How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?

I believe soap was used to wash hair.





Confirmed:





During the early stages of shampoo, English hair stylists boiled soap in water and added herbs to give the hair health and fragrance. Kasey Hebert was the first known maker of shampoo, and the origin is currently attributed to him. He sold his first shampoo, ';Shaempoo'; in the streets of his home, London, England.





In the old days, traditionally shampoo is made from rice husk and rice straw (merang). The husks and straws are burned into ash, and the ashes (which have alkaline properties) are mixed with water to form lather. The ashes and lather are scrubbed into the hair. However, this makes the hair dry. Therefore, after shampooing, Indonesians apply coconut oil to remoisten the hair. (See: Kompas - In Indonesian).





Originally soap and shampoo were very similar products; both were often made from surfactants, a type of detergent. Shampoo became the logical evolution of personal hygiene products, and targeted the specific needs of hair and not the body in general. Through out the course of the 20th century a number of specifically designed shampoos were released that gently and effectively cleaned a variety of different hair types. Now, synthetic surfactants are primarily used in shampoo. How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?
One way to make shampoo is through the process of saponification where they take a fat or oil and turn it into soap. The native americans used animal fat to make soap, so did some europeans. But that was changed when the invention of a seed presser that expels oils out of seeds such as olive, avocado, coconut. But I think before shampoo was made people washed their hair with water and oil.How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?
Clay has been used to wash hair.





The Indians have soapnut which they grind up and then mix to a paste. It is a wonderful cleanser and leaves the hair very silky.





Bonnets were traditionally worn to keep the hair clean for longer. Muslims and some Christian sects keep women's hair covered, which also helps keep it clean.
in history of fashion we were told that they shaved their heads and wore wigs because they had lice so bad that's why they started wearing fur so they could get the lice to be on the fur instead of their bodies...it was called a flea fur which was a rabbits foot then bigger pieces
Well according to my French teacher, French people did not bathe, and that's why they created cologne; so they would smell good. They also cut their hair very short so they would not get lice, hence the giant Marie Antoinette wigs.
In my aunt's time, she lived in the Philippines [she was born in 1934] and she said she washed her hair with water and a bar of soap. Before that, I'm not sure.
They didn't that's why they wore wig's at least those that could afford to do so.


The poor had to sell their hair or leave it unwashed.
In the early 50's my grandma used to wash my hair with carbolic soap, sitting in a tin bath in front of the fire!
They just didn't wash it.


In fact there are some people now that never, ever wash their hair.



nothing they just bathed in rivers and had lice and nits(i think thats how you spell it)
soap, soap has been arond since the Roman era.