In Which I Wax Nostalgic About Shampoo

Smells create the most vivid memories.

At one of the hotels we stayed in during our trip to Seattle, there was Jhirmack body lotion and shampoo. That name alone takes me back to the 70s, but the scent of the lotion took me specifically back to the smell of FLEX shampoo and Conditioner, or as it was called back then Cream Rinse! (My mom still says cream rinse from time to time and it's like having a soft hug when she says it.)

Thinking about Flex made me think of how there seemed to be a lot less choice in hair products back then. I started thinking about the options available:

Flex - There's that logo:

Prell - Remember the commercial when they drop the pearl in the bottle? "Shatterproof Bottle" or as we like to say "Plastic."

Wella Balsam -- Farrah did ads for it, as did Cheryl Ladd...

Head and Shoulders (though I didn't need it, thank goodness.)

Pantene - which was the REALLY EXPENSIVE stuff at Long's Drugs.

Suave - I started using that in college

There were also the upstart/themed shampoos:

Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific! (Apparently shampoo smelled really bad before it came along?)

And my all time favorite silly-ness: Body On Tap! It's made with real Beer! 

WTF? WHY?

Here endeth my waxing nostalgic. Please share your hair care memories from the 70's!

Comments

[Annika]

Do you think I could just wash my hair with straight beer?

[Steve]

I used most of these products...esp. Prell and Body on Tap...they both guaranteed a full head of fluffy, VERY feather-able hair...a must back then. (Beer will give hair unbelievable body when used on hair) The other product that I fell in love with, as my hormones took over back then, and all my oil glands seems concentrated on my face and hair, was Spray Shampoo/Rinse no More...one was actually cornstarch in an aerosol form that was sprayed into dry hair and compbed out...it absorbed all the oil and left hair temporarilly fluffy and "clean" feeling...the other was:

http://www.haircareusa.com/rinse_no_more_shampoo.htm

I think they have both been reduced to camping products and for use for invalids and the just lazy.....now....just got overwhelming deja - vu. hmmm.

[Steve]

Annika -
You can't 'wash' your hair with beer really...but after shampooing, you can do a beer rinse....let it sit for a minute and rinse just to get the smell out and VOILA...your hair will have amazing body and shine...promise! Also, did you know that if you want amazingly soft and VERY shiny hair, you should use mayonaise as a 'conditioner'? They both work....and yes, I've used beer and mayonaise on my own hair.

[sarah Auerswald]

I of course used all those products as well. Plus I remember this other spray shampoo called "Pssst". I never used it -- it seemed like it was marketed to Big City gals who were so rushed they couldn't stop to actually wash their hair.

And then what was the brand whose ad campaign was the "...and they told two friends, and so on, and so on..." ?

Oh, and Steve, I did the mayonnaise thing once in high school, and the result was greasy hair that had to be washed multiple times to clean it all out. I don't think I'll repeat.

[sunsilk philippines]

Hmmm... I never try to use the products in late 70's but it seems so good. Maybe I will try it some other time. Anyway, I enjoyed reading you post. Thanks for sharing.

-krisha-

[Rhonda]

Do you remeber PSSSSST? It was a powder you sprayed on your hair and then brushed it out. For the times you didn't have time to wash it but wanted to get the oil out.

[Julia]

My hair was so dry that I never had to worry about getting the oil out!