Where does the word 'shampoo' come from?
Where do we get this unusual word from for such an everyday item?
Using herbs and extracts to wash hair has been around since ancient times in India, which is where the name 'shampoo' as a hygienic haircare product originated in the 1860s. It derives from the Hindi word cāmpo, meaning 'to press', and referred to a form of therapeutic body massage, one often witnessed by 18th-century British visitors to India. The term gained popularity thanks to Sake Dean Mahomet, a celebrity ex-soldier from Bengal, who was appointed Shampooing Surgeon to King George IV in 1822.
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