The origins of everyday hair care and perfumery trace back to ancient India, long before these practices became global standards. The earliest historical references to hair cleansing date back to around 50 BCE in the Indian subcontinent. The word “shampoo” itself has Sanskrit roots, deriving from the Sanskrit verb “chapayati” (meaning to soothe or knead), which evolved into the Hindi word “champi”. During the colonial era, British officers learned the custom of daily bathing and head washing from their Indian attendants, who referred to the practice as champi. The British anglicized “champi” into “shampoo,” eventually introducing the term into the English lexicon.
Centuries before modern fragrance industries emerged, ancient Indians were proficient in the art of making perfumes. Archeologists have excavated 4,500-year-old terracotta perfume bottles at Lothal in Gujarat, providing physical evidence of an established perfumery tradition. Sanskrit literature frequently documents the preparation and use of various aromatic substances. Varahamihira’s classical text, the Brihat Samhita, offers detailed descriptions of different perfume varieties and their precise manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, “Gandhayukti” (the art of cosmetics and perfumery) was recognized as one of the essential arts in the Kamashastra. Historical records like the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea also confirm that aromatic oils and perfumes were major export items sent from ancient Indian ports to Europe.
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