History of Baby Shampoo

Time Frame

• Before baby shampoo, people needed to learn how to clean adult hair with shampoo. The term "shampoo" actually comes from a Hindu word for head massage. Shampoo was introduced to England in the mid-19th century by an Indian man named Dean Mamohet. In fact, the word "shampoo," meaning to clean one's hair, first appears in 1860. In 1908, The New York Times ran an article titled "How to Shampoo the Hair," which gave detailed instructions on how to wash hair with a soft brush and castille soap, about every 6 weeks. The article notes how difficult it is to wash long, heavy hair and recommends rinsing the hair four times, the last few times with cold water in order to avoid head colds.

Significance

• In the 20th century, babies were bathed more often than in previous times and bathed with soap. An article from 1903 recommends using "white soap," which was the common name for Ivory Soap. An advertisement from 1924 in the Sydney Morning Herald recommends Rexona brand soap. However, these soaps can be harsh and irritating to a baby's eyes and made it necessary for the mother to be very careful when washing the baby's hair, since the hair is very close to the eyes. This led to the need for a special shampoo for babies, which would gently clean hair but, more importantly, not irritate eyes.

Identification

• Johnson & Johnson invented baby shampoo in 1955. According to the Johnson & Johnson website, it is soap-free and non-irritating. Johnson & Johnson invented baby powder in 1893, which launched "an entirely new business" according to the Johnson & Johnson website, of "trusted products to help parents care for their babies and young children."

Considerations

• The history of the pH of shampoo in the 20th century partly defines the necessity of baby shampoo. The normal relatively alkaline pH of soap actually leaves a film on hair, so a product which would be beneficial to hair, making it shiny healthy looking, was invented first. Dr. John Breck introduced the first pH balanced shampoo to the United States in 1930. Breck shampoo has a pH level of 6.4. Johnson & Johnson developed their baby shampoo in 1955 with, among other benefits, a pH level that is non-irritating to the eyes.

Controversy

• Although Johnson & Johnson made claims that its baby shampoo would not irritate the eyes, it was not until the 1970s that this claim was contested by the FTC. In 1973, the FTC asked Johnson & Johnson to prove that its baby shampoo truly "can't harm your eyes; can't hurt your hair." The FTC asked many advertisers to prove the claims they made in advertisements that year, such as Gillette's claim that there was an entire lemon in its shaving cream. The term "No More Tears" is now a registered trademark.