Head Shampoo
Encyclopedia
In 1903, German drugstore owner Hans Schwarzkopf created a special powder formula that became the world’s first shampoo
. It would be another 24 years before the same inventor would create the liquid version used by the world today.
Head Shampoo is one of the first mass-market products which came about during the organic product
s movement beginning in the early 1970s and one of the all-time leaders in total sales to date. It is produced by the Head Shampoo Company of Carson, California
USA.
The product is an all-natural shampoo
first produced in 1971 by two Los Angeles
-based hairstylists who were concerned about the harm they feared traditional shampoos might cause to hair and who literally created the formula in a garage.
Satisfied with the results, the product was first sold through drug paraphernalia
shops, or "head shops,"
hence the name. Popularity of Head Shampoo grew beyond the California counterculture
, finding its way into health food
stores throughout the state and later, through a vigorous television advertising campaign complete with catchy jingles, eventually sold through more traditional retail outlets.
Head Shampoo is red in color, which caused some concern that it would cause one's hair to turn red. Unlike other shampoos which relied on FD&C colorants, those used in Head were from natural sources, primarily beet
juice. In response to those consumers still apprehensive of the coloring, a colorless version, Clearly Head, was produced. Strong consumer demand for the original red version kept it in production as did the possibility of the discontinuation of the entire product line.
Head Shampoo continues to be sold in health food stores, supermarkets and via mail order and internet sales.
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
. It would be another 24 years before the same inventor would create the liquid version used by the world today.
Head Shampoo is one of the first mass-market products which came about during the organic product
Organic product
An organic product is made from organic raw materials. It also requires Organic certification.-Food:*Fruit and vegetables*Meat, dairy, eggs*Nuts and seeds*Flour and Grains*Herbs- Processed foods :*Organic juice*Canned goods*Frozen vegetables...
s movement beginning in the early 1970s and one of the all-time leaders in total sales to date. It is produced by the Head Shampoo Company of Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
USA.
The product is an all-natural shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
first produced in 1971 by two Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based hairstylists who were concerned about the harm they feared traditional shampoos might cause to hair and who literally created the formula in a garage.
Satisfied with the results, the product was first sold through drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia is a term used, often with a slightly negative connotation due to its use in criminal law field e.g. "possession of drug paraphernalia", to denote any equipment, product, or material that is modified for making, using, or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes...
shops, or "head shops,"
Head shop
A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in drug paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis, other recreational drugs, legal highs, legal party powders and New Age herbs, as well as counterculture art, magazines, music, clothing, and home decor; some head shops also sell oddities, such as...
hence the name. Popularity of Head Shampoo grew beyond the California counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
, finding its way into health food
Health food
The term health food is generally used to describe foods that are considered to be beneficial to health, beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. However, the term is not precisely defined by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S...
stores throughout the state and later, through a vigorous television advertising campaign complete with catchy jingles, eventually sold through more traditional retail outlets.
Head Shampoo is red in color, which caused some concern that it would cause one's hair to turn red. Unlike other shampoos which relied on FD&C colorants, those used in Head were from natural sources, primarily beet
Beet
The beet is a plant in the Chenopodiaceae family which is now included in Amaranthaceae family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
juice. In response to those consumers still apprehensive of the coloring, a colorless version, Clearly Head, was produced. Strong consumer demand for the original red version kept it in production as did the possibility of the discontinuation of the entire product line.
Head Shampoo continues to be sold in health food stores, supermarkets and via mail order and internet sales.