilever

The Supreme Court had ruled that  "the object is to bring honesty and truth in the relationship between the manufacturer and the consumer". And "if the general impression conveyed is false, the most punctilious and scrupulous accuracy in immaterial minutiae will not render the representations true"  [a lie is a lie even if covered with irrelevant, decorative packing]

2. MRTPC: "if the claim of "102"% anti- bacterial superiority is ultimately not found to be true," consumers by and large can be said to have been duped by such advertisement campaign - if the advertised claim is ultimately not found to be true can be substituted for the earlier words within quotes. That is, the observation is not meant for one case but for all tall, dubious and unproven claims

3 Affected Party / Public: 'This injury caused to the public in general can hardly be compensated in terms of money, as the feeling of being duped cannot be evaluated in monetary terms'. This observation is against fooling the public / Hindustan Lever.

 

Now reassess Lever's advertisements with Supreme Court's ruling

If I were the President of India, I would forthwith consider jail the Executive Chairman of Hindustan Unilever and also cancel the manufacturing licenses and sales of their inferior toilet bars and shampoos. They would be asked to release on TV and Print Media, twice the number of truthful advertisements for every 'wrong /suppressed / factually incorrect or misleading advertisements released in 2011. The Public can file a Class action against them for punitive damages.

At the moment, my pleasure is restricted to calling Hindustan Unilever, a Scoundrel. For a Summary, click question Lever.  Your bathing bar is a perfumed scrubber. Duping means making dubious unproven claims, deliberate misguidance, distortion of facts, unfair means, misrepresentation and such acts of misdeed to mislead a buyer to pinch the purse. They have duped the Public. They continue to do it blatantly. There is need for stoppage and punishment

 

Critical appraisal of loud mouthed, dubious claims of Shampoos - medical / scientific analysis

 

What is Shampoo

 

Shampoo is a simple detergent based cleaner. Perfume and other additives have cosmetic value / limited functional utility

Unpleasant Medical facts: The Long Term impact of Shampoo on the Scalp Hair is a poorly Researched Area of Dermatology / Allopathy. That is, its impact on Hair life, premature greying, strength, itching, skin’s weakened suppleness, sebum production, hair growth, toxicity if any, et cetera are not categorically known to be safe. I am against shampoos since 1993 but then I am unknown. Why the Medical fraternity / Medical Council should remain silent is inexplicable ?

What should Shampoo do ?

Shampoo is a hair cleaner for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, surface dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair. It should not strip out much sebum and make the hair unmanageable. [Some  shampoos include a conditioning agent / fat for ease of combing and styling. Why remove and add some questionable chemicals ?]

As the outside hair is a dead piece, there is no chemical or biological reaction from the aforementioned factors. They can at best adhere [ surface, superficial cling ] and not absorbed by the hair. So removal of excess oil and dirt is all that needs to be done. Water is the safest, economical shampoo that can do almost all the above things except removing the excess oil. So what is needed is something safe to remove the excess oil, if relevant. If one sports dry hair style, this point becomes irrelevant, unnecessary and counter productive - Dove says that too, refer above

 

Ballooned up product ?

We breathe through the nose. Just a few hair and sticky gum filters out the 'pollutants from the air'. If we cannot breathe, we cannot be alive for more than 25 minutes. We have a big hole on both the ears. We do not clean them daily or use any synthetic cleaner, say even once a year. Then why fret about the hair, a trifle and its cleaning. Are we exaggerating the need ?  If we rationlise the use of shampoo for hair, shampoo / cleaner for nostril and ears are also needed

Many hairloss sufferers have met / contacted me so far. I have not come across a single beneficiary of Shampoo. Many trusted shampoo because of the blare, tried some, wasted hair and years but invariably failed to seek Medical counsel at initial stage

 

Origin of Shampoo mostly from Wikipedia, copper wiki and internet

The word shampoo in English is derived from Hindi cha-mpo / champi meaning head massage, usually with some form of hair oil. This service of head massage was introduced to Britain by a Bengali entrepreneur named Sake Dean Mahomed. The clients received an Indian treatment of champi (shampooing), meaning therapeutic massage. He was appointed ‘Shampooing Surgeon’ to both George IV and William IV. Note the words 'therapeutic massage'. What we do now is like taking laxative after dinner to keep the stomach clean

After 1860, the meaning got changed to that of applying soap to the hair. Ordinary soap was used for washing the hair. However, the dull film soap left on the hair made it uncomfortable, irritating, and unhealthy looking. [ Toilet Bars are now sold in India. The cheap stuffs in Soap will tangle the hair and will lead to pulling / loss of hair, while combing. refer Toilet Soaps]

We gave the word. We gave the sensible, original recipe. West twisted the word. Intention were ignored. British English was used  to impress. White knows best. We try to paint ourselves white. After all, We are mute millions

My background

I am  a M.Sc in Organic Chemistry. I invented Swapna Hair Enricher in 1991. I am also a hair care researcher. My major area of study was Marketing at IIM, Ahmedabad during 1967-69. Mr. Prakash Tandon, first Indian Chairman of Hindustan Lever gave the convocation address for the 1969 batch at IIM, Ahmedabad.

In Life as well as in Business, there will be Hard Choices and Soft Options. One should go for the Hard Choices if it is ethical and in the best interests of the Society. That was the essence though I may not be accurate in reproduction after 42 years. And it is Lever which goes for cheap and unfair practices. For more, check Unfair practices or question Lever ]

 

Fighting cheap sellers

'A Lie, repeatedly told, sounds like the Truth' is a Chinese Proverb. The whole world has been brainwashed. Shampoo is the one of the most shallow, artificial myths of the last 50 years in India. I will not be shocked if  'Shampoo Devi'  Temples too spring up

Now to the other details. Study them to chart your course

If you agree with my views, inform others in your circle. No Company is big enough to fight bad Publicity

 

Ingredients / contents of a Shampoo

Water upto 85% or more

An Anionic Synthetic Detergent - examples: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Sodium Ether Lauryl Sulphate

Non ionic surfactant: This is used in Baby shampoos. This too has a negative side.

Quarternary ammonium salts / Quats: They are very common in hair conditioners and crème rinses. Much like a fabric softener, it helps make hair more manageable by depositing a fatty conditioner and fighting static

Silicone to provide conditioning benefits. dimethoxy siloxane, Cyclomethicone / dimethicone -  silicone fluid used to give a smooth feel - causes allergic reactions

Polysorbate / a glycol used to emulsify (or disperse) oils in water

Citric Acid is used as an antioxidant to preserve the oils in the product. Body makes it - the discoverer of TCA cycle got Noble Prize

EDTA which may convert the normally insoluble salts like Calcium compounds into water soluble Sodium salts

Foaming Agents: Coconut Diethanolamide [ or MEA or TEA ] is used as a foaming agent, to make the lather. Lather and effectiveness need not be directly related. [ Castor Oil treated with Sulphuric Acid / Sulphonated Castor Oil will give very good lather ]

The wax glycol distearate is added to make shampoos opaque and pearlescent.

 

Tearing apart the Ingredients

a] Detergents:

Detergent is a synthetically made Chemical Compound. It is normally a more powerful wetting / penetrating / cleaning agent / surfactant compared to soaps and normally economical / powerful than soaps.

Head Hair is above the skin. Detergents are not good for the skin. So detergent based Shampoo is unscientific / has in built contradiction. There is no sensible reason in Dermatology or Cosmetology as to why Detergent SLS was selected.

SLS in powder form is a skin, eye and lungs irritant, used also in hair removers - Smell it every 20 minutes and cough the whole day

Detergents wash out Sebum. It leads to itching, static Electricity and consequent clubbing. Combing pulls out hair. Why remove and then add Quats, and Silicones. Of course, it is easy for some to touch the nose the other way around and stand out !

b] Quats / Quaternary ammonium compounds: They may give an initial soft feel to hair: may eventually make the hair dry and brittle

c] Silicones: It is insoluble in water / repel it. You may have noticed the recent advertisement of Berger Paints with Silicon content. They say it is water repellent. In Printing Inks, its usage is 0.01%. It provides extra gloss, slip and water resistance

Take about 50 ml of water in a small open cup. Dissolve about 5 gms of common salt. [ 5% salt solution is Saline solution ] There is a clear solution. Just leave it open. After a week or so, water would have got completely evaporated. Salt will be left in the cup

Hair Strand can absorb water roughly to 60% of its weight. The silicone in shampoo, dispersed with SLS, also enters the hair strand as well as Sweat glands. The assumption is, when the hair is washed, the silicones also gets completely washed out from the hair strand and sweat glands. How can we rule out the possiblity that something may stay back inside the hair strand or become a coat over sweat glands ? Now connect this to the earlier said salt solution evaporation. This point has not been checked at all.

d] Citric Acid: It can make the hair, soft and silky. It can remove oil. Do we not use finger bowls in restaurant, with a cut piece of Lemon thrown in. Lemon contains 8% Citric Acid. In shampoo, it can bring down the alkalinity of the shampoo

e] Polysorbate: It is not as risky as SLS - just for better emulsification

f] ZPTO is Zinc Pyro Thione, a pesticide -  can cause severe allergic reactions, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness and lack of concentration

 

False / unscientific / baseless claims - some samples

Protein Shampoos: The proteins that make up the strand are chains of amino acids. Peptides, single units, lead to Poly Peptides and Poly Peptides make Amino Acids. So,  Proteins cannot penetrate the skin or the hair, and even if they stick to the outside of the hair they can do nothing. Likewise Amino acids cannot penetrate cells through the skin

Garnier Fructis Shampoo [ brand of L'oreal] - advertisement in Set Max TV - 8th May 2011 - IPL Matches

'Shampoo and Oil in one' - To tone down the detergent in Shampoo / side effects of detergent, Oil is added. That is my view. About a decade back, Clinic plus also advertised in similar fashion, as per my recollection.

Why add oil to the Shampoo ? Does it not mean that Shampoo is a bit harsh for the hair and has to toned down with Oil ?

Anti Dandruff Shampoos

Medical Therapies do not know the cause or the cure for Dandruff. But then people do need a relief, reduction or if possible, removal of Dandruff. The Cosmetic Companies exploit this 'demand' but they do not have a solution

Mix something to the Shampoos, which in itself, a structurally meaningless product. Then add some toxic chemical / cide to claim that you have a cure, assemble a motley crowd, paid or hypocritical  self certified sophisticated ones and shout in loud decibels, the virtues of anti dandruff shampoo. The Seller is the only gainer. The naive crowd left out as the suckers and keep scratching the head

Earlier Coal Tar / Dambar was used. And then, DDT and such others. Having milked them, pesticides, weedicides, biocides and such others are used.  ZPTO [ Zinc Pyro Thione / Oxide, a pesticide] is still a fashionable additive.

 

Invariably, Ineffective - Proof courtesy, Hindustan Unilever

The 1993 Label of Clinic Shampoo, made by Hindustan Levers in India, stated that it is based on " Latest Internationally Proven Formula". There is no basis given for any or all the words used " Latest Internationally Proven Formula". It was a lie

The All powerful 1997 version of the product  had  'The New Faster Acting Formula'  against Dandruff. This Shampoo was broadcasted as Enemy to Dandruff. In 4 years, they have improved upon the 1993 formulation. That is, 'New Faster Action' to the 'Latest Internationally Proven formula'. Why Noble Prize was not given to them is a mystery to me !

Indian anti dandruff shampoo market was less than 500 Crores sales per annum around 2002. It has grown over 1500 Crores by 2009. If the sales figures are checked, the sales of all anti dandruff shampoo sellers grew annually by over 20%. Here lies the Clincher

If people got cured Dandruff, Should not the Sales have come down ?

[I desired that my formulations are bought by a Philanthropist and given away free to the Public. I have a simple remedy for Dandruff since 1991. I am sorry that those secrets cannot be leaked as of date]

 

Profitablility in Shampoo

Price of SLS was about Rs 200 per kg in retail around 2002. 3 to 5% detergent should suffice. That is, Rs 10:  Miscellaneous decorative additives including perfume may cost further, say Rs 10. Water is nearly free.

Shampoo can be made for Rs 20 or less per litre. The selling price in 2011 is about Rs 200 per litre - 10 Times the raw material cost.

If sales increase with dubious claims and virtues, Seller mints money. User counts the fallen hair on the sink

How to Clean the hair ?  Options other than Shampoo

1]  Just use water / warm water. It is safe and economical

2]  Use Aritha / Soap nut powder. Shampoo started in the West also with Soap nut powder only. Gujaratis use Aritha powder since ages. So the safety is well established.

3]  Use Shikkakai powder or Besan powder. These are again safe and natural products used for Centuries

4] If you are addicted to Shampoo

reduce the frequency and quantity of use - [being a smoker for 46 years now, I only advice this step for addicts]

I use about 30 gms of detergent in 5 litres of water to wash a dhoti, shirt, towel and the banian. That is over 6000 square inches washing with 0.5% detergent solution. To wash my head, say 100 square inches, how much detergent is needed ? One by 60 of the quantity used for clothes. Hence for many, 1 to 2 ml of shampoo is more than sufficient.

Buy shampoo in a bottle where you can adjust the quantity to use - and not in a sachet with predetermined quantity

5] Buy it in a bottle, mix 20% Coconut Oil. Increase it upto 40%. Test and adjust the addition. [ Make the hand oily and test whether the mixture cleans the hand. That is a simple way to adjust the pH as well as ratio to your needs ]

6] After shampooing, use dilute lemon water and then wash it off. Lemon may minimise the side effects of alkalinity

7] Always use oil / fatty substance after shampooing for lubrication. It  is a safe, economical, proven and functional conditioner

Summary - Dashed Hopes, Duping wins

 

People use Shampoo to clean the hair, feel fresh, comb nicely and present an attractive face to others.

What are we likely to get ?

a] Dry / Rough / harsh hair. Do you want that ? Sunsilk Conditioner and Marino advertisements. Lubrication gone on skin and hair

b] No benefit to hair fall / hair loss control - Sunsilk Conditioner and Marino advertisements

c] Oil / Nutrients removed. What are removed is not clear. Add back Oil to prop up the crowning glory - Is that proven ? No. No proof provided - Dove's Shampoo. The product is inferior to 'New Clear Shampoo which is unbeatable' - they said both. Contradictory ?

d] Putting back a fatty / oily substance in the name of conditioner is again questionable. Quats make the hair brittle. [ formulation book / internet ] Are we using shampoo to loose them ?  refer ingredients above

e] Unsaid above: Lever mentions about alkalinity / pH test when it suits them. Besides SLS, there can be another surfactant in shampoo. Coco diethanolamide, alkaline,  is also added in minor amount for 'thickening'. How much alkali hair can take ?

 

Quality Check up / Regulation / Punishment - Zero, at ground level

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US,  mandates that shampoo containers accurately list ingredients. It also regulates what shampoo manufacturers can and cannot claim as any associated benefit. When one Shampoo seller makes a dubious claim, others often use these regulations to challenge them and help to enforce the regulations. Still a drawback: The testing methods and details of such claims are not at times very straightforward. 'For example, many products are purported to protect hair from damage due to ultraviolet radiation. While the ingredient responsible for this protection does block UV, it is not often present in a high enough concentration to be effective'

 

The above paragraph is not relevant for India. Refer Toilet Soaps. Our skins are roughed up with Toilet Bars. It goes on since 1993. Refer Johnson & Johnson Baby oil. In both cases, there was hardly any check up by the Regulating Authorities.  Regulations were diluted / altered so that the culprits can go out free. Who will weep for you ?

 

Suppression of relevant fact is an act of misdeed

If we take the message of Sunsilk Conditioner at face value, the company knew that Shampoo can do nothing more than just clean the hair. It would make the hair, harsh / rough. If they suppressed that fact from the public and claimed hairloss control for Clinic Plus or any other unproven benefit for any other shampoo, it is a deliberate act of misdeed.

Tobacco Companies in America were fined only 140 Billion Dollars plus for having suppressed from the public some adverse effect of smoking about which they knew much much earlier with their feedback / research. They harmed the public by suppression / silence

 

Decide your own course as not many accept what I say since 1995, until it is a bit late. Feedback is welcome

 

	Errors and Omissions exempted.  If there be any unwanted oversights, mistake in content or suggestions for improvements,  I will be thankful for your feedback
	Personal website of R. Ranganathan M.Sc., [ MBA - IIMA]    Main / original content: around 1997: last minor modification, Jan 6, 2012   Contact