Modern high-quality shampoos have evolved from agents that once merely and harshly removed grease (sebum), perspiration, environmental dirt, and dead corneocytess. In the twenty-first century they contain agents that enhance the natural beauty of hair and mitigate the damage inflicted by the owners.
Shampoos consist of three major components: primary surfactants for detergency and foaming power, secondary surfactants to improve and condition the hair, and additives that complete the formulation and add special aesthetic effects. The surfactants or detergents act by removing the dirt from the hair with a lipophilic component and transferring it to the rinse water with hydrophilic component.
