Tress distress: Examine the shampoo label carefully

Einstein used the same soap to wash and to shave with; he did not see “the need to complicate life by keeping two kinds”. Incidentally, he was around when shampoo was introduced during the mid-Thirties last century.

Has shampoo simplified your life, somewhat? A resounding ‘NO’, if as a consumer you have to know the w-i-d-e range of types, brands, weights, prices, functions, chemicals, additives, the Standards, manufacturers’ claims? oops!

Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, tested 23 brands of shampoo ? 22 national and one regional. All of them fared well in chemicals, but when put to performance, they? well, to quote an ad, label pe mat jao, apni akal lagao?!

Today’s shampoos offer ? or claim to ? diverse qualities beyond the primary function of cleansing the hair and the scalp. No wonder, the product sells over a whopping Rs 1,000 crore in India alone.

Standards

Under Schedule ‘S’ of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, shampoos must conform to the specifications laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). CERS tested shampoos as per IS: 7884-1992 (Second Revision) and 2003 (Third Revision draft for Shampoo Surfactant Based). It also tested their weights against the Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 1977 and for their labelling information as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Key Findings

The shampoos CERS tested were: Dabur Vatika Anti-Dandruff, Dabur Vatika Henna Cream Conditioning, Sunsilk Black Shine Sunflower Extracts, Lux Super Rich, Johnson’s Baby, Chik Black Double Conditioner, Nyle Herbal, Ayur Herbal, Mediker Anti-Lice Treatment, Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff, Clinic All Clear, New Clinic Plus Family Health, Himalaya Ayur- vedic Concepts Protein, Pantene Pro-V Volume & Fullness, New Sunsilk White Anti-Dandruff, Biotique Bio-Margosa Ayurvedic Recipe, Rejoice Rich, Lever Ayush Dandruff Nashak, Garnier Fructis Fortifying, Shaheena, Shamla, Nizoral and Beauty Plus Conditioner.

uEight brands ? Ayur Herbal, Mediker, Himalaya Ayurvedic Concepts, Biotique Bio-Margosa, Lever Ayush, Garnier Fructis, Shaheena, Shamla ? contained active detergents, even though the labels did not mention “Shampoo surfactant-based”.

uBeauty Plus, showing a label weight of 1 litre (1,000 ml), did not conform to the Weights & Measures Rules, 1977. The rest conformed to the weight requirement, though some showed variations in the volume.

uEight brands ? Shaheena, Shamla, Bio-Margosa, Mediker, Garnier Fructis, Ayur Herbal, Himalaya Ayurvedic Concepts and Lever Ayush ? did not conform to the labelling information requirements of Packing & Marking as per IS: 7884:1992 (Second Revision).

uCERS tested the brands also for their sensory qualities. Only Mediker (anti-lice treatment) was not included in the tests. CERS panellists liked Sunsilk Moisturising White Anti-Dandruff the most. It recorded the highest score of 83 among the anti-dandruff shampoo brands. Among the regular shampoo brands Rejoice Rich scored the highest at 79.

uSachets were tested for their weight and labelling information as per the IS and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Some brands like Nyle Herbal, Sunsilk, Clinic Plus did not print the net content on their sachets, although it is mandatory to mention the same. Most brands did not mention month and year of manufacturing/ packaging. This is also compulsory as per the IS.

uExcept for four brands ? Mediker, Pantene Pro-V, Rejoice Rich and Head & Shoulders ? out of the 13 brands of shampoo sachets taken for the eight-week accelerated study, all the others showed loss in weight.

uCERS recommends that, with a good overall score and reasonable price, Super Rich Lux Shampoo is your best buy in the regular shampoo category. Among the anti-dandruff shampoo brands, Sunsilk White Anti-dandruff is your best buy.