I Washed My Hair With Victorian-Era Shampoo For A Week

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The human race has come a very, very long way in the past century when it comes to bathing and personal hygiene.

In fact, it could even be argued that we bathe ourselves too much these days. Even though that may be true, I'm sure being too clean is much more pleasant-smelling than the alternative.

As unpleasant as hygiene practices from the past may be, I am still extremely curious about them.

What did people use before they used shampoo? And more importantly, did it work?

I was curious to see if, just maybe, our foremothers were onto something. After all, every Victorian woman seems to have had a cascade of long, luxurious locks. Maybe modern shampoo was a step in the wrong direction.

According to Our Heritage of Health, a book called Hints on Health, published in 1852, states, "To cleanse the hair, there is nothing better than soap and water … the soap, of course, should be mild, and well and plentifully rubbed in, and afterwards thoroughly removed with an abundance of tepid water."

I decided to give it a shot and find out if I have what it takes to bathe like a Victorian.

Published August 29, 2017 Kate Taylor

Tag » What Did People Use Before Shampoo