Beauty Tips©

SHAMPOOS

The hair and scalp needs to be washed frequently. The oil glands of the scalps of most people are very active. The oil of these glands accumulates on the scalp and hair, becomes rancid and bad-smelling, and affects hair appearance.

The cleansing agent in most shampoos today is a synthetic detergent rather than the soap once contained. Shampoos are treated as cosmetics unless they contain a drug for correcting or preventing a bodily condition such as dandruff.

The major advantage of synthetic detergents is their efficient functioning in hard water. In hard water much calcium in solution, soap reacts with the calcium to form deposits of a gummy material called "soap scum" (the familiar bathtub ring), which dulls hair luster. Synthetic detergents neither form scum deposits nor require an acid rinse to remove them; they do not require the extensive lather normally expected from soap to perform an adequate cleansing job.

The big problem with a synthetic detergent is that the more thoroughly it removes dirt and other unwanted material, the more likely it is to irritate the scalp, strip off hair dyes and tints, and remove the natural oil left on the hair from natural gland secretions.

Some synthetic detergents contain additives called conditioners, which take the place of the "hundred brush strokes" of the past to produce luster and sheen. Conditioners also give hair the appearance or feel softness, impart smoothness and lubricity to the touch, make combing or brushing easier, give the hair "body" or bulk, add texture, and retain "set." No longer are shampoos confined to cleansing and scenting the hair.