We love these old cosmetic commercials. Not only are they entertaining but they’re actually based on a little bit of beauty science! What makes shampoo thick? Prell shampoo claims to be thicker than other shampoos of the time (remember this was back in the 1950s when liquid shampoos were relatively new.) So how did Prell [...]
We love these old cosmetic commercials. Not only are they entertaining but they’re actually based on a little bit of beauty science!
What makes shampoo thick?
Prell shampoo claims to be thicker than other shampoos of the time (remember this was back in the 1950s when liquid shampoos were relatively new.) So how did Prell get to be so thick? By adding an ingredient called an “amide” which acts as a foam booster and thickener. In particular this ingredient can interact with other surfactants in the formula and with common table salt to increase viscosity and the richness of the lather.
The ad even claims that “the richer the lather, the better the shampoo.” In reality, lather has little to do with shampoo performance. It certainly doesn’t make the product cleanse any better, in fact a shampoo doesn’t have to foam at all to cleanse. It’s just a signal that consumers like.
But you have to give them a break, it was after all the 1950s and cosmetic scientists weren’t nearly as sophisticated as they are today. Today we’re just oozing with sophistication, wouldn’t you agree?
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