S12 E26 - Round Robin - Before the Bottle - How the World Washed it's Hair
About this episode
This episode explores the history of hair care practices before modern shampoo, highlighting natural ingredients used across various cultures and celebrating Madam C. J. Walker's impact on the beauty industry.
What did people use before shampoo? Long before modern bottles filled our bathrooms, civilizations around the world developed ingenious ways to clean and care for their hair using nature. In this episode of Round Robin, we travel from India to Ancient Egypt, Indigenous North America, Japan, and beyond to discover the fascinating history of hair care. Learn how soapberries, shikakai, yucca root, rice water, camellia oil, black soap, herbs, and even kitchen ingredients helped people maintain healthy hair for thousands of years. We also celebrate our Woman of the Week, Madam C. J. Walker, whose groundbreaking business transformed the beauty industry while creating unprecedented opportunities for Black women entrepreneurs and forever changing American business history. Whether you love history, fascinating forgotten traditions, or discovering the surprising origins of everyday life, this episode proves that some of humanity's greatest innovations were growing in nature long before they were sitting on store shelves. If you enjoyed today's episode, please follow Malice in the Mitten wherever you listen to podcasts. Following the show helps more people discover Michigan's forgotten…
More episodes of Malice in the Mitten
- S12 E28 - Jordan Wheeler - Her Last Call Saved Her Children
- S12 E27 - F-Bomb - The Pig Man of White Cloud - Something Walks Between the Trees
- S12 E25 - He Left to Wash His Car and Vanished
- S12 E24 - F-Bomb - Warlock Willie - The Grave Between the Thorn Trees
- S12 E23 - Round Robin - History Had a Smell and it Wasn't Always Pretty
- S12 E22 - The War Outside the Windows - The Lisk Family Tragedy
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