Ever wondered, how champi and shampoo are so closely related, both in terms of word and meaning. That’s because shampoo originated from India. Back in 1762, the word shampoo was derived from the Hindi word champo. The word shampoo that we use today in the English language got its roots from the Hindi word "champu", which itself derived itself from the Sanskrit word "chapyathi" which means press, knead or soothe. In the olden days, herbs and their extracts were mixed and used to make a paste-like component which was used to cleanse the hair.
All of us do realise, champi is an indulgence during one’s bath time. This holds true for the early colonial traders to India as well. When they would return to Europe, they introduced this newly learned skill. They named the hair treatment shampoo. Before the 19th century, the world knew nothing about ‘shampoos’. Sake Dean Mahomed, a Bengali entrepreneur, introduced the practice of champooi or “shampooing” baths to Europe.
Since ancient times, India used a lot of herbs with their extracts as shampoos. One such shampoo was made by boiling Sapindus (soapberries or soapnuts) with dried Indian gooseberry (amla) and a selection of other herbs, using the strained extract. The good old soap bars were also used before shampoo. One of the leading products in the 1880s was an all-purpose bar called Slidall’s Soap. With it, you could clean everything from your hair and body to your toilet and teeth.
In 1814 in England Sake Dean Mahomed, a Bengali traveller and entrepreneur from India introduced the practice of ‘champooi’ or ‘shampooing’ in Britain. Along with his Irish wife, he opened the first commercial shampoo masseur bath in Brighton. The local newspaper described it as ‘the cure to all diseases’ and we agree on that. No problem that a therapeutic massage, followed a good wash, can’t fix. Post this, English hair stylists boiled soap shavings in water, added fragrant herbs, and used this concoction to wash locks. By the early 1900s, people started using a regular soap bar to wash their tresses. However, the surfactants present in soap coated strands with a dull, unhealthy-looking film which eventually became a concern.
India is a vast country and a mystery to most. Those who live in it, those who now live outside of India or those who are just visiting. We, at NRIClub™, serve as a centralized hub of information for the residents, non-residents and travellers who are not familiar with various aspects of this great country. We are a unique, online portal providing all of the information to our users that could be relevant to them.
India is a vast country and a mystery to most. Those who live in it, those who now live outside of India or those who are just visiting. We, at NRIClub™, serve as a centralized hub of information for the residents, non-residents and travellers who are not familiar with various aspects of this great country.
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