The Use of Plants in Hair and Scalp Preparations

The 1966 document detailed the use of plant-based ingredients in hair care products, including essential oils, hair dyes, dressings, shampoos, and medicated items. It noted that while plants have historically been significant in hair care, their role in modern products was diminishing, with synthetic alternatives becoming more prevalent. Essential oils were still used for fragrance, but synthetic fragrances were rising. Synthetic dyes had largely replaced vegetable dyes, and mineral oils were often preferred over vegetable oils in hair dressings. Shampoos were dominated by synthetic detergents, though some vegetable oils remained in use. Plant powders were used in dry shampoos, and gums and mucilages in hair set lotions, but few plant constituents were found in medicated products. The document also reported that nearly half of the surveyed manufacturers did not use plant constituents, and plant-based anti-dandruff products were not widely sold. It concluded that the use of plant products in hair and scalp formulations was declining, with Sophora spp. being a potential exception for treating baldness.